Lori S

Interesting I am in the process of "remodeling" my perennial gardens... Mostly to get back the balance of the plantings. Some of the perennials are much more prolific , and others just need to get out of the shaddows. I have been digging dividing , and working in fresh compost for a couple of weeks. At first it was hard to take a shovel and just start the dividing process .. it seemed so ..harsh... ! I lifted most of what I wanted to save in very large clumps , then reworked the soil with the compost and some fertilizer , and re-planted.... It was worth it for what I have done so far. I made the decision to re-use because I knew how the plants would perform .. how high .. how fast they multiplied, when they would bloom etc. I did purchase a few new where I thought I needed more variation in color and height. I also left some space for some annuals.
I was stunned at just how much was needing just to be thinned ..... I have given away lots buckets of Shasta Daisies and still have more... to "re-home".
It looks so much better and I am wishing I had done this sooner.. like at least 5 years ago.

PurplePassion

Most of my yard is flower beds. I have lived here for 16 years, and did a few at a time. I tilled the grass under; but now it is growing back up and hard to clean out of there. I even used landscape fabric and wood chips, but that was a waste of money. I would like to redo the beds but my old body doesn't make it easy. And my kids sugguest spraying the whole thing with Roundup! I have alot of beautiful plants , it's just the weeds and grass that needs to go. So I guess it will stay as is.

Dakota Girl

I have had wonderful luck with dividing dug up plants. Be careful of the roots, gently untangle them and then replant with a bit of compost. We have a Gardenia that was separated in this way and when all was said and done it divided into eleven
separate plants, all loaded with buds.

lindy-2

im a landscaper and have ripped out many over grown perennial gardens (it can be a big job). if your realy tired of your garden and the budget alows i would remove anything you dont realy love and give them to someone who would like to have them.Then update and add compost/new soil. less is more in garden design now. and a stunning focal point can go along way. just my 2cents worth. happy gardening

MaryMo

I am fortunate to have an aging perennial and herb gardens. My yard is small too. I do a little bit each year .... thinning and sharing and adding new plants. It's been fun trading and exchanging with others. My sage and mint have been especially fragrant this spring - to my superb satisfaction. I think my garden and yard have integrity.

butterflywing

i find that my garden needs different attention for different plants every year. the coneflowers have to be split almost every year, the stonecrop every 3 - 4 years, the mint every year, the chives every other year, the astilbes every 3 - 4 years, the bleeding hearts never, the roses only need to be trimmed back and so on. i only have strips along the house, but they're thickly planted to keep down the weeds. and i do aerate the soil and compost . this year i took the plunge and *gasp* bought a composter at costco. i was tired of seeing a pile of kitchen garbage in a corner of my yard.
when i started i thought that i would plant and be done. nope! perennial just means they come back if they survive the winter. sometimes it means that the second year i don't like them anymore. then i swap them out. as you go, you learn what you want to feed the deer and squirrels, how much water you want to use, how important flowers are as opposed to year-round greenery and such. i made lots of changes in 30 years and now that a 70 - 80-foot pine was removed, we have lots of sun. more roses are coming in!!! and maybe grapes. does anyone have grapes??
but yes! the garden needs care every year. sorry about that. for me too.

mumzer

I have a very old flower bed.It was my grandmothers and still blooming(at least 65 years). I don't dare touch her plants but I have added to the bed.

bluteddi

I inhereited a old pereninal garden when I moved to this house.... As I have medicall issues, I opted to slowly redo... I dig and divide a few things each each, totally dig out and get rid of a few and add smoething new each year.. this is year 3 and it's looking great.. I add a few annuals scattered about to give a freshness as well......

DogHouseMom

Gardens are ever evolving life forms. They will never look the same as they did the year before. Some plants will look better, some worse, and some won't come back at all - and sometimes - plants move all by themselves (my Lilly of the valley "walked" about 20' from the patch and started a new colony - squirrels are a possible culprit).

If left to their own devices, you'll find that the plants that are more indigenous to your area will thrive and multiple and choke out other plants. The same will hold true for "natural" plants (those that have not been "bred" for color, size, longevity - etc).

We watch our gardens to see what thrives and what needs assistance. We tend to favor plants that will thrive better on their own, even to the point of taking over other plants. We no longer work extra hard to keep plants that need a lot of TLC (I'm done digging up Canna and Gladiola every year and storing them indoors - if they can't survive the Chicago winter then oh well). We dig up and divide or move at least one small area of the garden every year. There are some plants we would love to get rid of (Ferns), and 3 years later just when you think you've succeeded - up they pop again.

We are very fortunate though, we get our plants free of charge being in the horticultural business. We attend trade shows every year and get free stock (usually 1-2 years before they are offered to the public), and we also visit customers in their greenhouses and more often than not they send us home with "stuff". So we've had ample opportunity to see what works, and what doesn't. There are SOOO many plants we would love to be able to keep, and have tried, but they seem to last 2 years and "poof".

chris_quilts

@ Lori S: I finally found someone who wanted shasta daisies this year so gave away a huge clump of them which left a smaller, but still large, to divide up and replant. I did that and it looks good but the darned things are space hogs. Am hoping that when my friends move, they will want some shasta daisies as well as some bee balm and irises.