How to Grow a Perennial Garden

The favorite choice of amateurs, when deciding to plant a garden, are perennials. Easy to grow and care for, bursting with color when in bloom, and lasting several years between plantings, they are the perfect flower for beginners, and the easiest garden to grow, even if you don't have a green thumb. The first step in planting a perennial garden, is choosing the type of garden you wish to grow, and the site where you wish to do your planting. Some considerations to be made when choosing your ideal garden site, would be, how much sunlight your garden can get most days, perennials require at least 2-3 hours of direct sunlight per day, to bloom and grow properly. Of course, the slope of your garden is also important, make sure rainwater wont stand in spots chosen for planting. Moisture, drainage, and soil type, are also important to the overall quality of your garden.
Most perennials require a PH of between 5.5 and 6.5, lime can be applied to those requiring higher levels of PH. You will also need to select a site for your garden without excessive weed growth. Use a mild weed killer on any stray weeds, making sure not to allow it to come in contact with your garden spot. Incorporating a layer of organic matter, such as pine bark mulch or compost, into the soil before planting, is also very important, This enriches your soil with added nutrients, which enables your perennial garden to grow more successfully.
The next step would be selecting the plants you wish to grow in your new perennial garden. There are many varieties of perennial flowers to choose from, all in different heights, colors, and length of bloom and flower time. Check your growing zone before purchasing to make sure your choice of flower will grow in your zone.

Carnations are a wonderful choice of many first time perennial gardeners. They can be planted in flower beds or containers, they require full sunlight and a rich, well drained soil. You must water them during dry periods, at least twice a week, and use a quality fertilizer once or twice a month. This helps in the growing process, producing beautiful, colorful and fragrant carnations, to be enjoyed inside or out. When planting your garden make sure and leave at least 12' between plants, allowing them plenty of room to grow and bloom. Perennial flowers are very strong, they can withstand a light frost before going dormant for the winter. You should move sensitive plants indoors for winter, before returning them outside after the last frost. Perennial flowers are definitely the right choice for beginning gardeners. There low tolerance for the cold, which is still higher than most other flowers, enables you to enjoy your garden later into the winter. Perennials grow and flower for several years, so there's no need for replanting every year. Which means less money spent on your garden overall, and a lot less work for the beginning gardener. For information on perennials and growing perennials, check out these and other interesting websiteswww.iloveindia.com, www.helium.com, and www.perennials.com.