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 Start by deadheading, removing faded flowers, to
improve the plants’ overall appearance. It won’t extend bloom time
on all perennials, but will keep some like bergenia, lamb’s ear,
peonies, and perennial geraniums looking neat and tidy throughout
the summer. Deadheading will encourage an additional flush of
flowers on many perennials including bee balm, coral bells,
daylilies, fringed bleeding heart, phlox, purple coneflowers,
salvia, veronica, and yarrow.
Cut spent flowers back to the nearest set of side shoots with flower
buds or healthy leaves on perennials like coneflowers, catmints,
salvias, shasta daisies, turtlehead and veronicas.
On daylilies and balloon flowers, remove individual flowers on the
flower scape (stem) as they fade. Once all the individual flowers
have faded and been deadheaded, remove the whole flower stem.
Prune flower stems back to a rosette of leaves at the base of the
plant on coral bells, hosta and lamb’s ear to keep these plants
looking their best.
Shearing a plant, also called cutting back, is a pruning method that
removes large amounts of plant material in one fell swoop. This
method is useful for plants with an abundance of small flowers such
as creeping phlox, rock cress and threadleaf coreopsis. Also
consider digging and dividing threadleaf coreopsis every few years
to promote continuous bloom.
Keep mums and asters pruned to 6” throughout June and stop the
beginning of July. Complete pruning by the beginning of July on late
summer and fall blooming perennials. Early season pruning encourages
more compact growth and can be used to stagger bloom times. Manage
flopping growth on plants such as Walker’s Low Catmint (Nepeta) by
cutting the plants back halfway. Cut back salvias and Veronicas
after the second flush of flowers to promote compact growth and
additional bloom.
Thin out overcrowded plants by removing some stems to the ground.
This increases light penetration and airflow to the plants, reducing
the risk of disease.
Use ground level pruning on bleeding heart and other perennials that
dieback midseason.
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Dead leafing, a technique used to remove or trim back
discolored foliage, allows the flowers to remain the center of
attention.
Stake plants in need of support to prevent perennials from flopping.
This will reduce disease and increase beauty.
Although it’s always best to put stakes and supports in place as
plants emerge in spring, you can still add a bit of support
mid-season. Use bamboo stakes and ties, twigs woven into stems or
other attractive or virtually invisible stakes. Then mark next
year’s calendar to remind yourself to put stakes in place in spring
as plants emerge.
Spread a thin layer of mulch such as shredded leaves,
evergreen needles, twice shredded bark or other organic material
over the soil surface. Mulching conserves moisture, suppresses
weeds, keeps roots cool during hot weather and improves the soil as
it decomposes.
Continue to remove weeds throughout the season to eliminate
competition for water and nutrients. Removing weeds before they form
seeds eliminates hundreds of weeds you’ll need to pull in next
year’s garden. Weeding also reduces the risk of insects and disease
in your garden since some weeds attract pests and serve as host for
diseases that can damage perennials.
Plant perennials or annuals to fill voids or mask declining spring
bloomers. Water new plantings often enough to keep the roots moist
for the first few weeks. Eventually switch to thorough, less
frequent watering to encourage deep drought tolerant roots. And
don’t forget to mulch the soil right after you plant to keep roots
cool and moist.
Once your perennial gardens are spruced up, it’s time to sit back
and enjoy the beauty you’ve created.
[Text from file received from
]
Melinda Myers has written more than
20 gardening books, including Small Space Gardening. She hosts The
Great Courses “How to Grow Anything” DVD series and the nationally
syndicated Melinda’s Garden Moment TV & radio segments. Myers is a
columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine.
Myers’s web site is
www.Melinda Myers.com. |
