How to Grow Perennials

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Step 1

Look for perennials at nurseries from spring through fall, or year-round in mild climates.
Step 2

Choose perennials that grow well in your climate.
Step 3

Buy perennials in 4-inch to 1-gallon containers.
Step 4

Choose healthy-looking plants that have signs of new growth in leaf and flower bud in spring and summer.

Step 1

Choose a spot for perennials that is well-suited to their needs - 'sun' means 6 hours of sunshine a day; 'light shade' or 'dappled shade' comes from tall trees; 'dark shade' comes from something solid like a house; and 'part shade' means 3 hours of sunshine a day.
Step 2

Prepare the planting area as described in 'eHow to Design and Prepare a Flower Bed.'
Step 3

Add a light application of organic fertilizer to the planting hole.
Step 4

Place the plants no deeper than they were growing in the containers.
Step 5

Set the plants an appropriate distance apart, depending on how wide they grow.
Step 6

Mulch the plants - place 1 to 3 inches of organic compost around but not on top of the plants - to help retain water and keep down weeds while the plants are getting established.
Step 7

Water new plants well, until soil is completely moist. Do this weekly during their first summer.

Step 1

Cut back old stems and flowers in late fall (for spring-flowering perennials) or early spring (for perennials that bloom summer through fall).
Step 2

Apply an organic fertilizer to the soil in early spring - except for perennials that do not need yearly fertilizing.
Step 3

Mulch around but not on top of the plants with 3 inches of organic compost in early spring (see 'eHow to Mulch Flowers').
Step 4

Cut old flower stems off spring-blooming plants to a place on the stem just above where you see new leaves growing. This will encourage the plant to bloom again.
Step 5

Water most perennials well until soil is completely moist; do this weekly in summers with no rainfall.

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