Now’s the Time to Plant Flowering Perennials

 

June is Perennial Gardening Month. The Perennial Plant Association has recognized June as Perennial Gardening Month, highlighting the abundance of blooming perennials available and the opportunity to add more to your garden.   

  

Perennial flowers are a great investment for any garden. Unlike annuals, which only last for one season, perennials will come back year after year, providing a beautiful, sustainable addition to your garden and June is the perfect month for planting. The Summer Solstice occurred last Friday, June 20, spring's unpredictable weather is over, and warm soil and long days bring optimal conditions for planting flowering perennials.   

Once soil temperatures reach 60°F or higher, roots accelerate their expansion and begin absorbing nutrients more efficiently. This means they’ll establish faster, grow and flower quickly.

Two important factors to consider are matching the plant to the right light conditions and taking time to improve the soil. While many perennials come with an information tag, don’t hesitate to ask one of our staff members about planting location and plant care. We’ll be glad to help you.   

 

Once the site is selected, it's time to prepare the soil.  We stock locally produced bagged soil amendments such as Earth Essentials Sheep, Peat, and Compost. Bagged amendments are convenient and easy to transport. Rich in trace minerals, organic material and beneficial microbes, Earth Essentials Sheep, Peat and Compost improves the soil’s physical and biological health, essential for initial planting as well as sustained growth.    

   

Adding this organic amendment will allow our typical clay soil to drain better and the plant will be able to take up water and nutrients more effectively.  Dig a hole twice as large as the container your plant came in and half again as deep. Now mix the Earth Essentials Sheep, Peat and Compost at a ratio of one-third to 50:50 with the existing soil. Once the hole is dug and amended, fill it with water and let the water drain. Repeat this step, this time adding three and a half tablespoons of ferti•lome Root Stimulator to a gallon of water.

Slip your new plant out of its container and loosen the root ball.  Place the plant in the center of the hole and backfill with the amended soil.     

 

It's important to keep new plantings evenly moist. This is best done by checking each plant daily and hand watering as necessary. It’s a good idea to build a moat around each plant. That way, you can fill the moat and let the water slowly seep in. Don’t rely on automatic irrigation, at this point.   

   

Applying mulch to new planting is an effective way to conserve water and reduce heat stress on your plants, but it’s still important to check them daily and water as appropriate.     

   
When it comes to planting, choose a cloudy day or plant in the evening. This will give the new plant some 8 to 10 hours to begin acclimating to its new location without the stress of direct sun and high temperatures.     

   

There are many varieties of blooming perennials available now, many of these perennials will attract and support pollinators. With good soil preparation and the right amount of water, your new plantings will establish quickly and provide color and interest for many seasons to come.       

  

 

How to create a garden that supports pollinators

 

June is Pollinator Month in Colorado, a time to bring focus on the importance of supporting pollinators in our gardens and landscapes and a time to discover best practices for creating a beneficial insect friendly garden. This includes planting and maintaining a variety of perennials, annuals and flowering shrubs, as well as providing water, shelter and nesting sites. 

It’s important to realize that in addition to honeybees, bumblebees, native bees, butterflies, moths, flies and more also fill a role as pollinators in our landscapes and gardens. To attract the greatest diversity of pollinators, we need to supply a source of food and water and shelter.    

Food for the pollinator community means nectar and pollen. The ideal plants and shrubs will produce flowers with high nectar and pollen content. Flowers with good sources of nectar and pollen include Asters, Black-eyed Susan, Columbine, Coneflower, Digitalis, Gaillardia, Joe Pye Weed, Mums, Penstemon, Sage and Sedum.  Pollinator-friendly shrubs in your garden should include Blue Mist Spirea, Lilac and Butterfly Bushes.    

Beyond perennials and shrubs, think about incorporating annuals, bulbs and herbs into your pollinator garden. 

Because of their ability to dislodge pollen by grasping a flower in their jaws and vibrating their wing muscles, bumble bees are important pollinators of crops such as tomatoes and peppers.  Plant the herb comfrey near your tomato and pepper plants to improve the fruit set.    

The herbs borage, mint and lavender will attract pollinators to your garden, as well. Blooming cover crops such as Crimson Clover will attract bees and can be worked into your garden to improve the soil once it stops flowering.   

To better attract and support pollinators, plant in clusters, with a variety of colors. This will bring a focus to your garden and landscape and save the pollinator’s energy searching for food.    

Gardening with pollinators in mind should include a source of water. A shallow pot saucer filled with pebbles will do fine. Keep the water refreshed so the pollinators know they can return to the same spot every day.  Garden fountains and birdbaths will provide needed water, if you place some flat stones in the birdbath so pollinators will have a place to land and drink safely.    

For non-hive dwelling native bees, consider leaving a patch of the garden uncultivated for native bees that burrow. For wood and stem-nesting bees, place a nesting block near the garden fence or on a bench.    

In the fall, plant spring blooming bulbs such as crocus, hyacinths and tulips to support early foraging pollinators.  

  

If you do not have a traditional garden space where you can plant directly in the ground, plant in containers and place them on your patio or deck. Select a few different kinds of plants of varying heights, colors and textures. Pollinators will find them. 

 

Even a small pollinator garden will help support bees, butterflies and other pollinators. With some thought and planning, you can create a destination that pollinators will be attracted to.