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Flowering Plants: Perennials Plant Care, Gardening And Garden Plants
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Published: June 5, 2007
“The earth laughs in flowers,” said the transcendentalist writer, Ralph Waldo Emerson. Perennials must keep the earth in stitches, as their blossoms and foliage revive year after year. Typical perennials are herbaceous plants that share little in common aside from their resilient ability to spring back to life for three or more growing seasons.
Lifespan, flowering season, preferred climate, appearance and level of maintenance required vary among the number of garden plants classified as perennials.
A few categories can help gardeners make sense of the assortment, and choose perennials suitable for their yards. Drought-resistant perennials, strong enough to withstand hot and humid weather, are favorites of hard-pressed gardeners in western and southern states. These include the wistful grassy Gaura, purple sprigs of Russian sage, and vibrant orange clusters of Asclepias. On the other hand, the tall and colorful Lupinus flowers are shaped like skinny Christmas trees and need cold weather to survive. Gardeners who love a long-lasting relationship with their flowering plants are paired well with irises and peonies. With committed plant care, these plants can live longer than twenty-five years.
Dividing is an important plant care technique that enhances the appearance and health of perennials. When a clump of perennials starts to grow beyond the space allotted, or when the center of the growth starts to die out, it is time to divide. Spring is usually the best time to divide, when garden plants are the most resilient.
It's still a good idea to nourish the plant by soaking the roots the day before the split. Start by cutting back one third of the leaves and digging new plant holes. Then use a shovel to uproot the entire recently-watered plant, keeping the soil around the roots intact. After placing the plant on solid ground, divide it from the center with two pitch forks. Bury the divided units as quickly as possible, watering religiously until new growth begins to show.
Gardeners interested in landscaping their yards with garden plants that return year after year can find especially good deals online during the summer. American Meadows is having a 40% clearance sale on all perennials while they last. That means only $3 for a fragrant, easy-to-grow lavender dwarf phlox, or $11 for a bag of six multi-colored hollyhocks. Spring Hill Nurseries is another well-priced supplier with an overwhelming selection of perennials.
Perennials can beautify any garden in any climate with any color scheme—the options are endless. Although some of these luxuriant flowering plants require some effort to maintain, the benefits far outweigh the cost. As Anne Scott-James said of plant care, “There is more pleasure in making a garden than contemplating a paradise.”
Sources:
Clearance Sale: Perennials. American Meadows. 2007. 4 June 2007. http://www.americanmeadows.com/Perennials.aspx.
Getting Started With Perennials. Perennial Resource. 2007. Walters Gardens, Inc. 4 June 2007. http://www.perennialresource.com/index.cfm?fuseact ion=guide.gettingstarted.
Growing Guide. Perennial Resource. 2007. Walters Gardens, Inc. 4 June 2007. http://www.perennialresource.com/index.cfm?fuseact ion=guide.main.
Iannotti, Marie. “Perennial Gardening—How to Divide Perennial Plants.” About.com: Gardening. 2007. About, Inc. 4 June 2007. http://gardening.about.com/od/perennials/ss/Dividi ngSBS.htm.
Perennials. Spring Hill Nurseries. 2007. 4 June 2007. http://springhillnursery.com/category.asp?c=5.
“Perennial Plants.” Wikipedia. 22 May 2007. 4 June 2007. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perennial_plant.
A few categories can help gardeners make sense of the assortment, and choose perennials suitable for their yards. Drought-resistant perennials, strong enough to withstand hot and humid weather, are favorites of hard-pressed gardeners in western and southern states. These include the wistful grassy Gaura, purple sprigs of Russian sage, and vibrant orange clusters of Asclepias. On the other hand, the tall and colorful Lupinus flowers are shaped like skinny Christmas trees and need cold weather to survive. Gardeners who love a long-lasting relationship with their flowering plants are paired well with irises and peonies. With committed plant care, these plants can live longer than twenty-five years.
Dividing is an important plant care technique that enhances the appearance and health of perennials. When a clump of perennials starts to grow beyond the space allotted, or when the center of the growth starts to die out, it is time to divide. Spring is usually the best time to divide, when garden plants are the most resilient.
It's still a good idea to nourish the plant by soaking the roots the day before the split. Start by cutting back one third of the leaves and digging new plant holes. Then use a shovel to uproot the entire recently-watered plant, keeping the soil around the roots intact. After placing the plant on solid ground, divide it from the center with two pitch forks. Bury the divided units as quickly as possible, watering religiously until new growth begins to show.
Gardeners interested in landscaping their yards with garden plants that return year after year can find especially good deals online during the summer. American Meadows is having a 40% clearance sale on all perennials while they last. That means only $3 for a fragrant, easy-to-grow lavender dwarf phlox, or $11 for a bag of six multi-colored hollyhocks. Spring Hill Nurseries is another well-priced supplier with an overwhelming selection of perennials.
Perennials can beautify any garden in any climate with any color scheme—the options are endless. Although some of these luxuriant flowering plants require some effort to maintain, the benefits far outweigh the cost. As Anne Scott-James said of plant care, “There is more pleasure in making a garden than contemplating a paradise.”
Sources:
Clearance Sale: Perennials. American Meadows. 2007. 4 June 2007. http://www.americanmeadows.com/Perennials.aspx.
Getting Started With Perennials. Perennial Resource. 2007. Walters Gardens, Inc. 4 June 2007. http://www.perennialresource.com/index.cfm?fuseact ion=guide.gettingstarted.
Growing Guide. Perennial Resource. 2007. Walters Gardens, Inc. 4 June 2007. http://www.perennialresource.com/index.cfm?fuseact ion=guide.main.
Iannotti, Marie. “Perennial Gardening—How to Divide Perennial Plants.” About.com: Gardening. 2007. About, Inc. 4 June 2007. http://gardening.about.com/od/perennials/ss/Dividi ngSBS.htm.
Perennials. Spring Hill Nurseries. 2007. 4 June 2007. http://springhillnursery.com/category.asp?c=5.
“Perennial Plants.” Wikipedia. 22 May 2007. 4 June 2007. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perennial_plant.
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