Spring is the time to start staking your herbaceous perennials, to prevent the taller or weaker stemmed plants from flopping down or falling. This is especially important for perennial plants, when heavy rain or strong winds are expected.
Insert stakes early on, it is far more difficult to insert them when your perennials have advanced growth and they are more likely to be damaged.
Taller perennial plants, can be supported by purpose made supports or canes. The former, include half-moon border restrainers, Y-stakes, loops and spiral stakes.
For clump forming perennials, such as helianthus and delphiniums, bamboo canes or metal rods and string will provide great support. Be sure to cover the tops of the canes or rods with eye protectors.
Perennials which are top heavy, like herbaceous peonies and dahlias, are best supported by Y-stakes. Use border restrainers at the front of your perennial borders.
For a natural effect in your perennial flower garden, birch and hazel pea sticks , will help you achieve the look.
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Although lupins have been grown for centuries, the much loved sturdy varieties which we now have in our perennial flower gardens, were only created in the 1930's.
George Russell, worked on the blue lupin from North America, crossing it with tree lupins and annual species. He weeded out the weaker and duller plants, until he began producing bigger flower spikes and richer colours. These eventually became known as the Russell lupins., that we now have in our perennial flower gardens.
Because he disliked interference and was a recluse, George Russell kept his records to himself. It was only when he was in his late 70's, that he reluctantly passed on his secrets. Russell only agreed to this, when James Baker, the nurseryman in question, promised that Russell could carry on weeding out the rogue seedlings. This he continued to do, until his death in 1951, aged 94.
After James Baker's retirement, just a handful of dedicated nurserymen have improved the Russell lupins still further. For today's modern taste in perennial flowers, hybrids are being bred with more subtle single colours and stronger bi-colours.
Among these new perennial flower colours are pastel apricot and lemon ice, pink tinged with white and purple-black black and yellow standards. Although these perennial flowers will not produce the same flowers from seed, they can be raised from cuttings, unless protected by plant breeders' rights.
If you would like more information on growing and looking after perennial plants, or other gardening advice, take a look at: Perennial Flower Garden Ideas
Nothing compares to a lawn, it sets off perennial plants and buildings to their very best and invites relaxation. It's no wonder that people devote so much time to them.
No matter how much care and effort you put in, there are still times when brown patches appear, or the grass seems to have lost its vigour. Fear not! a bit of effort in the spring, will transform your lawn into velvet perfection, to compliment your perennial flower garden.
On a dry, mild day, rake out any dead leaves, moss and thatch. This scarifies the grass and improves ventilation, allowing new grass to grow. Because of compacting, the underground roots are probably suffering from poor drainage and lack of air space. To remedy this, spike the top 6", with a special fork, which has hollow tines. This will create open tunnels, to let the air in. If you have a large lawn, it's well worth hiring aerator. Brush a generous dressing of clean, sharp sand into the holes, so that water and air can flow easily. On well drained soils, mix some fine compost with the sand.
As grass grows best in slightly alkaline soils, a dressing of garden lime or finely ground limestone should be added to acid and neutral soils. But for the ultimate tonic, use seaweed, either as a meal or liquid. A slow release fertilizer, such as pelleted chicken manure, should be appliwd throughout the spring and summer.
On any bare patches, rake up a tilth, sprinkle with seed and roll, making sure that the seed has firm contact with the soil. During dry spells, you will need to water in. Mow when the new grass is at least 4" tall and keep the mower blades set high for a while.
Of course if you want instant results, turf is always an option. Make sure all the perennial weeds are removed before laying it. Add sharp grit or sand to the soil if needed, or dress with compost on poor soil. Roll and water in well and never let it dry out.
Remember that beautiful lawns are hard work, be gentle with the lawnmower and you will be rewarded. Your perennial flower garden will look fantastic, all year round.
Landscaping is normally a very big task, using lots of both time and energy. But instead of hiring a professional landscaper, here are a few tips which will save you both time and money.
1. Thank about exactly how you want the finished garden to look like. You need to take account of the style as well as the function of your garden . Do you want to include an area for entertaining?, so perhaps a barbeque? Do you need to include a patio or covered area? Should there be an area for children to play in, a fishpond or a swimming pool? What sort of plants want , such as perennials or trees and shrubs will also help. Initially, focusing on the area where you will spend most of your time is a sensible place to start.
2. An independent designer might cost you hundreds of dollars, so think twice before hiring a professional landscaper. You may be able to access free plans on the internet or at a nursery, which will give you some ideas. But if you have an awkward or difficult site, such as very steep ground, or an extremely boggy area, a professional should have the expertise you need, to save some expensive mistakes.
3. The style of your home should also be taken into account. If you have a rural cottage, formal gardens surrounding it will probably look quite out of place. Think too about your lifestyle. Do you really want to spend hours caring for lots of beds of annuals or pruning dozens of roses? Or would you prefer to spend your free time at the beach,? If so, then you should choose an easy to manage garden and landscape.
4. There are various landscape styles which you can choose for your garden, these are as follows:
a. Formal. This style has lots of straight lines and perfect geometrical shapes, with orderly arrangements of plants rather than random positioning. Many landscaped gardens featuring these formal arrangements need lots of planting and pruning, as well as watering and mowing.
b. Informal. This kind of landscaping works really well with cosy cottages and small rural houses. Beds have curved edges instead of straight lines and random planting of plants, suggesting a cottage garden. Flowers are left to self seed and rather than formal lawns, wildflower meadows can be planted. This style is ideal if you want to leave your garden to its own devices, for a good deal of the time.
c. English Garden. The English garden epitomises style, as many of the world's most famous gardeners were English. It is a style which emphasizes the harmony between the architecture of the house and the garden and goes back to ancient Roman times. Large beds of plants, complement the stately homes with gravelled paths and box hedges. This is definitely not for the faint hearted.
d. Formal/Informal Garden. This style often comes with a brick walkway which suggests formality and leads to the rear with a circle of plants. The arrangement of the plants resembles the English garden style but it has no formal borders. It is ideal for those who which yo maintain some control over their garden, but don't want to be a slave to it.
e. Oriental. These are the kind of gardens often found in small backyards. They use rocks, gravel, which is carefully raked, with evergreens and water. Although a variety of plants can create several interesting concepts with this style, the real idea is simplicity. It is meant to be an area of tranquillity and peace, so you just spend time snipping a little off the plants occasionally and racking the gravel into interesting patterns. Ideal for the followers of Zen, or those who need perfection in their lives.
f. Woodland. This landscaping suits a house that has a wooded backyard and sloping ground. It can be as unkempt and overgrown as you want. It is terrific for wildlife, both flora and fauna and everyone who desires the outdoor life, without having to travel too far. Unless you are going to convert a formal garden into a forest, a professional landscaper is only needed, if you need heavy machinery.
