Gardening With Perennials
Posted on May 28, 2009 under Best Perennials |
Perennials are those flowers which reliably bloom year after year. After growing throughout the spring and summer, perennials die back to the ground each winter only to reemerge again the following spring. With their vibrant colors and interesting textures, they’re at the heart of most gardens. Perennials are easy to grow and need little maintenance. There are, however, a few guidelines to follow which will help your garden flourish.
After the spring clean up, cut back to the ground any stalks which were left standing over the winter. Survey the perennial bed early in the spring and take note of what you have. See if there are any empty spaces which could benefit from additional flowers. Ideally, the perennial bed should provide colorful blooms all season long. To compliment the perennials, plant some annuals in the garden for added color. Annuals will bloom from spring until the first frost.
In the spring, apply a slow release garden fertilizer. This will help the perennials grow vigorously throughout the entire season. Cultivating some compost into the garden each year will improve soil consistency and keep the soil nutrient rich.
Throughout the summer there is the need for deadheading. This is the process of snipping off flowers which have gone by. It keeps the garden looking great all season. Deadheading annuals is even more important as it encourages a continuous bloom from spring to fall. Cultivate the garden soil a few times during the growing season. It will keep weeds from encroaching on the garden and will allows water and nutrients to penetrate the soil surface.
Taller plants, especially those with large flowers, will require staking. After rain shower, the flowers are weighed down and the plant’s stalk will often bend or break.
Late in the fall, perennials begin to fade as their foliage starts to die back to the ground. Their roots are still alive but the above ground part of the plant is done for the season. Though cutting back the plants can be done in the spring, it’s generally done in the fall for aesthetic reasons. There are some perennials, such as black eyed Susan, which, if left standing, add character to the fall and winter landscape.
Dividing perennials is an easy and free way to increase your plant stock. After a few years of growth, perennials may begin to outgrow their allotted space. Dividing overgrown perennials solve the problem crowding in the garden. Dividing also gives you new plants to add to your garden. To divide a perennial dig the plant out of the garden preserving as much of the root system as possible. Then divide the perennial in half with a shovel or edger. Replace the perennial back in the ground and back fill with a mix of compost and existing soil. Fall is the best time of year to divide perennials.
Perennials are adaptable to a variety of landscape conditions so analyze the conditions of your own garden to determine what will work best. Also, have a plan or list in hand before you head out to the greenhouse. Perennials need little maintenance once they are established and provide years of care free gardening enjoyment
anonymous
http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/gardening-with-perennials-88193.html
May 28th, 2009 at 4:18 am
What do you like best and least about gardening with perennials?
Me: Best- making more plants by dividing them.
Least- trying to weed around existing plants.
May 28th, 2009 at 9:20 am
The thing I like best is that they are perennial. The least is that they do not stay in bloom as long as annuals.
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May 28th, 2009 at 9:22 am
With perennials, you have to wait, be patient, not as much color as annuals. But worth the wait because of the coverage and cost!
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May 28th, 2009 at 9:24 am
They cost more initially but save money in the long run.
They usually take up more room than annuals but aren't as showy
but the best about perennials is they come back bigger and better each year.
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May 28th, 2009 at 9:26 am
I agree with you. It is fun to get more plants each year but when there is a plant i really don't care for it is difficult to get rid of, like that nuisance columbine
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May 28th, 2009 at 9:28 am
I agree with the separating the perennials and getting more plants, able to trade or give away or sell or move all over your yard. I just wish some wouldn't try to take over the yard.
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May 28th, 2009 at 9:30 am
what I like best is that they come up without you having to do anything once they are planted and settled.
2 years ago i had surgery in May and was unable to garden for the whole summer. However because my garden is mostly perennial it was still lovely.
Worst - I agree, it is the cleaning up around the plants and also cleaning up generally in the spring
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May 28th, 2009 at 9:32 am
The best is that you can divide and share with others. The worst is waiting for their bloom periods.
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Gardens for Beginners
http://www. geocities.com/mastergardener2k
May 28th, 2009 at 9:34 am
I love pretty much everything about perennials but I live in zone 4 where winters are long and hard so I think my favorite thing about them is finding each of them emerging in the spring. It's like welcoming old friends home again. I really do get excited and I go look all the time to see what has poked up and if last year's new ones made it. It's a great way to usher out winter.
My least favorite thing is when I can't find anyone to give them to when I have too much, because I'm just terrible about simply tossing them. I have done it with ferns and old-fashioned daylilies but it's hard for me. I used to guerrilla garden the alleys around my house in Mpls just so they'd have a chance. I gave one coworker an entire pickup truck full of divisions when he moved into his house and I'm not sure who was happier, him for the free plants, or me, because I didn't have to dump them.
Cool question. Thanks for asking.
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May 28th, 2009 at 9:36 am
I do get impatient waiting for them to bloom, but they usually are worth the wait.
I got into "multiplying plants" by various means of propagations about 4 yrs. ago, and I have become addicted to it. I now have about 200 or more Easter Lilies, many Rose bushes, etc. The wind blew away my portable greenhouse this past winter and some of my cuttings didn't make it thru the season. I live in a mild winter climate. I have given away many plants taken from cuttings and I am landscaping my property from the cuttings. I root out something almost every day.
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May 28th, 2009 at 9:38 am
They come back year after year which is great but there's lots of work dividing them and finding good homes.
The Muse
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