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Perennial tips on selection and planting E-mail
Written by Administrator   
Wednesday, 25 July 2007
For the gardeners who have put the hard labour into preparing their perennial border by providing it with the requisite quantities of plant food and drainage grit, they can go about selecting their plants safe in the knowledge that future growth is assured. However, it is worth bearing in mind a few pointers as you go about selecting your perennials for colour, form and purpose. My first piece of advice to gardeners selecting perennial plants is to let your mind drift. Groupings of plants that weave and interlock with other groupings of plants within the same bed are known as ‘drifts’. One cluster of plants begins where another cluster ends and the groups have a flowing effect as they grow to bloom.
 
The shapes that these drifts create should be irregular, weaving through your perennial border and wrapping around other plants. Planting in drifts creates a sense of movement, which in turn will make your garden look alive, full and lush.
 
Select plants with interesting and contrasting textures, planting fine leaved perennials with bold leaved specimens. Also, select different flower forms and shapes, select from tubular, loose, flat, round, pendulous spiked etc. Never be afraid to include some non-perennials as well. Plants like Phormium, Cordyline, ornamental conifers and grasses all add structure and body to the perennial border.      
 
When selecting colours be guided by the following:
 
Drifts of light or pastel coloured flowers tend to fade into the background, so the quantities of these colours should be larger than the drifts of vivid colours. If you find yourself having colour clashes (red/pink), try creating buffers between these colours with massed plantings of ornamental grasses or plain green leaved plants.       
 
To ensure rapid establishment and growth of a perennial or herbaceous border, it is important to follow a few simple planting rules. One of the most important is to water your perennial even before planting. Immersing the pots in water-filled containers for about ten minutes before planting is the best method. After this time, remove them and allow the surplus water to drain away.
 
Remove the pot and, if the plant roots are wrapped tightly, you should gently tease some free. This will cause new roots to branch out into new soil instead of continually encircling themselves.
 
When creating a planting hole, the ideal situation would be to make it twice as wide and deep as the pot, don’t forget to break up the soil as you dig. The planting depth is extremely important with some perennials, certain varieties will refuse to bloom or thrive if planted at an incorrect level. I find a good rule of thumb to follow is to never plant any higher or deeper than the existing compost level on the pot.
 
Answer to last weeks gardening brainteaser:
 
Farmers often use 7-6-17 fertiliser as a feed for potatoes
 
Here is this week’s question:
 
Which perennial plant is commonly known as ‘Baby's breath’?
 
•        Gypsophila
•        Sedum
•        Helenium
   
There are no prizes; this is just for fun and education. I will have the answer next week.
 
As well as his horticultural writing, James Kilkelly provides a garden and landscape design service based in County Galway. Contact him through his website www.gardenplansireland.com or alternatively by phone at 087-2067846.
 
For free access to an incredible wealth of gardening information visit his gardening forum www.irishgardeners.com.

 


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