New sun perennial bed?

10 years ago

Hello, this week I am expanding a curved, 15'x2', full sun bed outward by two feet. The existing plantings are just 2 rosebushes, both doing very well. As it's my first time working with sun perennials (I have a big 2 year old shade perennial bed that is doing great) I am hoping for just a bit of support/slash advice here on gardenweb. I'm outside of Kansas City, MO and we are about 4 inches short of our usual annual rainfall. I'll be watering the roses anyway, so I didn't go for full on drought resistant plants.

So far I have:
Purchased 5 new roses (2 floribundas, 2 hybrid musks and a polyantha)
Purchased a variety of plants to fill in around the roses (Missouri Evening Primrose, various Columbines, 2 varieties of Coreopsis, an annual I've been wanting to try called Cleome, a couple of random Dahlias to try in ground, seeds for Baby's Breath, seeds for Vulcan and Zebrina Mallow)
Had the new strip tilled, it was just regular lawn (not grass just weeds)
Amended the new strip, plus in between the existing roses
Watered in the amendments and shaped the new bed to get ready for edging
Purchased enough mulch for at least 2 inches covering the entire area
Purchased edging to match the next door shade bed
Tomorrow I will lay out the plants and I plan to plant thursday and friday

Anything obvious I'm missing? Any recommendations for other steps or tips for success. I've been planning and dreaming all winter and don't want to mess this up.

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Comments (9)

gardenweed_z6a
10 years ago
Laying recycled corrugated cardboard under your mulch will go a long way in suppressing weeds from growing between your perennials.

Evening primrose tends to spread--a LOT--where I am. I've pulled it out for years and this year it's back with a vengeance.

I have stokesia/Stoke's aster & Penstemon/beardtongue 'Mystica' in both my full-sun and part-sun beds. They're both reliable and I've noticed neither requires any attention from me (always a plus). Another low/no-care perennial, Sedum 'Blackjack' would add some textural contrast. Platycodon grandiflora/balloon flower is also an easy, zero-care, reliable full-sun perennial. The species flower is blue but there are also white, pale pink & double-flowered cultivars available.

Good luck!
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ocelaris
10 years ago
It sounds like you have it under control. If your soil is anything like my Grand Parent's house in Overland park you have some serious clay soil, so as much compost as you can get in would help.

Here's a few that I'm putting in that I got from Lazy S's

Helenium autumnale
Perovskia
Solidago "Fireworks" (shorter than species)
Phlox paniculata "Alexander" but there are hundreds of varieties
Salvia azurea (lots of different Salvias)
Nepetea Clarkii (or Walker's low)
Eryngium
Guara Lindheimerii
Coreopsis (lots of varieties)
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sunnyborders
10 years ago
Working in mixed perennial beds containing roses can be very unpleasant (viz. getting your arms ripped). And watch your eyes.

Not so bad with the roses at the back.
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ziyakr
Original Author
9 years ago
Thanks for your advice everyone...SunnyBorders I got a really nifty pair of elbow length leather gloves which are helping alot. Also helps that the roses are still quite small LOL. Here is a pic of the center of the bed, ended up being 7 rosebushes not 5 but who's counting, right. I've already lost a primrose, hoping the other 2 make it. Added Mainacht Salvia and a few lavenders to my list...hope this one does as well as the shade bed next to it!
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sunnyborders
9 years ago
Re cleome:

I had a problem with cleome reseeding around perennial beds.
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ziyakr
Original Author
9 years ago
Just posting an updated pic, thanks again for the ideas. Some things are doing better than others...I think I may lose my Angel Face but the other new roses are very happy. The Columbines bloomed a 2nd time, totally surprised me. Lost 4 of 7 Coreopsis, and 1 of 2 big lavender plants but the Delphinium given to me randomly is blooming now (my 4th try with this plant, love them they don't love me).
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ziyakr
Original Author
9 years ago
Just 4 tiny, badly abused plants...such lovely, elegant blooms! I hope they do reseed, or that I can find more next year.
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sunnyborders
9 years ago
Ziyakr, just noted your information about the rose gloves.
Thanks.

Woody included pictures of some too quite recently.

Very interesting to see/read before and after garden pictures/info.

As said, I have had cleome, which was used as an annual filler, reseeding in mixed perennial beds. A problem (in that particular case) was the reseeded plants were too scattered.

On the other hand, I'd say cleome is a very attractive annual. The whole plant is elegant and I do think that it can compliment perennials.
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thrills
9 years ago
I love cleome too. I agree they are vigorous reseeders though. They even poke through areas which I have heavily mulched--2-3 inches. Early in the season the seedling get attacked by flea beetles quite badly though.

I have started clipping off the lower seed pods every couple of weeks. I ask one of my kids to help and they hold a container while I snip them off.

You can let some seed pods ripen and collect the seed for next year.
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New sun perennial bed?

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gardenweed_z6a

ocelaris

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