Most perennials love soft well-drained soils. To turn even the worst dirt into “Super Soil”, add organic matter. We have had great success in our own display gardens with tilling in Master Nursery Bumper Crop. This is a superior organic compost fortified with the right organic nutrients that enriches and loosens any soil.

Sun-loving plants generally do poorly in shade, and shade-loving plants scorch in the sun. It is easy to select the right plants at Wilson’s since our shade-lovers are located under our shade canopy and the sun-lovers are basking in the sun. Our staff is always there to help you out if you want. Most perennials have a set bloom time each year that does not encompass all the seasons. Be sure to include Spring bloomers, Summer color, and Fall flowers in pleasing combinations. It also is perfectly legal to mix some annual flowers (which tend to bloom over a longer period of time) with your perennials to extend color. We have signage and labels that help you with your decisions.

You usually need several heights of perennials to give your bed a three dimensional look. Also do not put aggressive growing flowers next to dainty ones that need pampering. We will help you out in choosing plants that are good neighbors. What really gives a perennial bed a beautiful look, is to repeat the plant groupings you use several times in a bed.

Plant odd numbers of plants of the same kind together (3, 5, 7, etc.). Planting “onesies” together often looks jumbled. When you plant, dip the plant roots into a bucket of Bonide Root & Grow. This rooting hormone will stimulate new roots and get the plant off to a fast start. Feed the roots with Master Nursery Bumper Crop Starter Fertilizer. This is a high phosphate granular fertilizer that is mixed into the soil that causes the plant to establish quickly. Water thoroughly when you first plant.

Keep the weeds from getting a good start. It is much easier to remove them when they are small. Mulching your beds with 2 inches of bark mulch such as hardwood or pine will keep out 90% of the weeds. Scattering PREEN on the soil after the perennials are planted will keep many other annual weeds from germinating. Remove dead blossoms when you are in your beds looking for weeds. This will extend the flowering time for many perennials as well as keep a tidy look. Water only as needed. Lots of sprinkler watering on the leaves promotes disease and rotting in the plants. For more plentiful flowers feed your plants with Garden Elements Bud & Bloom every couple of weeks.

In the crazy math of perennials, you can split up the mature root masses and gain more starts to plant somewhere else or give to your friends. Perennials are not all the same, so ask us at the garden center when the time to divide is right and the best way to go about it.