It seems strange to think that you may need to pull out the hoses again in the winter. Especially when they are all put away and you thought your yard work was done. But if you have planted anything new this year, or the last few years for that matter, your plants can certainly benefit from some water if nature has given us none.
Pruning all your perennials down in the fall seems like it would be the correct thing to do, right? I get it, you have beautiful fall weather, you’re already raking leaves and it just makes sense to cut down the perennials and move on with the up-coming holiday season. Unfortunately what we want and what our plants need aren’t always the same thing. Here are answers to some common perennial winterization questions.
Fall. The time of year where we enjoy autumns radiant reds, brilliant oranges, luminous yellows and the yellowing of evergreen needles? Well, yes. But this shouldn’t cause a panic or create any fear that you may lose your evergreen, it is simply the natural progression of plants.
Creating a perennial garden that has color through-out the entire season can be a daunting task. At a time of year when many gardeners are just plain tired from working out in the heat of summer and fall plant selections that revolve around the leaf color of trees and shrubs, autumn often becomes a forgotten season in many perennial gardens. But with so many low maintenance perennials on the market, you simply have no reason to not extend your color into fall!
It’s time to create a fantastic fall perennial garden with these 5 must-have, super reliable perennials!
Insects on Boxwood and How to Treat Them
Boxwoods are everywhere and love them or hate them, they serve a purpose. Not only does their small stature make them easy to maintain but the fact that they are one of the truly deer resistant plants on the market makes them a priceless asset to our landscapes.
Spectacular Sleepers
It’s that time of the year again…You know, late fall / early winter, the time when both the leaves and temperatures have fallen leaving our gardens dreary, desolate places. All of our summer flowering splendor has died back to the ground or have become bare stems that serve no visual purpose.
Over the last couple years, succulents have become one of the most popular choices for container gardening. The gorgeous array of textures and colors soar through our steamy St. Louis summers seemingly unscathed, coming out on the other side as amazingly beautiful as ever.
Plant Spotlight: Beautyberry
I love plants that are unassuming. I think there is something special about the unpretentious wallflower that rests in the background awaiting the right time to come to the forefront. Knowing there is something so unique about it that when it chooses to share its quiet beauty, it is truly a sight to behold.
Plant Spotlight: Goldenrod
While mums and asters take over the fall landscape, one perennial slides under everyone’s radar. As obscure as it may be when it comes to planting it in our gardens it is most definitely not obscure in nature, in fact most people would classify it as a weed – Goldenrod.
Many gardeners steer clear of roses in an attempt to avoid the difficulties that may come with growing them. But in 2000, a rose came on the market that was truly low maintenance and disease resistant, it was what everyone was looking for in a rose and quickly grew to be the fan favorite…at least until now. In the last few years the Knock Out brand of roses have taken a tremendous hit; but the question is, will they stay down for the count?