What to Do Monthly in a Perennial Garden?
Successful perennial flower gardeners know that even though most flowers go dormant in the winter, the gardening work never stops. Each month and season brings new work to the flower garden. Understanding the best way to care for home-grown flowers helps gardeners create a month-by-month gardening schedule to stay on top of all the tasks necessary for a spring and summer full of blooms. Does this Spark an idea?
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January to March
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Most perennial flowers, those that return year after year, go dormant over the winter. January is not a busy season for the perennial garden. In areas where the soil is not frozen, turn the soil to prepare beds for spring planting. Begin collecting seed catalogs to find the best plants and seeds. Continue winter planning efforts through the gray days of February. Spread manure or organic fertilizer around the base of trees and shrubs. Plan where new plants will go in the garden. In March, continue with pruning efforts. Early March is an ideal time for pruning roses and beginning to mix spring fertilizer into the flower garden. Start seeds indoors.
April to June
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Continue planting throughout April. This month is an especially good time to plant cold-hardy perennials. Clean pots. Begin to remove winter mulches and garden protections. Divide and plant perennial bulbs. Begin seed planting toward the end of April. Treat plants with a phosphorous-heavy fertilizer to promote root growth. In May, plant warm-weather flowers. Remove the dying leaves from early-spring flowers. Transplant any remaining seedlings that were planted indoors. Sow wildflower and other seeds. Plant container plants. May is also the ideal time to prune and train climbing plants. Gardens are alive and blooming throughout June. For the perennial gardener, its an important time to pinch back some popular flowers to encourage robust growth. Deadhead blooming flowers to encourage new growth. Water flowers frequently and check for signs of pest infestation. Treat the garden with flower fertilizer.
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July to September
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In July, tend to the garden by checking for pests, watering and fertilizing as necessary. Also remove dead plant material and deadhead summer flowers. August is the ideal month to finish tasks related to the summer garden and prepare the garden for the fall. Weed the garden before seeds develop. Remove any remaining dead plant material and cut back spring-blooming plants. Prune hybrid, fall-blooming roses. In September, place orders for fall-blooming perennial bulbs. Begin to plant these new flowers. Dig up any tender perennial bulbs that require dry-air winter storage such as dahlias and begonias. Divide and transplant crowded plants. Provide the garden with lots of water to help prepare roots for the spring.
October to December
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Begin to prepare the garden for overwintering. Add garden debris to the compost pile. Plant new spring bulbs. Collect perennial flower seeds. Clean and store garden tools. November builds on the tasks begun in October. Apply mulch to the garden to protect perennials over the winter. Cut back any remaining flowers prior to a killing, hard frost. December is all about the birds. A healthy bird population is key for keeping pests of perennials under control. Put up a bird feeder and a birdbath to keep birds well fed now that the garden has gone dormant.
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