Creating a Perennial Garden and Dividing Perennials

 Not only do I talk and write about how to do all things gardening....I actually do them too!

• start with a plan - even if it's only in your head.
• balance the size of the garden with your overall space or yard. Beds should be at least 6' wide to have an impact (unless they are up against a wall or fence)

 Now, the fun part - installing the plants. (Above)

• chose the correct plants for your sun - wind - soil andclimate conditions
• taller plants should be to the backside of your usual visual perspective, this garden can be viewed from all sides, however I would normally see it from my house. If you would normally see it from all sides - than taller plants in the middle of the bed.
• chose spring, summer and fall bloomers for continuous interest 
• get a dog to help supervise your work - and get them a blanket if needed (treats optional)
• installing the plants took me about 2 hours
• water well, then not again for 2-3 days if no rain, then 1-2x per week if no rain.
• bigger perennial plants can take more abuse than smaller ones, and become reestablished quicker

 Above is the following spring - tulips, iris, blue flax. Blues and purples in the spring bed. If you are dividing plants for the purpose of moving them:

• best in early spring, just as or before they are emerging from the ground
• do not divide into tiny pieces,  greedy gardener = dead plants
• a gallon size plant should be divided into 2-4 pieces for best success
• keep roots moist during the move, covered with soil so the air does not dry the roots
• DO NOT set in buckets of water for longer than a couple of hours and only if the soil fell off the rootball, placing an intact rootball in water can wash the soil away.....STOP!
• best to dig out the new plant hole, then get the plant
• if moving an entire plant, try to keep it on the shovel from point a to b, keeping the soil/root ball as intact as possible
• transplant on a shady day when possible, or towards evening if sunny
• place a lawn chair or table over new tranplants for a few days for shade protection, never a bucket - they need air flow
• until roots re-establish, they cannot take up water and can meanhwile die due to wind and sun exposure  
• many perennials are very durable and can be divided throughout the season (assuming they are big enough) like daylily, hostas, veronica, heliopsis etc. The trick is to cut back the tops, nearly to the crown. They will re-grow! Plants being divided or moved around in a shady location not as critical. What happens is before the roots can re-establish and take up water, the top has died back from exposure. The plant will always re-establish the root system first - it's survival!
• you can also divide and pot up plants and when they recover after a couple of weeks, then plant them out and the transition will be much easier for the plant. When they are in the pots you can keep them in a shady area during their recovery period and transition them.

Above is the summer version, same garden different angle. Tall Garden Phlox blooming on the right. Tulip foliage is all died back and the perennials take over. Sad to say this beautiful little garden is trashed now. Started with a big tree laying across it after the 06 tornado. I have dug out and moved the good plants, and the tulips are on their own. I never bother moving tulips or daffodils etc., they are too cheap to buy to spend that much time on.