Quick and Easy New Home Perennial Garden
Build an Instant Flowerbed in a New House for Less Cost
May 20, 2009
While perennial gardens improve with time, it is possible to have a beautiful garden in just a year or two while sticking to your budget.
Divide Plants Before Leaving Old Home
One of the best ways to boost a flower garden is to take divisions from your old home before moving. Plan ahead by collecting used garden containers. Perennials can safely be divided throughout the year, with the exception of months when the ground is frozen. If dividing during a dry spell, be certain to water frequently. Also cover the potted divisions with ample potting soil.
Ask Friends for Flower Cuttings, Donations
Most people with mature gardens have plenty of perennials to spare. Ask friends and family for a piece of that lovely lavender or hosta you’ve always admired. Offer to help divide the plants or bring your own pots.
Buy Perennials at Garage Sales
Gardeners often host garage/plant sales where they sell flowers and bushes at a fraction of retail cost. These plants are also likely to be better suited to the soil and weather conditions, as they are locally grown. Also check Farmer’s Markets for plant sales.
Choose Plants That Can Be Divided
When buying a potted plant, look for those that are thick and appear to have more than one rooted section. Often store bought perennials can be divided when planting. Carefully remove the plant from the pot and cut or shake loose these separate sections. This is like a two, or even three, for one sale. Place in good soil and water thoroughly.
Prepare the Soil for a Flower Bed
If there is an existing garden with rich black soil, just remove weeds and mix the soil before planting. If it is necessary to build a new garden, rent a sod remover or rototiller or remove the sod with a shovel or hoe. If you’re not in a hurry, you can smother the weeds and grass.
If the soil is heavy clay or sand, fortify it with peat or garden center soil mixtures. Throughout the year, add leftover coffee grounds and egg shells. Consider burying vegetable and fruit kitchen scraps, which will turn into compost and fortify the soil.
Best Quick and Easy Perennials
Some perennials are more abundant than others. Some good choices for quick growth are daylilies, purple coneflower, black-eyed Susans, coreopsis, sedum, salvia, aster, catmint and phlox.
Annual Flowers Provide Instant Color
First-year gardens can get a big boost from colorful and abundant annuals. Some that are most productive and beautiful includes cosmos, sweet alyssum, bachelor buttons, and larkspur. Plant them in drifts among the perennials. Follow the seed packet instructions and water often.
Design New Garden for Color, Texture
Try to plant in odd numbers, three or five of the same plant. Odd numbers are more pleasing to the eye. Consider texture. A fine leaved plant like Russian sage or coreopsis is nice among thicker leaved plants like daylilies. Ornamental grasses add a lovely texture and movement to the garden. Stage complementary colors together, as in a purple aster and yellow goldenrod. Think about bloom season and try to plant perennials that will keep the garden in bloom throughout the seasons. One way to pull a garden together is to create a uniform edge with plants such as lavender or non-invasive catmint.
Garden Care for Abundant Growth
Pay attention to water restrictions, but water your garden often. Perhaps you can catch rain water from your gutters for this purpose. Mulch the garden with wood chips, cocoa mulch, grass clippings or whatever is available to conserve water and cut down on weeding.
Pick and Enjoy the Flowers
One of the most enjoyable aspects of flower gardening is picking a bouquet and bringing it indoors to beautify the home. Follow these tips and you will have fresh flowers at hand throughout the seasons.
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