Melinda’s Garden Moments is heard Mon.-Fri. at 7:45 and 10:45 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. on WHAV.
Reduce your maintenance and increase the beauty of your perennial garden with proper design.
Plants are dynamic, always growing and changing requiring some care. But a good design can help minimize maintenance while creating a beautiful garden you’ll enjoy for years to come.
Consider using fewer types of perennials, but more of each to increase the visual impact of the garden and reduce maintenance. For example, if you design a garden with 20 different types of perennials consider cutting that number in half and doubling the number of each type of plant. You’ll have fewer plants to identify and differentiate from the weeds as they emerge in spring. Plus, you’ll only have to consider the needs of 10 instead of 20 different types of plants.
Select plants suited to the growing conditions that are not aggressive and don’t self-seed and take over the garden bed.
A bit more information: Further reduce your perennial garden maintenance by mulching the soil with shredded leaves, bark, evergreen needles or other organic material. The mulch helps suppress the weeds, conserve moisture and as it breaks down, it improves the soil.
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