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Perennial Garden Preparation

Start with the design of your garden. This is the single most important thing that will determine the success of your garden as a pleasing and important aspect of your landscape. There are many things to consider when designing the perennial garden:

COLOR

Color and the combination of colors with the surrounding environment are important. You may want a bold bright and mixed color garden or you may want a soft blending of pastels, or even something in between.

EXPOSURE

Exposure to sun and shade and the winds are a big factor and you need to know which species of plants will survive your exposure.

SOIL

Soil type and drainage are also important, as some perennials are particular about what type of soil they will grow well in.

HEIGHT

The height of the plant is important as they relate to each other and to the rest of the surrounding yard. Keep in mind that the height that you see as a young plant in the garden center is not necessarily the total height the plant will grow to at maturity.

BLOOM

Bloom time and length of the bloom is important if you want your perennial garden to have continuous bloom interest. The plants need to be orchestrated together in relation to bloom color, length, and time of bloom. Type of bloom is also relevant as some are daisy types, some are orchid types, some are spike types and so on, and you want a nice mix of bloom types. Texture, color, and size of leaves are an important consideration as it can also add a lot of non-bloom interest. You will need to determine the number of each plant to put into the space. This is determined by how large the total spread of each plant is at maturity.

HARDSCAPING

Another garden element is the hardscaping items such as walls, fences, trellis, benches, boulders, statuary, etc. These items can add a lot of character to the garden if done in the good taste.

This is all very complicated and takes a lot of plant knowledge. So if you are a novice, we suggest you come to a professional for design help!

ONCE THE GARDEN IS DESIGNED, IT IS TIME TO INSTALL!

First, call Gopher State One at 651-454-0002 to have your underground public utilities located. You will need to do this at least three business days prior to starting the project. If you have an underground dog fence, an irrigation system, or other private utilities, you will need to locate these on your own or hire a private locator.

PLOT THE BORDERS

Next, you need to plot the borders of your perennial bed. Measure the plan carefully to determine the exact edge locations. It is easiest to measure the narrowest and widest points on the plan from the house or some existing object and then plot these points on the ground using stakes or paint or golf course marker. Then just connect the dots to plot your curves. Remember no sharp wobbling lines, but smooth flowing long arching curves are most pleasing to the eye.

REMOVE THE SOD

Remove the sod from inside the borders. Be careful to get every root or they will only return to the garden as unwanted weeds later. Another alternative for a very large space is to apply Roundup to the existing vegetation 2-3 weeks prior to garden installation. You will need to dispose of the sod at a landfill or relay it elsewhere in the yard.

INSTALL THE EDGING

The most practical edge is a vinyl border, but there are many types of edging. The main purpose of an edging is to keep the grass out of the beds, so as long as it does that effectively, it does not matter what material you use. Many of the less expensive plastic edging do not stay in the ground. We suggest Cobra Hi-Test because if installed properly it will not pop up and because it is vinyl, it lasts forever without cracking. Rocks are a decorative border, but do nothing to keep the weeds out.

ROTO-TILL

Roto-Till the bed thoroughly two or three times. Add about a 2 inch layer of peat, sand, and rich compost and black soil. Roto-Till again thoroughly.

GRADE THE BED

Grade the bed out with a rake so that the soil level at the edging is 3 inches lower so it will accommodate a 3 inch layer of bark mulch. Make sure the water flow is where you want it to be.

FINALLY IT'S TIME TO PLAY!

Set all of the plants in the places where they are to be installed. Generally, the spacing on most perennials is two feet apart, but look at the design and see how many plants you are able to fit into the space. Avoid rows of plants; think of groups and clusters. Now step back and see if anything needs adjustment. If not, dig the holes and plant using some root building fertilizer. When planting, set the perennial up above the surrounding soil about 1 inch and mound the soil up to the plant. This will prevent root fungus and crown rot problems.

MULCH THE BED

Mulch the bed with a good shredded bark 3 to 4 inches deep. Shredded hardwood and cypress mulches are good because the small particles shift to the bottom and make a natural barrier. The density of the bark keeps the soil from being sun baked. Keeping the sun from the soil keeps weed seeds from sprouting and the thickness of the mulch keeps seedlings from pushing through. As the bark ages it will break down into rich organic soil, which is great for perennials, but it uses nitrogen while breaking down, so you must continue to fertilize yearly. We suggest a 10-10-10 or similar formula, and preferably slow release. You will need to add to the mulch every year or two to keep the thickness up.

WATER THOROUGHLY

Water thoroughly and check water needs almost daily at first and, as they become established, check less frequently. Many of our plants die from over watering, so be careful to check first. Wilting is a sign of both over and under watering. Make sure they go into winter with plenty of water to sustain them.

MAINTENANCE

Maintenance is easy with perennials. Simply keep on top of any weed populations and fertilize yearly with a 10-10-10 formula, check water needs, and clean up dead debris in the spring. You can get more bloom from some species if you 'dead head' the flowers. This means remove the spent flower stalks and the plant will think it has lost its seeds and needs to bloom again to reproduce.