The Helpful Gardener

There is more to perennial gardening success than just poking in the plants and
weeding.  Choosing the right plants for the specific growing conditions lays the
foundation for a show stopping border of color and fragrance.  Just thumbing through
the latest nursery catalogs may nudge you into a delusional mind set that anything
is possible.  We don’t get very far in life before bumping into rules, and gardening
is no exception. 

Before you load up the minivan with the latest nursery offerings or hit the send
button for your on-line wishes, consider these basic principles to successful
perennial gardening.  Select the best site that serves your goal.  Is this garden
for public viewing along the front sidewalk, not often enjoyed by the residents of
the house or does it border the private patio in back in full view of family
enjoying the privacy of home.  Choose a location close to a water source and easily
accessible with a large wheelbarrow or garden cart.  Look for a backdrop that will
provide just the punch needed for your prized peonies or daylily collection such as
a row of dense evergreens.

After the site is chosen, consider the soil you are stuck with.  We’ve somewhat
grouped soil in two catagories, good soil and poor soil.  But it’s much more than
just “good” and “poor”.  For the beginning gardener a soil test is a must to learn
about the available nutrients and recommendations for adjustments.  Most perennials like a loose, humusy loam that’s moist and well drained.  And most of us have to work like the dickens to get there.  Begin by adding lots of organic matter; that is stuff that was once living.  Kitchen compost, leaves, shredded newspapers, grass
clippings and composted cotton burrs added over time to break down hard clay or add
structure to sandy soils is a starter.  It may be that you will need to postpone the
actual planting for a year while you build suitable soil that will nourish your
perennials for many years to come.  But after all that counsel, there are actually
plants that prefer poor, gravelly, dry soil in warm/hot locations.  Coreopsis,
yarrow, artemesias and sedums grow weak and floppy when soil is too moist and rich.
Still other perennials love a wet, boggy spot.  Joe-Pye weed and physostegia love
constant moisture.

Most tags fixed to plants and nursery stock give the sun/shade requirements to
successfully grow the plant.  Take careful note throughout the day just how many
hours of direct sun reaches your chosen spot.  You will need this information to
make good choices later on.  If your perennial border gets eight or more hours of
sun a day, it’s considered full sun.  It’s in partial sun if it is in direct sun for
five to seven hours a day.  If the sunlight is only available less than five hours,
the official designation is partial shade.  Full shade is just that, no sunlight at
all.  Few plants appreciate those growing conditions and such locations are better
suited to patios or sitting areas with benches or ornamental garden objects such as
statuary.

The next blog will deal with zones, both winter hardiness and heat tolerance.  We
will discuss  the use of grasses, trees and shrubs and some pointers in using plant
heights in designing your perennial border.  We have not had any moisture here in my garden for over five months and we are hopefully looking to the best promise in a
long time for some snow before the week is over.

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