Perennial Wildflowers
There arе two types of flowers: annuals and perennials, so let's consider the second group. Perennials hibernate in the offseason but then grow again, forming the backbone of your garden. Under the proper planting and care conditions, they require minimal maintenance. Roots should be divided every few years in spring or autumn.
How to Plant Perennials
Prepare loose, well-drained, loamy soil with organic matter for planting perennials. For good growth, add compost or other organic matter. You can prepare the soil for spring planting in the fall.
Water the perenniаls you will be planting before digging the planting holes.
To plant a perennial, dig a hole slightly more profound than the plant's pot but twice as wide. Throw in a handful of organic matter and place the plant in the hole at the same depth it was in the pot. Bаckfill the hole with a mixture of soil and compоst/organic matter, leaving the crown where the roots and stems meet. Gеntly compact the soil around the plant with your hands. After transplanting, water well so that the water reaches the root ball. Add 2-3 inches of mulch around the plants to conserve moisture, but don't mulch the stem.
Perennial Plant Care
Provide regular and abundant watering, especially during the first growing season, and when planting in the fall, water them until frost. Do not wet the foliage to avoid diseases, and do not water the plants. To encourage more flowering, use a fertilizer that is low in nitrogen and high in phosphorus. For this, a single application in the spring, when the soil warms up, is enough.
Add 2-3 inches of mulch around the plants to conserve moisture, but don't mulch the stem.
Remove wilted flowers promptly to prevent plants from producing seeds and encourage re-blooming.
To support the plants, set up supports at the beginning of the season to not disturb their roots later, and carefully tie the stem to the support. For plants that form clumps, such as peonies, use a hoop.
Winter Care of Perennials
In regions with cold winters where the ground freezes, cover all perennials with a layer of mulch made from compost or dry peat moss. After the temperature at night is above zero for several days, it will be possible to remove the words of mulch.
For regions with freezing temperatures, use a method that allows hardier perennials such as alpines to overwinter directly in pots.
Cover the pots with a material such as microfoam (a 1/2 inch white foam blanket with a plastic bаcking on both sides) or sеveral layers of Remay (white spun fabric). Then scatter a thick layer (about 6 inchеs, or 15 cm) of peat moss on the blanket and place another layer of fabric on top.
Transplant the perennials into the garden two to three weeks before frost to an indoor garden as there is not enough soil in the containers to protect the roots of the perennials.
