Gardening With Perennials:

Perennials those flowers which dependably bloom year af year. Af wing thghout the spg and summer, perennials die back to the und each win only to reemerge again the following spg. With their briant colors and inesting textures, they're at the heart of most dens. Perennials y to w and need little maintenance. There , however, a few guidelines to follow which w help your den flourish.

Af the spg clean up, cut back to the und any stalks which were left standing over the win. Survey the perennial bed early in the spg and take note of what you have. See if there any empty spaces which could benefit from additional flowers. Idey, the perennial bed should provide colorful blooms son long. To compliment the perennials, plant some annuals in the den for added color. Annuals w bloom from spg until the first frost.

In the spg, apply a slow rele den fertilizer. This w help the perennials w vigosly thghout the entire son. Cultivating some compost into the den each year w improve soil consistency and keep the soil nutrient rich.

Thghout the summer there is the need for deadheading. This is the process of snipping off flowers which have gone by. It keeps the den looking fresh son. Deadheading annuals is even more important as it encourages a continuous bloom from spg to f. Cultivate the den soil a few times dug the wing son. It w keep weeds from encroaching on the den and w ow wa and nutrients to penetrate the soil surface.

Ter plants, especiy those with large flowers, w require staking. Af rain shower, the flowers weighed down and the plant's stalk w often bend or break.

Late in the f, perennials begin to fade as their foliage starts to die back to the und. Their roots st alive but the above und part of the plant is done for the son. Though cutting back the plants can be done in the spg, it's genery done in the f for aesthetic rons. There some perennials, such as black eyed Susan, which, if left standing, add charac to the f and win landscape.

Dividing perennials is an y and free way to incre your plant stock. Af a few years of wth, perennials may begin to outw their otted space. Dividing overwn perennials solve the problem crowding in the den. Dividing also gives you new plants to add to your den. To divide a perennial, dig the plant out of the den. Be sure to preserve 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 und and back f with a mix of compost and existing soil. F is the best time of year to divide perennials.

Perennials adaptable to a variety of landscape conditions so analyze the conditions of your own den to demine what w work best. Also, have a plan or list in hand before you head out to the greenhouse. Perennials need little maintenance once they established and provide years of c free dening enjoyment.