Good morning, everyone! In honor of June being Perennial Gardening Month, I thought I would share a few tips and tricks for successful perennial gardening as well as more of my favorite perennial plants down at Garden Supply. We have so many beautiful plants to choose from, as always, and the display of color coming from the perennial tables is truly a site to behold right now. Guaranteed we have a ton of great choices to inspire some summer gardening at your house, just in time to catch the peek of warm-weather blooming.
Mona Lisa lilium
Dramatic Oriental lilies add interest to the summer garden. Their large flowers bloom atop tall stems with a powerful fragrance that intensifies as the sun goes down. These stunning Mona Lisa lilies offer soft pink flowers with darker pink veins and a deep blush in the center, and dark, showy speckles. The shorter size and prolific blooms of this lily make it an excellent choice for containers. They perform best in full sun in rich well drained soil either in the gardens or in patio containers. They make great companions with other bulbs, perennials and are great butterfly plants.
Lilies can be successfully planted March-September in Zones 3-9.
Sights of Summer dahlia
Isn't this Sights of Summer dahlia a real eye-catcher? This yellow and red bloomer boasts 4" blossoms that will light your garden with color. Sights of Summer grows only 20-24" tall, making it an excellent border plant.
With a blast of different colors, shapes and sizes, Dahlias bring life and beauty to your landscape in summer and into the fall months. The diversity of Dahlias allow you to use them in many different aspects of your landscape design, from low growing border plants to stately background plantings which may reach six feet in height. Dahlias make excellent cut flowers, which typically last about a week in the house.
These tender tubers bloom best in full sun and will tolerate most soil types, but prefer a sandy, well draining soil. If you have a heavy, clay soil try adding sand or peat moss to lighten it. Dahlias are summer blooming tubers which are generally only hardy in Zones 7-11. In the majority of the country, they must be planted each spring and then cut back and dug each fall after the first killing frost.
Blue Stocking monarda didyma
Blue Stocking monarda didyma was chosen perennial of the month in July 1998. Hummingbirds and butterflies can't resist this plant! It is easy to grow and is mildew-resistant. It can be somewhat invasive in the South, so don't be afraid to trim it back. The leaves give off a pleasant aroma and can be steeped in boiling water for tea. Monarda is best used in the border in combination with other plants of similar height.
When planted in rich, moist soil monarda are easy to grow and relatively trouble free. They will spread quickly, so individual plantings are encouraged. To control the spread, trim small shoots around the edges of the plant. Deadheading is helpful on young, vigorously growing plants to prolong blooming, but may not be as effective on older plants.
And now here are a few tips for successful perennial gardening for the month of June. Herbaceous perennials are highly prized for their ornamental features and their ease of culture.That, however, does not mean that they require NO maintenance. Adherence to a summer schedule of maintenance duties will enhance the beauty of the garden and allow perennials to flourish.
June is the month to shear the tops of spring bloomers to ensure uniform and ornamental foliage for the remainder of the season. Grass shears can be used for this task. At this time you should also cut back the foliage of spring-flowering daffodils and tulips that bloomed at least six weeks previously.
Early to mid-June is also a good time to cut back by half tall late season bloomers to control height and eliminate the need for staking. Perennials treated in this manner will mature at a shorter height and may flower slightly later than unpruned perennials. Plants that respond to this treatment include aster selections, artemisia, boltonia, Joe-pye weed, rudbeckia and Autumn Joy sedum. During June and throughout the summer season, plan to deadhead spent flowers as the need arises. This practice has the effect of improving the overall appearance of the plant, eliminating an abundance of unwanted seedlings, and promoting a continued bloom period or later re-bloom. Plants that require deadheading include coreopsis, daylilies, garden phlox, and others.
Hope these tips will get you on your way to a successful perennial garden in no time. As always, our friendly experts are on hand 7 days a week to assist you in all your gardening needs. If you've got questions, we've got answers.
Be sure to mark your calendars for this Saturday, June 19th for our Annual Auction. Join us for a full day of fun at our best sale of the year by participating in our absolute auction. Plants, trees, flowers, pots, urns, iron pieces, fountains and lots of other gift items will be auctioned off. It's easy, just register and get a number, bid and be competitive, finish up your landscaping and get it all at a great price.
We will be grilling hot dogs and firing up the pizza oven again. Also look for some other great deals throughout the nursery and gift area.
Thanks so much for stopping by everyone! I'll see you back here soon for more snippets from the garden.