Five Easy To Grow Perennials

The perennials that made this list were selected because they all share the following characteristics: they are easy to grow, they add an abundance of color, texture and shape to a garden, they thrive in gardens for a large part of the growing season, they are highly disease resistant and they are not finicky about the type of soil in which they are planted. And finally, although I would not go as far to label them as ‘drought resistant’, they have done beautifully in my garden for several years with minimal watering. Trust me, you can’t go wrong with these plants. They are truly what we in the gardening industry call “tough plants for tough times.”


1. Heuchera micrantha ‘Palace Purple’ (Coral Bells). Low growing burgundy leaved perennial that can be showcased in the front of a border. In my garden (Zone 6), it retains its leaves for four seasons out of the year. It looks stunning in combination with red, soft purple, blue or yellow flowers. Can be used in both sun and partial shade effectively. Zones 6-8
2. Knautia macedonica (scabiosa like flower). Grown for its abundance of deep crimson red, scabiosa like flowers. Blooms profusely (if continually dead headed) from late Spring until frost. Spreads rapidly. Attractive to bees. I use it ‘en masse’ in my garden to complement my soft pink digitalis (foxgloves) and echinacea. Zones 5-9
3. Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’- (Reed Grass). Can be grown in sun or partial shade conditions. If grown in ideal conditions (moist soil), this grass can become invasive. Especially beautiful in the fall with its dense form and seedheads blowing in the breeze. Can be cut back to ground level in Spring. Zones 6-9
4. Macleya cordata (Plume Poppy). This perennial is one of the most attractive foliage plants on the market. Can be grown in sun or partial shade. Capable of growing as tall as 8 feet and spreads rapidly. I use it in the back of my borders for height and depth. Also blows beautifully in the breeze. Has the potential for being invasive so give it plenty of space. Zones 4-9
5. Eupatorium fistulosum (Joe Pye Weed). Grown for its dusky mauvish-purple large flowerheads that bloom from mid-summer through the fall. Thrives in sun and partial shade in the back of the border. Loves moisture. Grows 5-6 feet tall. Can be invasive in moist soil but is easily kept under control if divided every few years. Attractive to butterflies. Zones 3-8

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Shade gardening tips From Yvonne Cunnington

There's no doubt that shade gardening can be a challenge. Growing flowers in full sun is easier, and you have more colorful plants to choose from.
Even so, those of us with gardens that sizzle in the sun often find ourselves longing for cooling shade.
A lush bed out of the heat and glare of the sun can be an attractive, inviting and calming oasis in the garden The idea that a garden without much sun is a problem probably stems from the first experience of a treed backyard with brick-hard soil and thin lawn struggling in the shadows.
If grass won't even grow there, how can anything else?
Rest assured that there are many attractive perennials that grow well in shade. Getting them to thrive is a matter of enriching the soil.
Do keep in mind that a flower garden directly under deciduous trees will be mostly spring blooming. In general, most plants that grow well in the shadows, including spring bulbs that naturalize, tend to bloom early in the season before the leaves come out on the trees.
This doesn't mean there won't be other flowers in bloom during the rest of the season, but you'll have a more limited palette of flowering plants to choose from. Impatiens is one of flowers that will give you color in the shade all season long - one of the big reasons it's such a popular annual.
When it comes to shade perennials, attractive leaf textures and colors are important because foliage will be your shade garden mainstay through the season.

The idea that a garden without much sun is a problem probably stems from the first experience of a treed backyard with brick-hard soil and thin lawn struggling in the shadows.
If grass won't even grow there, how can anything else?
Rest assured that there are many attractive perennials that grow well in shade. Getting them to thrive is a matter of enriching the soil.
Do keep in mind that a flower garden directly under deciduous trees will be mostly spring blooming. In general, most plants that grow well in the shadows, including spring bulbs that naturalize, tend to bloom early in the season before the leaves come out on the trees.
This doesn't mean there won't be other flowers in bloom during the rest of the season, but you'll have a more limited palette of flowering plants to choose from. Impatiens is one of flowers that will give you color in the shade all season long - one of the big reasons it's such a popular annual.
When it comes to shade perennials, attractive leaf textures and colors are important because foliage will be your shade garden mainstay through the season.
http://www.flower-gardening-made-easy.com/Shade-gardening.html

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Lawn Tips Old Farmer's Almanac.

The more you let nature do the work for you, the easier it will be to care for your lawn. These tips could help you improve your relationship with your lawn:
Don't overwater. Make the lawn seek its own source of water, building longer, sturdier roots. Cut back on water especially in midsummer to let the lawn go dormant, strengthening it for fall and winter.
Excess water leaches away nutrients and encourages insects. Deep waterings at irregular intervals are better for the lawn than frequent light waterings.
Let some weeds grow in that expanse of green. A slightly wild lawn lets volunteer grasses, wildflowers, herbs, and even wild strawberries grow, adding color and variety to your landscape.
The struggle against weeds is the single most expensive, time-consuming task in caring for a lawn. Clover grows low to the ground and smells lovely after it's been cut, and it often stays green after the rest of lawn has turned brown; dandelion greens taste great in a salad.
The higher grass grows, the slower it grows. Adjust your mower blades to cut grass at two to three inches instead of 1-1/2 inches to save time, money, and water. Turf clipped at heights greater than two inches develops the largest, most extensive root system.
Leave clippings on the lawn to filter down to the soil, decompose, and recycle nutrients back to the roots. Look into the new "mulching mowers" that recycle clippings back onto the lawn.
If you're seeding or reseeding, use a mix of seed that includes slow-growing or low-growing grasses, like fine-leaf fescues that also have low water and fertility requirements. Combine the fescues with a low-maintenance Kentucky bluegrass like 'Park', 'Kenblue', or 'South Dakota Common'.
Moss and sorrel in lawns usually means poor soil, poor aeration or drainage, or excessive acidity.
During a drought, let the grass grow longer between mowings, and reduce fertilizer.
Water your lawn early in the morning or in the evening.
The best time to apply fertilizer is just before it rains.
In areas of your lawn where tree roots compete with the grass, apply some extra fertilizer to benefit both.

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Rose Gardening

Can rose gardening be easy?

Well, yes, if you start by picking strong, disease-resistant rose bushes.
Roses come many colors and forms and in range of growth habits, sizes and shapes. Fortunately today, many newer roses are being bred for hardiness and good disease-resistance.
Like most other garden flowers, roses will thrive if you give them what they need:
Lots of sun – At least six hours of good strong sunlight daily - less sun and you get fewer flowers.
Good soil – Well drained, but able to hold moisture, and enriched with manure and/or compost. Roses are heavy feeders that thrive in rich soil.
Timely care – Plenty of water and fertilizer and proper pruning at the right time. Be sure to stay on the lookout so you can nip any rose problems in the bud before they get out of hand.

Rose gardening : When to plant roses: New roses establish more quickly in the cool moist conditions of spring or fall, so plant soon as soil becomes workable in spring, or in fall.
Always water regularly until established (for about the first two months after planting). Roses are available bare-root or container grown.
Planting bare root roses: Keep roots moist before planting. It's a good idea to soak them in a pail of barely lukewarm water for an hour or so before planting.
Dig hole large enough for roots to spread. Place so that bud union (a swollen area between the root and canes) is at least 2 inches below soil line in warmer zones, 4 to 6 inches deep in Zones 2 to 4. Back-fill planting hole with soil into which you've mixed some peat moss and manure to three quarters full. Firm soil around roots, water well and let drain.
Finish filling the planting hole, adding soil to form a mound over canes (in fall, this provides winter protection, in early spring, protection from sunscald). Remove mounds when roses begin to leaf out.
By Yvonne Cunnington Acknowledgement: Reprinted with Permission. ©Yvonne Cunnington http://www.flower-gardening-made-easy.com/.


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