Words of Advice for the New Gardener
Perennial plants will bloom year after year, unlike annuals that bloom only for a single season, make seed, and then die. Above ground, the perennial plants will freeze and turn brown and look dead in the winter, but the roots continue to live and grow in the soil. When soil temperatures warm in the spring, the roots will put forth new growth and flower again.
Here are some simple things to do to promote the healthy growth of your new perennials:
Prepare the soil well before planting.
- Because perennial plants will stay in the same spot for a long time, soil preparation is the most important thing you can do for them. If your garden is not already in good shape, the soil should be loosened with a spading fork to a depth of about 12” and enriched with compost or organic matter (peat moss and/or composted manure are available at any garden center).
Mulch your plants to moderate soil temperature, control weeds, and conserve water.
- Mulching your plants (with grass clippings or wood chips, for example) will keep the soil cooler throughout the summer, help control weeds, and cut down on the amount of watering necessary. DO water the plants well when you plant them and throughout the season when they look thirsty. Many perennials are drought-tolerant once they become established.
Deadhead regularly to improve appearance and to increase blooms.
- Your garden will benefit from ‘deadheading’ regularly. This is a simple procedure that consists of cutting off the spent blossoms before they dry out, make seed, and look untidy. It can also result in more blooms from your plants because spent blossoms set seed and stop the growing process of some plants. (I like to do my deadheading early in the day as I walk around the yard with my morning tea checking to see what new things have started to bud and grow.)
Dig and divide when necessary.
- After a few years in the ground, plants grow large enough for you to ‘dig and divide.’ This is usually done in the spring or in the fall when a) the plant has outgrown the space you provided, or b) when you want to fill a larger area with the same plant, or c) when there is a ‘donut’ appearance to the clump (i.e. some dying out in the middle). Simply spade up the clump you wish to divide, shake the dirt away from the roots, and split the clump into 4-6 inch divisions which you can then give away, throw away (heaven forbid!), or replant to enlarge your own garden. Just be sure to enrich the soil in the hole you have dug before you put the plant back into it!