| Successful perennial flower gardening for | | | | tree roots. Keeping these things in mind now will |
| beginners comes down to two main points. Proper | | | | save you time and money in the future. |
| site planning and proper plant selection of plants | | | | Plant Selection |
| that do well in your area. After you get these | | | | The next step in perennial flower gardening for |
| basics right, you can then start to learn more | | | | beginners is plant selection. Once again the garden |
| about pruning, dead-heading, pinching, fertilizing and | | | | center in your area will be able to help you. It's |
| all the other activities that go on during the year | | | | their job to purchase plants that have been |
| in a perennial garden. But, I am getting ahead of | | | | proven to be successful in your area. Check to |
| myself. Let's start with the basics I first | | | | see if the garden center near you is having any |
| mentioned...site planning and plant selection. | | | | up coming seminars on growing perennials. Also, |
| Site Planning | | | | botanical gardens sometimes have days when a |
| The very first step in planning your perennial | | | | plant expert will walk around the garden and talk |
| garden is to decide how much time you want to | | | | about specific plants groups like perennial grasses |
| spend maintaining it. Perennials, by there very | | | | or herbs. If they don't, it is still helpful to walk |
| nature, require some maintenance from time to | | | | around and take notes on what they have |
| time. So, decide whether you want to spend 30 | | | | growing. If you see color or plant combinations |
| minutes or 30 hours a month working in your | | | | that you really like, try to use these same plant |
| garden before you go any further. | | | | combinations in your garden. |
| If you don't want to spend much time maintaining | | | | Also check with your local extension service to |
| your garden, stay away from plants that have to | | | | see what they have to offer in the way of |
| be pruned and sprayed a lot such as roses. But, | | | | Master Gardening classes or information sheets in |
| on the other hand, if roses are a "must have" for | | | | the office and online. They too know what grows |
| you, check-out the variety called Knock-out rose | | | | well in your area and how to treat it for pests |
| which requires less spraying. Talking with those | | | | and disease later on. |
| who work at your local garden center about | | | | Perennial flower gardening for beginners is a fun |
| high-maintenance and low-maintenance perennials | | | | and exciting time as long as you take some time |
| is helpful at this planning stage. | | | | for planing in the beginning. There's no greater joy |
| You will also need to look at site conditions such | | | | than planting a seed or a recent "special find" |
| as the amount of sun or shade your future site | | | | from a garden center or catalog and watching it |
| has, what type of soil it has, whether the site | | | | grow into a beautiful specimen that adds beauty |
| gets a lot of wind, if it's next to any buildings or | | | | to your garden. |
| structures, and even if there is competition from | | | | |