(NC)-Creating a garden oasis can take some time and effort, but it's something that will leave you with a feeling of accomplishment and pride, as well as a beautiful garden.
Planting perennials is a great investment and an enjoyable way to achieve a garden that will bloom for several years. Perennial bulbs, plants, climbers and shrubs add colour and texture and come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes and flowering times to keep your garden in bloom all season long. The lawn and garden team at Canadian Tire suggests these tips to help you get started with your garden this spring:
• Plant a mixture of perennials with annuals and flowering shrubs to stagger bloom times over the growing season.
• Plant perennials directly in the garden or in containers.
• Spring planting allows new plants time to establish strong root systems before winter.
• Keep the garden current with seasonal themes by planting window boxes and pots for the deck, patio or garden. In spring, try potted tulips, daffodils, crocus and pussywillow or forsythia branches. For summer, add miniature canna lilies, and dahlias, both of which are popular choices. For fall, mums, sedum, fall-blooming asters and ornamental grasses adapt well to containers.
• Perennials can be planted in full sun, partial sun or shady areas. Garden centres like Canadian Tire carry a wide range of perennials suitable for sun and shade garden locations. Read the care tag on each pot to determine the plant's best location.
• Newly planted perennials should be watered well. Mulch will retain soil moisture and control weeds. Fertilize new plantings with a transplant fertilizer (10-52-10) or Miracle-Gro Quick Start to help new plants establish better root systems.
The sunny garden
• Perennials that prefer full sun need six hours or more of direct sunlight.
• Low-maintenance sun-loving perennial options include irises, coneflowers, peonies, sedum, shasta daisies, phlox and ornamental grasses.
• Daylilies prefer full sun but will also thrive in partial shade and in a variety of soil types. These flowers last one day, continue blooming for about a month and are easy-care plants that last for years in the garden.
• Clematis is a flowering vine that produces an abundance of colourful blooms and creates a natural screen covering on walls, fences and trellises.
The shady garden
• Any site that gets less than six hours of direct sunlight is considered shady. A site that receives a few hours of morning or late afternoon sun but no direct midday sun is described as having partial shade.
• Perennials that prefer shade include hosta, astilbe, bleeding heart, lily of the valley, bee balm, anemone, periwinkle and ivy.
• Hostas are lush, tropical-looking plants that are tough and dependable for easy-care shade gardens. They are grown mainly for their variegated leaves and sizes. Flower colours include white, pink and lilac.
• Bleeding Heart is a great choice for an early blooming shade garden. Plant with spring bulbs and wildflowers for a striking spring display.
- News Canada
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