Care of your Perennial and Annual Plants Blog
February 13, 2009
Everyone wants the best, and why not? We work hard (most of us), we play by the rules (some of us), and doggone it, WE DESERVE IT (all of us)! If you want the “best” perennial plants, here are two great plants that have been designated 2009 Perennial Plant of the Year by two different organizations: First, from the Perennial Plant Association, a professional trade association dedicated to improving the perennial plant industry by providing education to enhance the production, promotion and utilization of perennial plants: Golden Hakone Grass (Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’) Zone 5 Height: 12-18 inches Spread: 18-24 inches Hakone Grass offers vivid highlights in shade and part-shade gardens, where it is prized for its graceful movement in breezes, offering a cascading, wavy look. Individual blades are ½-inch wide and bright yellow in color with very thin green stripes, creating a bright lime green color splash. When the cooler days of autumn arrive, the foliage becomes...more
January 2, 2009
I have made my share of New Year’s Resolutions. Let’s see, last year I vowed to lose 25 pounds by spring (I actually gained 6 by March 1). How about 1997 – the year I resolved to put myself on a budget, spend far less than I earned, and bank the excess money. Spring rolled around and I renovated the backyard landscaping – budget blown in less than 4 months! No, you certainly can’t call me an overachiever when it comes to New Years Resolutions. I have come to the conclusion that, in order to be successful at them, you have to follow a few simple rules: Aim low. One of the resolutions I actually kept was to eat more fruit. I know, that sounds stupid, but I thought I could be healthier if I added more fruit to my diet. I resolved to eat 2-3 helpings each day and, by summer it had become a habit. The idea was to replace the sugary, fattening foods I was eating with fruit and, even though it didn’t work out that way (I now eat lots of fruit in addition to the fattening stuff), you...more
November 12, 2008
Today we woke up to our frostiest morning yet this fall. Overnight temps dipped down into the low 20’s and we had our first area-wide freeze of the year. Many perennials that had been hanging on, refusing to give up for the year, have finally succumbed to Mother Nature’s “go to bed!” order. There is one plant in our display garden that always seems to defy the odds and continues to look beautiful until the very end of fall. It’s an Aromatic Aster (Aster oblongifolius) called Raydon’s Favorite. Raydon starts blooming quite late (around mid-October) – a profusion of bluish-purple, daisy-like flowers with contrasting yellow centers. Once Raydon’s Favorite starts blooming, she continues until the soil begins to freeze. A Zone 3 perennial, this plant can get up to 3 feet tall, but pinching the foliage back in late May or early June will result in shorter, bushier plants. It's an outstanding plant to use in front of plants that tend to lose lower leaves (Phlox, Monarda, or Clematis for...more
November 20, 2007
In springtime we experience an absolute riot of color produced by the vast array of blooming plants in our Midwest gardens. Forsythias give way to azaleas and rhododendrons, followed by lilacs, Viburnums, flowering crabapples, Weigelas and others. There seems to be so much color going on that we really notice its absence once summer sets in and we don’t see quite the variety in our landscapes to which we have grown accustomed. At that point in time we begin getting requests from our clients for some suggestions for adding lots of color to their gardens. Those who are fortunate enough to own property that can support large planting beds and gardens can incorporate such a wide variety of plants into their landscape that there will always be at least two or three plants blooming at any given time throughout the growing season. But some of us (myself included) own more modest yards and need to really think about which plants are going to give us the most return on our investment...more
November 6, 2007
You may have seen evergreen boughs or straw used to protect plants during the winter months. This is a great way to protect sensitive plants from severe winter weather. Not all plants need this type of maintenance, but if you have evergreen perennials, less hardy perennials, or perennials that were planted in mid- to late fall, extra mulching will help you to bring your plants through our tough Wisconsin winters successfully. In general, if you are using 3 to 4 inches of bark mulch on top of the soil in your planting beds, the majority of landscape plants will not need additional mulch during the winter, provided they are hardy for the zone in which you are planting. Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule. To give tender plants the extra protection they need, an additional mulch layer applied after the ground begins to freeze (usually in November or December) is in order. Layers of straw or evergreen boughs shade the soil around the plants and act as an insulator...more
September 14, 2006
After winter settles in and outdoor activity is done for the year, the winter interest you have built into your landscape is one of the sweetest rewards of gardening. Ornamental grasses are one of the largest groups of plants that are used for this purpose. Not all of them are sturdy enough to survive the snow, rain, and high winds of winter, but those that do stand up make beautiful sights and sounds at an otherwise bleak time of year. The ornamental grasses that remain standing throughout the winter months should be cut back down before the new green growth begins to emerge the following spring. The new shoots emerge in the same place as last year’s shoots. If the old dry grass from last year is not cut back, the new shoots will still grow, but the plants will look much better if the old growth is trimmed prior to that point in time. If they are cut back after new growth begins, the sharply pointed tips of the new growth may be trimmed off, and this can make for a less attractive...more
July 18, 2006
Daylilies are one of the most popular perennial plants grown in the United States. They are tough plants, strong multipliers, long lived and available in a wide array of flower colors. Native to China, Japan, Korea, and eastern Siberia, where they have been cultivated for over 2,500 years, the plants made their way to Europe during the 16th century, and by the 17th century had arrived in North America. For early American settlers, who were much more interested in daily survival issues than in horticulture, the daylily yielded pretty flowers every year with little to no maintenance. They are quite prolific and hybridize freely, so they escaped into the wild and found a permanent home in American countrysides. The botanical name for daylily is Hemerocallis, which comes from the Greek meaning “beautiful for a day”. The blooms generally last for only a day, although some varieties can last up to 36 hours. They are not true lilies, but were so named because of the resemblance...more
June 23, 2006
It is now late June and perennial plants are off to a good start after all of the spring rain and warmer temperatures. This is the time of the year that most of us realize that there are some established plants that are overgrowing their spaces. Many of the potted perennials here at the nursery seem to be overflowing their pots and look like they could be split into 3 or 4 plants. The most frequently asked question right now from my clients is “Can I divide my perennials now?” The answer is “Probably not, but maybe.” The majority of perennial plants should only be divided in early spring, just as the new growth begins to push up and out of the soil. At that point in time there is not much leafy growth that must be sustained by the root - moisture loss from the leaves is at a minimum. Dividing at that time will still cause some transplant shock (resulting in smaller, fewer leaves for that season), but the root will most likely be able to cope with it and the plant will produce new...more
June 19, 2006
One of the most dramatic and cost-effective ways to dress up your landscape is the use of decorative mulch in your planting beds. When used in areas where trees, shrubs, evergreens, perennials and annuals are planted, they not only look great, but your plants will reward your efforts with increased health, vigor and beauty. Better still, mulch is a great way to reduce the maintenance involved with watering and weeding your planted beds. More mulched area means less lawn to mow. If there are areas of your lawn that are too shady to grow grass or desirable ground covers (not Creeping Charlie!) a layer of mulch can make it look beautiful and allow you to use plants more well-suited to that location than grass. At Johnson’s Nursery we use a variety of mulches. Our shredded hardwood bark is all natural and free of dyes and preservatives. We stock river rock in various sizes and offer crushed, natural granite for a texture and color alternative. New for 2006, we will be offering red...more
June 16, 2006
So many times our clients come to Johnson’s Nursery looking for ideas to fill spaces in their landscape. We always start by asking the following questions: How much direct sunlight will the plant receive every day? What is the maximum size you want it to grow? Is it going to be planted close to a structure or under an overhang that could occasionally prevent rainfall from soaking the area?Other questions will come into play further down the line, but the above three are the most important considerations when choosing the right plant for the right spot. Here’s what can happen if you don’t ask these questions: If a plant that grows best in full sun (at least 6 hours per day of direct sunlight) is planted in a location that is too shady, it will begin to look weak and unhealthy within a year or two. Branches will grow long and leggy, possibly unable to support themselves. Plants that prefer shade usually do so because they need consistent soil moisture to look their best (not too...more
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