Clinton News-Record, 1985-4-17, Page 46Perennials
erfeet base
by Bob Fleming
Horticultural Research Institute of Ontario
To 'an experienced gardener, herbaceous
.perennials are the backbone of the flower
border. Once planted, they grow and flower
year after year without the bother of
replanting every spring. New gardeners, or
families moving into a new home, who wish to
establish an attractive flower garden should
consider perennial plants as the starting
base.
About a dozen perennials can be con-
sidered suitable for any reasonable location
and average garden soil. Drainage is most
important. Where soil,§ remain cold and wet
in the spring, raised 'beds may provide the
simplest solution to improved drainage. A
load or two of topsoil can accomplish this
quite easily. Choose a mineral topsoil rather
than the black loam often sold as topsoil. Such
material is suitable for top -dressing estab-
lished gardens, but it does not make a good
planting medium forthe majority of perennial
.plants.
A soil test, after the flower -bed is
constructed, is the best way to determine the
plant food requirements. Soil sample boxes
and testing instructions can be obtained at
local Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and
Food offices. An application of 1 to 1.5
kilograms (2 to 3 pounds) of 5-10-15 fertilizer
per 10 square metres (100 square feet),
worked into the soil in the spring or before -
planting, usually gives satisfactory growth
There are perennials that bloom in all
seasons of the year. and for the beginner
there are a few which are almost foolproof
These are the plants that will whet your
gardening appetite to try more demanding
perennial plants.
Most spring flowering perennials are
easily grown and generally long lived. Of the
taller types, peonies and iris form the main
display in many herbaceous flower borders.
Once planted, peonies require little care.
Bearded iris will need to be divided and
replanted every three to five years. Bleeding
-heart (Dicenta spectabilis) and columbine
(Aquilegia sp.) are two that thrive in spring
sunshine. and partial summer shade. Yellow
alyssum (Alyssum saxatile and the dwarf
phlox (Ph.fox subulata) form low, dense
masses of bright flowers that bloom with
spring tulips.
Delphinium and Shasta daisy make good
companions in the early summer flower
border, framed with a foreground of hardy
pinks (Dianthus sp.) and evening primrose
(Oenothera fruticosa). Later in the season,
Bee -balm (Monarda didyma) and the purple
loose -strife (Lythrum salicaria) brighten the
background with shades of pink and mauve.
A foolproof plant for any summer garden is
obedience (Physotegia virginiana) with its
short, mauve-pnk flower spikes born at the
end of leafy stems to 46 centimetres (15
inches) high. A popular midsummer peren-
nial, phlox (Phlox paniculata), in shades of
pink, cream, mauve and purple, though not
the easiest perennial to grow, is a striking
addition to the flower border in full sun. As a
companion, try one of two of the newer pastel
• colored day lily cultivars (Hemerocallis) will
succeed in any good garden soil.
Late summer and fall flower borders are
bright with strong colors •of such perennials
as the purple and . pink fall asters or
Michaelmas daisy the golden yellows of
sunflowers . Helianthus, Heleopsis r, and the
rainbow of colors presented in September
and October by the many chrysanthemum
cultivars.
Experienced hobby gardeners can plant a
true perennial flower garden, but the
beginner is advised to start with a few
well-known kinds, selecting the better
cultivars of each and then adding to the
garden as skills and garden know how
increase.'
In the meantime, along with the initial
planting of the dependable perennials
described, add a few annual plants to fill in.
There is nothing wrong with combining
annual and perennial plants in a well-planned
flower border. But don't rely too heavily on
marigolds and petunias to brighten the
garden year after year. Get involved with
hardy, dependable garden perennials for a
more interesting flower collection.
Prizes no fent
(Continued from Page 11)
ideas from her," she said.
According to Miss Holland there is no real
secret to growing flowers.
"Some years are good and some are bad. It
just depends on the weather. If it's hot and
dry the flowers won't grow that well, so
you're out every day with the water and the
shovel to fend off the weeds," she said.
The Holland home is surrounded by
gardens, and at least six flower beds. The
flowers used in Gwen's arrangements are all
grown in the family's own flower gardens.
"W e grow all of our own flowers. Mom and
I work at it together " Miss Holland has a
busy schedule. Besides being a student at
('entral Huron Secondary School, she works
at the Huron County Public library three
nights a week. She is also involved in a
number of school clubs such as' choir, band.
girls aer
(chronicle), photography , ensemble,club, special events
committee for the year book and is taking her
grade nine piano. Her busy schedule will not
stop her from continuing her work with
flowers.
"Before a show I like to have all of my
arrangements done the night before. Last
year the night before the flower show I had a
music history lesson and I never started
arranging until 10:00 p.m. I gave up around
1:00 a.m. and woke up at 6:30 to finish. I took
first in the show out of twenty entries.
Howeveesome of the people weren't in the
arranging class, they were in the specimen
category," she said.
Miss Holland is looking forward to the
summer so she can see her flowers grow and
then arrange them and hopefully be victor-
ious. But victory isn't the only thing she
enjoys. She enjoys competing and learning
from the other ladies. That's what makes it all
worthwhile,
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