I have worked in Horticulture for over 37 years and I am still held in wonder at Nature’s methods of sprouting life where only dead appeared through the winter. It is well into the growing season now, and most places, even late-planting New England, is seeing the bounty of those gardens we struggle to perfect. This article will help to illustrate the importance of hard work in perfecting the beauty of the flower gardens of summer; both annual and perennial.
I spent the past 25 years working in garden centers where folks came to buy that special plant that would enhance the already showy flowering garden. The supply of perennials and annuals never fails to bring color to the spaces and drool from the customers. Of all the experiences I had with those customers, one situation stands out above the rest.
One spring a young woman, a girl to my eyes, asked for the plant that she could plant once and would blossom profusely all season and would come back every year, all without any care except the initial planting. My answer was quick and very accurate. I told her plastic! I asked her that if she ever found that plant to please bring it to me and I would make us both very rich.
Of course, I have yet to find it, and I doubt that anyone else has either, although many have tried to breed one for centuries. No matter if you have annual gardens, those plants that flower profusely all season, or perennial beds, those that return each year, the work is the same: constant and demanding.
Annual Gardens.
Annuals are those plants the flower and seed and then die. They usually last only one season, but if, as in the case of coleus, one does not allow it to flower, the plant can last for several years as a houseplant in those areas where freezing temperatures reign during the winter. In the subtropical areas, they will continue indefinitely as long as any flower stalk is pinched off before developing. These annual plants give a satisfying display of mass color all season. But to keep them looking their best, they need daily care. Dead-heading is the one-must task for these plants to perform to their fullest. Dead-heading is removing the spent flowers from the plant before they go to seed. The one and only function for flowers on a plant is to propagate itself and to continue the species. Even though we vain people think that they display for our eyes, they have a more important task and we are lucky enough to see it each year.
These prolific plants can be gown from seed or purchased in flower at local garden centers and stores that try to cash in on the spring planting market. Here in New England, purchasing those starter packs of annuals that have the first flowers is an instant garden, but it takes a bit of know-how to make sure those plants thrive. They can usually be planted in almost any type of soil, but the more compost the better. There are varieties for full sun or full shade and some will thrive in either or both. But they also need daily attention. Besides removing the spent flowers as they go by, they need a daily drink, when it does not rain, and a weekly fertilizing to insure they continue to bring the constant beauty all season.
When first planting, l often put some slow releasing fertilizer, one with a hight middle number to promote a good root system, a few inches below the root ball. If any of that fertilizer hits the tender roots of newly planted flowers, the result can be devastating and deadly for the plants. Once the plant is established and new growth appears, then a weekly dose of fertilizer is great to keep things going. Because they need a constant flow of nutrients, I prefer to use a quick release fertilizer that is available to plants almost right away. Be sure to water any soil that is dry to the touch before using the fertilizer or it can burn delicate roots. This is a summer long project and the dead-heading does not stop until the last of the flowers appear before frost. These can be allowed to seed so the seeds can be collected for next season, Marigolds are a fun plant because they are easy to deadhead, take less water than many of the other annuals, and the seeds are large and store well.
When I plant annuals, especially in beds for businesses, I always plant three plantlets together. I space these groupings of the same varieties about 8 to 10 inches apart if I am to fill in a particular space, and farther if I am looking for good-sized clumps of color. This is often done by many professionals because it makes for a more lush and faster display than just putting one plantlet every so many inches apart. I have a neighbor who loves to plant those half whiskey barrels each summer. He likes them to show off his rustic-style shed. When I was walking by one day at the time of planting, I noticed that he only put 6 individual plantlets of marigolds in the huge half barrel. that has a diameter of 42 inches. I was very surprised because I usually fill the surface fairly full because here in New England, the growing season is short compared to other places in the US. I look for a full barrel sooner than three days before the first frost date, which here in Western Massachusetts is September 15. Yes, the barrel does fill out but just as it is looking great, the frost comes and kills most of the plants. Even covering on nights that have a light frost, only prolongs the inevitable a little bit. If planted heavier, the display is full earlier and is enjoyed for a longer time. After that he put two plants together, using two 6-packs instead of one! Well, to each his own!
If you really want to impress the neighbors, try planting clumps of annuals together and you will find that the effect is far super to just one plantlet here and there throughout the space. Of course, the cost is more initially, but if you save seeds and grow your own, the sky’s the limit.
Perennial Gardens
These are those beds that often show more green than flowers because each plant only flowers for a short time in the growing season, sometimes only for 3 to 4 weeks. the idea is to have some color in each bed all summer long, by planting perennials that flower at different times throughout the season, and by using various leaf color and texture, the display is very appealing and colorful even if only a few plants are flowering at one time. The art of perennial gardening has been going on for centuries. The perfect garden usually is never quit reached because one is usually moving, dividing, or adding plants to the displays all the time. Here in New England, we can plant anything any time from the time the ground thaws, for trees, shrubs, and perennials, until the ground freezes in November or December. The annual plantings cannot take place until all danger of frost is over, usually around the last weekend in May. From May 31 to September 15 is the active growing period here in western Massachusetts and most of New England. So it is important to get the most out of the gardens while the growing is good.
Unlike annuals, it is not advisable to get your new plant to bloom the first season, However, most of the potted perennials come in containers that have a least one flower so the customer can see what they are getting. But it is not advisable to try to get them to flower profusely. Usually perennials are given some organic fertilizer in the soil mix when they are planted, and only watered for the rest of the summer. It very important to allow the root system to get a firm hold and develop well before applying any fertilizer. If the plant is put in before mid June, then a good dose of liquid fertilizer can be watered in in late August and again in mid to late September, The type to use is a high phosphorous, the middle number, to give the roots an extra boost before the ground freezes. Once the growth starts in the spring, then a weekly or monthly fertilizing is good to obtain strong growth through the first year. If the plant is put in after July, it is best to wait until late September to fertilize. If the plant is put in September or later, no fertilizer except a little organics should be used. The same goes for any shrub or tree, especially flowering varieties. They need a boost in the fall to help give them the strength to make it through the tough winters.
On well-established beds of perennials, fertilizer can be given all season once growth appears. This will help to establish a strong plant and will help it against the threat of diseases and insects. A strong healthy plant has a better chance of defending itself against these foes, just as a strong healthy body has a better resistance toward diseases in people. Too often I come in contact with folks who do not use fertilizers at all and depend upon nature to give the plant all its needs for survival. Survival is not the same as strong and healthy. If quick releasing chemical fertilizers make the stomach turn in this time of “green,” then compost made from old plants recycled into the nutrients they took in to develop and thrive, will do just fine. One has to remember that compost takes time to become effective and must be given yearly to build up the soil over years. One or two top dressings on the top of the garden will not develop into the lush soil so beneficial to growing plants. A yearly top dressing of compost also helps prevent weed seed germination due to the heat generated by the decomposing materials. And compost can be put on as many times as you want at any time in the season. It is often used in the spring before planting and worked into the soil as well as top dressed once the plants are growing. Farmers use the animal manures in the fall as well to help build the soil for the next growing season.
If you have planted a perennial and it seems to want to flower its little heart off, pick off all the new flower shoots to enable the energy to go to producing strong roots that help the plant to grow well the next season. It often takes several years for a perennial to become a profuse flowing plant in the summer. If you are one who wants to get that picture perfect garden that is on the cover of so many of those perennial garden books, just remember that those were grown by professionals, usually that maintain them all summer, and have plants that are well suited for that particular growing zone. The garden centers have many of these books and many customers asked to have the same plants so they can have the same garden in their yard. Well, good luck. So many variables effect the growth of plants that even those same plants in the yard next door can have very different appearances.
Just remember that any garden is the work of you as an individual and that will have a personal effect on your garden. Why have one that is just like the one next door, or on the cover of that book.? Why not have one that is entirely yours and shows off your personality? After all, it is you who puts the work into it so why not have it in your own personal style. Use the information from retailers, Horticulturists, books and neighbors to build and plant your space, but always keep it your own style using your favorite colors, plants and design. Have fun and Happy Gardening. Jane
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By: Jannnie
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