The Best Perennial Planting Tips for a Stunning Flower Garden

Have you always dreamed of having a garden bursting with gorgeous perennial flowers and foliage?

Well, hold on to your sun hat because your dream garden is closer than you think!

Follow these simple perennial planting tips and secrets, and you’ll be rewarded with a floral wonderland that delights all your senses.

Let’s dig in!

Pick the Plants for 4 Seasons

The first step on this delightful journey is choosing which perennials will bring your dream garden to life. Study plant descriptions and pictures, imagining how each variety would look swaying gently in the breeze.

Do bright red bee balm and towering purple coneflowers make you smile? How about cheerful daisies or elegant lilies? Pick the flowers that call out to you, that you can almost see thriving in your future garden. Dream big! You can always add more later. For now, choose an inspiring collection to get you started.

When making your selections, keep sunlight needs in mind. Make sure to include both sun lovers and shade tolerators so no garden bed goes unused. Plan a long sequence of blooms too – early spring bulbs, summer annuals, fall asters. You’ll revel in color and interest from the first crocus to the last chrysanthemum.

Purchase Your Plants

Once you’ve compiled your wish list, it’s time to purchase! For the widest selection and best deals, shop in the fall when nurseries are clearing out extra stock. Many run sales and specials to avoid losing plants over the winter. This is the ideal time to stock up on small perennials in 4 inch starter pots. Though tiny now, they’ll quickly catch up in size and save you the work of expanding beds down the road.

Gather as many varieties as you can at this stage. Having most of the plants on hand makes planting day go smoother. No need to disturb established plants later to fill in gaps. Buying in bulk also ensures harmonious combinations, with perennials selected to complement each other.

As you excitedly cart home carload after carload of fledgling flowers, don’t let them dry out! Water your new additions thoroughly and give them a high quality potting mix. Let them rest in a protected area until it’s time to place them in their permanent homes.

Prepare the Soil

Now that your perennial collection is potted up and awaiting planting day, it’s time to focus on their future home – the garden soil. After all, healthy roots mean healthy plants! Good soil preparation sets your flowers up to flourish for years to come.

To start, add as much organic matter as possible to your planting beds. Dig in compost, rotted leaves, well-aged manure – whatever you have on hand. The more the better! These amendments loosen the soil and provide nutrients, creating the ideal environment for perennial roots to spread and grow.

In general, aim to improve your beds in fall or spring before planting. That gives the enriched soil time to settle fully. But amending over the winter or summer is fine too. Just be sure to water new additions frequently so they don’t dry out. Follow nature’s cycles and work with the seasons. Your perennials will reward you with vigorous growth.

Visualize the Layout

The big day is almost here! You have your perennials and prepared beds – now it’s time to map out your design. A few days before planting, set your potted flowers out in the garden beds. Step back and visualize how they’ll look once settled into their permanent spots. Are you happy with the placement? Make any needed adjustments now, before holes are dug and plants put in the ground.

Be sure to view your layout from all angles, at different times of day. Morning and evening light can dramatically change a garden’s look. Refine until you acheive the design you’ve envisioned. Your dream is taking shape right before your eyes!

As you arrange and rearrange, don’t let your potted perennials dry out. Water them regularly so they stay happy.

Water Well and Dig Those Holes

Planting day dawns bright and full of potential! Before you dig even one hole, thoroughly water all the perennials you’ll be placing today. A good soaking prepares them for their transition into the garden. Well hydrated plants experience less shock and recover more quickly. Don’t skimp on this important step – adequate water ensures your flowers get off to a healthy, vigorous start.

Now comes the fun part – digging those holes! Make each planting hole twice as wide and a bit deeper than the perennial’s container size. As you dig, lightly moisten any soil that appears dusty dry. Desert-like dirt will only hinder root growth. For large plantings, open holes one at a time just before planting each flower. If left open, exposed soil dries out quickly.

Place a shovelful of compost or other organic matter in the bottom of each hole. This provides a nutrient boost right where growing roots will be.

Gently Tease Apart Pot-Bound Roots

You’ve dug the hole, added nutrients, and kept everything watered. Now it’s time to transplant your perennial from pot to garden. Gently remove it from the container, handling the stem carefully to avoid damage. Take a look at the root system. If roots are thick and coiled tightly around the edges, they need encouragement to grow outward into surrounding soil.

Ever so tenderly, tease apart any matted sections on the sides and bottom. This stimulates new root growth beyond the cramped pot environment. Try not to break the delicate new roots. Just loosely separate and fluff them up before placing the perennial in its hole.

Backfill around the loosened roots with the soil and organic matter you removed. This blends nutrients through the entire root zone, spurring development. Be gentle, go slow – your patience will be rewarded with a farreaching root system!

Plant at the Perfect Depth

Now nestle your perennial into the prepared hole. Angle it facing the direction you desire – often the side with the most flowers or attractive foliage. Bounce back and take a look. Is it planted at the proper depth? The top of the root ball should be level with the surrounding soil. If planted too deep, the buried crown may rot. For a quick depth check, lay a stick across the hole from the ground to the root ball. Adjust the plant until the stick lies perfectly flat and even.

Water Well, Mulch, and Watch Your Garden Grow!

Finish filling the planting hole with your enriched soil blend.

Water again as you work to eliminate air pockets. Once the hole is filled, gently firm the soil with your hands. Now pour on even more water until the entire root zone is thoroughly saturated. This deep soaking encourages fast root establishment so your perennials get growing quickly.

The final flourish is a 2-3 inch layer of organic mulch around each new addition. Natural mulches like compost or bark slowly enrich the soil as they decompose. They also conserve moisture and prevent weeds – very helpful while tender young perennials are getting established.