Duluth Perennial garden design

The cottage garden was a riot of color and texture Perennial gardens are an English tradition

modifications We are in a much colder zone so the plant list is different In the USA gardeners enjoy mixing perennials with annuals and vegetables

Vocabulary Annual Perennial Bulb Corm Hardy Tender

Bulbs

Bulb longevity The best for re-flowering are : Snow drops, scilla, grape hyacinth Crocus Daffodils Tulips and hyacinths don’t re-bloom very well

Plants that are tender but tempting Dahlias, Caladium Canna Gladiola Begonia Freesia

Attributes of perennials Attract people, pollinators May be fragrant Have a variety of textures Can have interest in all seasons Can be used as cut flowers Gardening as recreation

Perennial garden types Rock garden Water garden Border Island beds Containers

The plan Location: know your soil, sun/shade, slope Soil prep: – Get a soil test – add organic material, – pH 6.5 for most perennials, – Install in ground irrigation

The plan Start small: there is a learning curve Think about maintenance What time of year are you viewing the garden? Plant for the time you are home. What is your budget? If you need to plant over a couple of years. Get plants from friends. Study the plants and gardening skills Draw your design on paper or computer

Design rules Balance: Height, color, texture Unity through repetition Tie in colors to those in the surroundings. Proportion: 60% rule the mature height of a plant should not be more than 60% of the bed width Always remember a plant can be dug up and moved

Design rules Least, little, lots It is most pleasing to the eye to have an odd number of the same plant in a grouping. Space plants to allow them to get to their mature size Perennials don’t get full size in one season “sleep, creep, leap”

Planting times Most (especially if bare root) get planted when the soil can be worked in SPRING. That gives them all summer to get a good root established. If potted they can get planted most of the summer ( harden off before planting). Plant at the same level as the pot Peony and iris get moved or split in August

Staking Single Corset Brushwood Push the stake in the ground early spring to reduce root breakage

mulch Reduces weeds Holds moisture Can add organic matter to the soil Can help keep diseases off the plants Can keep soil cool

Nutrients The best N:P:K is 5:10:5, or 10:10:10 or 5:10:10 High N means no to few flowers and a plant that will attain less hardiness

Propagation and acquisition Division when plants are just coming up From seed, this takes longer to get a bloom Buy them from a garden center or mail order They can be bare root or potted