The Rural Voice, 1989-01, Page 42oftti•
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40 THE RURAL VOICE
RURAL LIVING
A
Perpetual Perennials
ny gardens that I have fallen
in love with have had an
abundant variety of peren-
nials, plants that come back every year
to bloom and delight. When the last
of the snow disappears, the kids and I
go on a treasure hunt around our gar-
den to see what bulbs and perennials
are peeking through the soil and
pushing aside last year's leaves.
For years I have read gardening
publications, mostly from the U.S.,
been frustrated by our cold climate,
and wished there was some book that
shared gardening secrets for this part
of Ontario.
Then such a book came along,
written by Patrick Lima — a name
familiar to Harrowsmith readers.
Perennial Garden is based on his
experience with his garden called
Larkwhistle. He and his partner, John
Scanlon, have created from a hay field
one of the most fantastic gardens
around.
We all enjoy lovely gardens, but
hesitate to begin when faced with the
work. Perennials help cut the work
and with a little care, no more than
what you would give your lawn, will
bloom for years.
You can buy perennials at many of
the larger nurseries, but with a little
planning you can also start them
yourself from seed. Lima recom-
mends a mixture of half potting soil
and half perlite. This is lightweight
and porous enough for air and water
and yet retains moisture too. It is also
weed -free, which will help save you
from having to identify whether your
seedlings are weeds or perennials.
Use three-inch pots to avoid the
extra steps of shifting seedlings from
flats to small pots and then a larger
pot. Fill the pots and tamp lightly,
sow six or eight seeds, and cover with
soil to a depth equal to the seeds'
diameter.
Perennial seeds usually lie dormant
over the winter. Store your seeds in a
cool area (a fridge, for example) for
three or four weeks. Lima suggests
setting flats of pots out in March and
early April. Moving them into a cold
frame encourages seeds to sprout.
Remember that too much heat will
cause a variety of horrible deaths for
the seedlings, including frying,
fungus, and rot.
Lima recommends the following
varieties for beginners: archilleas,
perennial alyssums, anchusas, aquil-
egias, arabis, aubrietas, English