In the simplest terms, a perennial is a plant that lives for at least 3 or more years.  We usually use this term to describe herbaceous perennials when talking about gardens.  Trees and shrubs last for many years too of course, but these are woody plants.  The life span of a perennial varies quite a bit, depending […]

  To see a complete description of our ornamental grasses, simply click on its Botanical Name. Cool-season grasses begin growing in early spring and slow down or go dormant during the heat of summer. Some of these grasses tend to look a bit scruffy during July / August and may need a trim. Cool-season grasses […]

In warm summer regions, fall can be an ideal time to plant a brand new perennial garden or to rejig an established one.  The moisture is back (or hopefully will be shortly), the days and nights are cooler and as gardeners we are more comfortable being outdoors than high summer, so we will likely put […]

Moving or dividing perennials in the autumn is a great way to reduce your work next spring.  The cool, moist weather is an ideal time for perennial roots to become well established, even in cold-winter regions. Gardeners often ask us when the best season is to move specific perennials, so we have a working “rule […]

By mid-November many of us put away the lawnmower and grudgingly bring the snow shovels out of storage.  But hard core gardeners know some of the best stuff happens in winter.  Here are just three ideas to keep your garden interesting even through the coldest months. 1.  Use Evergreen Foliage We all know about Spruce, […]

While visiting those wonderful spring garden shows (like the Philadelphia Flower Show or Canada Blooms), it’s hard to resist the urge to purchase at least a few plants, only to get home later and realize it’s probably too early to plant them directly outside. Keeping them alive and healthy until mid-spring is really quite simple. […]

Surely spring is the busiest season of the year for the avid perennial gardener.  Fortunately, most of us have been cooped up indoors all winter and are anxious to get outside anyhow, and the cool but pleasant spring weather beckons to our gardening spirit!   Is it time yet? The dead tops of perennials that […]

One of the most rewarding aspects of perennial gardening is the fact that most plants actually increase in size over the years.  After a time, some of your perennials are going to benefit from being divided, and in most cases spring is a terrific time to go about this task.   We divide perennials for […]

If you love the idea of starting a wide range of your own perennials from seed, be prepared to do a bit of searching for some of the more rare and unusual types.  A good starting point is your local Heritage Perennials Dealer.Garden centers generally bring in a fresh stock of packaged seeds in early […]

PLANTING STEPS (a)  After preparing soil, dig a hole deep enough to hold root ball. (b)  Remove the pot, break up root ball if root-bound. (c)  Place root in the hole, fill with water. (d)  Refill with soil. Root ball should be slightly below soil surface. (e)  Water a second time. 1.  CHOOSING PERENNIALS When […]