Bridging the Winter Gap in Perennial Beds
hrigsby
9 years ago
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catkin
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agocecily
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agoRelated Discussions
Steps for revitalizing a perennial bed
Comments (13)It may--or may not--help you to check out some garden design books from the library. You don't have to replicate the shape or contents of the beds in the photos but you might get some ideas for things you'd like to add/subtract in your own beds. I think one thing to consider would be to decide whether or not your current garden design pleases you before you consider its contents. Does the location, placement, shape & contour make you smile? If not, why not? Feel free to ask the folks on this forum for opinions/comments. You may not be able to envision your revitalized garden beds but I'm sure you won't lack for suggestions from folks on this forum. I never asked for feedback on what I had pictured in my mind because it was crystal clear from the moment I moved here. I set out to plant beds that fulfilled my vision/goals and now I have them. Are they exactly as I'd pictured them in my head years ago? Absolutely not, but they're close enough and I know that as time goes on I can adjust them until they do. My garden has been a work in progress, with good years and bad years influencing how the plants perform from one year to the next. I rejoice in the successes & accept the losses since I didn't consciously cause them. Once I plant something, it's no longer up to me whether or not it thrives. I just alter my vision of what a bed should look like and then take steps to help it look like that. I'm pretty confident that what I leave behind as a legacy will please whoever comes after me but in the meantime I'm also happy with what I've accomplished. Maybe think about that while you're re-designing your garden....See MoreWhat's your next perennial cut flower right after Narcissus?
Comments (17)This is a great thread, even for those of us who just grow our own cutting flowers. What do you think of chives? Their color is subtle, but they are prolific perennials. I have yet to get garlic chives started, but they are white, and must be pretty. The chive flowers don't give off an onion-y smell that I have noticed. Oh, I see you do have them listed. This one is a bit informal, and draws up a lot of water when cut, but it is also prolific: lunaria aka silver dollar plant. It comes in white and, most commonly, a rich pink-purple shade. I have seen in a a very dark magenta, in other gardens. It is biennial, which means you need to start them two years in a row, and then you will have them forever, if you let even a few go to seed. Bridal veil spirea is coming in to bloom now, as the very last daffodils are fading. I second the wood hyacinth and bleeding heart suggestions. Interesting, how most of the suggestions for now generally have subtle colors. Doronicum breaks that pattern, as do many of the tulips, if you decide to go that route. I have some burgundy and yellow bi-color primroses, as well as a few solid yellow double primroses that have 6-7 inch stems, and last up to a week in water. They have a nice long bloom season too. These started almost three weeks ago here in mid-atlantic 7a and they will continue another few weeks, depending on the heat. They look nice in small bouquets with buttercups and japanese maple sprigs with baby leaves. A lush, long-lasting green that I discovered this year comes from my overwintered parsnips! Siberian irises look like they are coming soon. I wonder if a clear plastic cage over each plant would hurry them along. That said, I do not find that they last well at all as cuts, though some catalogs say they do. I started growing camassia last year. I see they are starting to bloom now. Not very impressive, I must say, but maybe there are showier varieties. I bought the cheapest, species type. Apparently they naturalize well where they are happy. Good luck! Hepatica...See MorePerennials to Fill Gaps in Antique Rose Borders
Comments (8)Francie, I have alot of roses too, and I live in Minnesota, so I know what you mean by them not growing as big, but what are you feeding yours with? I use Bayer three in one for roses, it works great, you only need to do it 3 times in the growing season. As for perennials, there are some great things you can plant to accent your roses. Salvias are great, very easy to care for and there are some beautiful shades of purples. Daylilys,liatrus,speedwells,clematis, there are many. I have around 30 roses, and I have many of these perennials surrounding them, and it looks great. I'm new to gardening too, this will be my fourth year, and I just enjoy it so much. You can train clematis to grow through your roses, all of these are sun lovers, and will do well. I suggest a great book "Perennials with a Purpose", it's a great tool, as well as this website. If there is a nursery near you, you can take classes often for free, I have done this many times, you learn alot, but don't be afraid to try things. You want to give the roses their space, but mine are never compromised as far as competing for nutrition. I compost and try to do as much naturally as I can. I don't know how many roses you have, but get perennials that you can live with, I get what I'm drawn to. When I first started, I was buying "cottage" style plants, and I didn't even know what it was. Don't forget about shrubs, they're a great addition as well. I hope this helps you some, people here are very kind. Good luck this coming season....See MoreWinter gardening in straw bale beds
Comments (3)I agree and think that you are absolutely correct, especially in the spring and summer. The plastic tied in place is something of a stop-gap approach for the time being to get me through the cold days and nights, but I will probably have to make some small holes anyway to handle the rain next week. Eventually, I will be building more of a permanent solution with proper cold-frame and hot bed covers that can be fixed in an open position. What is most frustrating here is that I can't even find compostable materials. Groceries no longer give away the scraps and the city/county now uses private contractors who vacuum the leaves and then take them to the dump. I have talked to the city and county solid waste managers..NO LUCK. I talked to the County agent..NO LUCK. Even sent a note to Tommy Irvin, our Ag Commissioner...NO luck or interest. The hay bales at 4:25 and the per bag composted manure is getting mighty expensive. Funny, that with a city, county and state that gets so much mileage on their websites re recycling...absolutely NO interest or support. The hay bale approach from Lowes is just step one! Trouble is, I can't shovel the maure at the auction barn due to my Forestier's Disease. It's bad enough to rake it from the back of my truck as I did when I drove 30 mile to buy some "compost". You would think that with all of the chicken house, beef operations, and other organics producers there would be something available in GA. SO, for now I have the hay bales until I can come up with a longer term solution and more permanent design. Hear me Georgia ...I need organic materials to compost! When I can finally develop enough compost, then I will transition to more permanent cold frames, raised beds, and covering the whole garden with compost....See Morearlene_82 (zone 6 OH)
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