A garden can look wonderfully productive from a distance while quietly wasting money up close. Fall makes those disappointments much easier to spot because the growing season has finally handed over the receipts: Which plants produced plenty, which struggled all summer, and which seemed determined to occupy valuable space while contributing almost nothing? That makes…
perennial gardening
5 Ways to Turn an Unused Corner Into a Perennial Food Patch
That awkward corner of the yard does not need to remain the place where forgotten pots, a hose, and one suspiciously rusty shovel go to retire. With the right perennial edibles, even a small, overlooked patch can become a dependable source of food that returns year after year with far less replanting than an annual…
5 Ways to Build a Temporary Nursery Bed for Bargain Perennials
Bargain perennials can look like the clearance-bin equivalent of a sad puppy, but a droopy plant in a tiny pot does not necessarily mean a lost cause. A temporary nursery bed gives inexpensive perennials a place to recover, build roots, and gain size before they move into their permanent garden homes. Instead of forcing a…
6 Perennials to Divide When the Hottest Weather Begins Easing
The hottest part of summer can make the garden look like it has officially checked out for the season, but late summer brings a useful opportunity: dividing crowded perennials. As temperatures begin to moderate, several established plants can handle division with less stress than they would during a sweltering midsummer afternoon. Division does more than…
5 Ways to Keep Newly Divided Irises From Drying Out
Freshly divided irises look surprisingly tough. Those chunky rhizomes seem almost indestructible sitting on a garden cart, but appearances fool plenty of gardeners every season. Leave them exposed to hot sun, drying wind, or a forgotten afternoon on the driveway, and those healthy divisions can lose precious moisture before they even reach the soil. Keeping…
Is It Time to Stop Encouraging New Growth on Perennials?
Gardeners love seeing fresh green shoots appear, but late-season new growth on perennials can create a tricky situation. As temperatures drop, that tender growth often lacks the strength needed to handle winter conditions, which means a little gardening excitement can turn into a seasonal headache. The goal is not to stop plants from growing altogether,…
What Should You Plant Where Spring Bulbs Have Died?
Spring bulbs put on a spectacular show, then pull the gardening equivalent of leaving the party without saying goodbye. Tulips, daffodils, crocuses, hyacinths, and other early bloomers can turn a sleepy garden into a colorful celebration, but their flowers eventually fade and their foliage starts looking tired. That creates a familiar gardening puzzle: what should…