We could not be happy without such dependable perennials as Peonies Iris and Phlox but it is great fun to try something new. I have been enjoying some hardy Primulas. They object to a hot and often dry climate for they much prefer it cool and moist. Some of them are at their best along a stream of water in light shade. Primula Japonica likes such conditions but with a little extra watering, it did grow very well along a north foundation.

There are many varieties of Primulas some are evergreen and others lose their green leaves during the winter. Primula Japonica belongs to the latter class. I planted seeds of it in a flat in March, watered well and set them outside to freeze. I was careful not to let the flat dry out and was rewarded by fine seedlings the latter part of April. As soon as the plants were of a size to be easily handled, I set them along the north foundation of my house. They grew very fast and I soon realized that I had planted them much too close together. Knowing that they appreciated moisture, I watered them frequently during the summer. I had fine big plants when the cold weather came. After the ground froze solid, an airy mulch was applied.

The plants made fine new growth in the spring. The largest crown was almost two feet in diameter. Finally buds could be seen deep in the center of the leaves. They grew rather slowly for an impatient soul but eventually opened a whorl of them around a stout stem.

Not being acquainted with flower, I supposed when all those buds had opened and faded that would be the end of their blooming but no, the stem grew in height and soon another tier a little higher up opened while those below went about their business of making seeds. The tallest stem grew 27 inches in height and had its sixth tier of flowers before it stopped blooming. Several plants sent up a second and a third stem not as lusty or tall as the first one but very good.

The colors were very pretty some a good rosy-pink, others a lighter pink and several plants had white flowers with a dark eye. The flowers were very attractive for many weeks. I felt well repaid for the extra watering they required.

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More specifically, when the perennials die, do you mark them so you know where they will sprout up in the spring?

Bulbs are the earliest blooming flowers in the garden blooming as early as February or early March. Bulbs can be used in the perennial garden where they can complement other early flowers. Planted in the lawn or beneath deciduous shade trees, bulbs can provide your property with spots of vibrant colors.

Though bulbs prefer sun they can grow beneath the canopy of deciduous trees. In the spring, before the leaves develop, the sun can filter though the tree’s branches. However, while they’ll grow best in the sun, those which are exposed to direct sun during the hottest part of the day are subject to shorter periods of bloom. Bulbs prefer organic well drained soil and will tend to rot if grown in poorly drained soils such as clay. To grow in poorly drained areas amend the soil down to 1 foot. Adding coarse textured organic mulch and compost to the soil will increase its drainage ability and add nutrients to the soil. Another solution is to plant them in raised beds created with well drained soil.

Bulbs, like perennials and annuals, should be deadheaded after they flower. Removing past blooms will prevent the bulbs from forming seed heads. This allows bulbs to put all of their energy into next year’s growth. Wait until the foliage turn brown before you cut the bulb back to the ground. Bulbs receive their energy through their foliage from the sun. This energy is stored below the ground in the bulbs until the following spring.

Wait until the weather is cooler in October and November to plant your bulbs. When you purchase them be sure they are firm rather than soft, bruised or moldy. If you don’t plant them right away be sure to store them in a cool dry place until you do. Generally, bulbs are planted at a depth 3 to 4 times the width of the bulb. Be sure to check when you buy for specific planting instructions. I like to plant bulbs in large massings for clusters of color. Cover the planted bulbs with about 2 or 3 inches of bark mulch to help the soil retain moisture and to reduce the growth of weeds in the garden.

Every few years some bulbs begin to get crowded and need dividing. Bulbs can be dug up after the foliage turns brown and can either be planted immediately or stored in a cool dry place until they’re planted in the fall.

Bulbs can usually be depended on to provide the garden with early spring color. Sometimes, however, bulbs fail to bloom profusely. This can be the result of too much moisture, too much shade or overcrowding. It can also be the result of removing the foliage of the bulbs too soon or improper planting techniques such as planting at the wrong depth.

Bulbs are among the easiest plants to care for in the garden. With some initial work you can provide your garden with early season color year after year. Spring flowering bulbs are a pleasant sight after a long winter and are the best sign of the wonderful things to come.

I want to know of some flowering shrubs and perennials for zone 5. I have a mostly sunny yard, a little bit of shade. I want something that is going to have really pretty flowers. I like white, pink, purple and red mostly.

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I’d like to plant a good variety so come next year, I will have flowers blooming throughout spring, summer, and fall. Any suggestions would be appreciated! =)

Which plants/flowers come back year after year, perennials or annuals?

If you have been cultivating a vegetable garden for a while, you might have felt a slight disappointment especially when it does not give for your expectation. I also encountered the same in the early stage of my vegetable gardening. So, when I got ideas of growing perennial flowers, it was a wonderful way to liven up my garden without paying extra time to care for it.

Perennial flowers are ideal if you want to have a pleasant garden because they always grow and bloom without managing to replant again. In times of their off-season, they seem to die and you can hardly guess if these are still be growing when there season comes. But one thing is for sure, when it is time to bloom, entirely new flowers grow up where the old ones were without doing extra care.

Before deciding whether to plant perennial flowers of not, you must be sure that you have the appropriate drainage because problems will surely arise especially when the water saturate for a long range of time. If that is possible to happen, you must work for elevating the bed. To determine if the site has the potential for saturation, all you have to do is to test it by digging a hole and pour water in it and then wait for a day and pour again. Water must dry up in 10 hours; and if not, you must elevate the bed.

Choosing your perennial flowers could be an additional labor for your side because your objective should be to put varieties that bloom throughout the year. To fulfill your goal, you need to have a research and list down all the most ideal for your gardening. If you can do that right, you will surely have a garden that bloom at any time of the year so it is important that you select the most appropriate mixture of seeds to give your garden a great garden covered with arrays of colors.

During your buying for seed at the store you know, you must be able to choose the custom mixture of seeds and this takes a crucial research, however, this can be rewarding because this can give an optimized potential for your garden. If that is unavailable, you can get an advice from the employee on what are the ideal mixture that you can use to maximize the potential of having a perennial garden.

You should definitely include mulch when planting perennial because this will reduce your total labor. Amount of weeds must also be reduce to avoid competition on nutrients and water. For fertilizer, you should limit this when the plants start to grow because perennial flowers can survive by themselves once they already grown up.

During your planting, you should also consider some planting procedure. You can do that by separating clumps according to directions. Appropriate procedure will bring great results that you desire.

Benjamin Carroll talks about good flower combinations for spring garden containers, combining annuals, perennials, and spring herbs and vegetables which love cooler weather. Also highlighted: the annual Antiques and Garden Fair held at the Garden. Benjamin shows some of the merchandise for sale. Come visit us at the Fair, April 16-18, 2010. Visit www.chicagobotanic.org for more information.

Would you like a more natural alternative to using those plastic planter containers? Well, here is a project for you, where you can have an interesting planter during the growing season, then throw the container out in the garden for mulch, without having to add to the world’s landfill problems.

These planters can be used and grown anywhere you can provide good plant growing conditions, including on a patio, pathway or even a roof top. The main criteria being enough sunlight for the plants chosen, easy access to water and an ease of access to maintain the planter/s.

Just follow the steps below.

What you will need

· One or more rectangular bales of hay, (One per planter).

· 4 to 8 seedlings or small plants per planter.

· One to two good handfuls of soil/compost/potting mix per plant.

· Small garden handtools.

· Hose/watering can.

· Liquid fertilizer.

· Area chosen to provide enough light for growing conditions required by plants selected.

Steps

Take one rectangular bale of hay; flip it on its side so that the straps are around the sides not over the top and bottom.

Moisten the hay bale thoroughly with a hose or watering can.

Using the handle of a hand tool, dig four to eight holes in the new upper surface of the hay bale, these holes have to be big enough to hold a good handful of soil.

Into each hole, place a handful or two of compost, soil or potting mix.

Plant up your choice of annuals, herbs or short-lived perennials.

· Water the plants in well and fertilize them with a liquid fertilizer.

· Because of the air gaps in the hay, this type of planter can dry out more quickly than a normal planter, so regular watering is essential.

· Also remember that your planter is actually decomposing while you are using it so remember to regularly fertilize the plants growing in it. Because nutrients may become temporarily unavailable during the decomposition process.

After you have finished growing your plants, move it out to the garden, take the straps off the bale, and use it to mulch/fertilize a part of your garden. You will find that the centre of the bale has decomposed into compost nicely by this stage.

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I have some hydrangea and the flowers are all dead. Do I cut just the heads off or should I cut down to the root? What about tiger lillies? Will they grow better if I cut them short?
Thanks!