I have been working with perennials for only 2-3 years and every fall I look for my notes on what to dig or prune when. I haven’t had time to learn it yet. Some things need to be removed before frost, and some, on the contrary, after. Finally, I compiled this cheat sheet.
Gladioli
When: We dig early varieties on a fine day, 4-6 weeks after cutting (or after they bloom), late varieties - 6-7 weeks. If the peduncle is released too late, then it is better to cut it in advance, at least a month before digging. It will bloom successfully in a vase at your home.
Fig.1. These gladioli did not even think of blooming on September 5, when I brought them home. But that's what happened on September 10th. And so they bloomed until the 22nd!
How: We dig dark-colored and bluish varieties first; they have less resistance to fungal diseases. Carefully dig it up with a shovel, put it in a bucket, and then pre-cut it 3-4 cm from the neck. Lastly, we remove what has grown from the children planted in the spring.
Rice. 2. In order not to lose the children from the main bulb, we put the trimmed ones in a basin.
To rinse or not: I definitely wash it at home in running water. I throw away the affected bulbs. If the variety is valuable and there are traces of thrips, you can try pickling it in an insecticide solution. If the leaves were “suspicious” before digging, you can apply fungicides. And healthy specimens can be placed in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for half an hour.
Rice. 3. I cut the neck again, because the house is cleaner and the processing conditions are better than at the dacha. I also chik the roots a little.
To dry or not: Of course, you can dry it at room temperature. I periodically inspect it for about two months and turn it over. The varieties should be signed, but I always forget.
: if during storage any onion gets sick, you can cut off the infected area with a clean knife and cover it with brilliant green. But it is better to store only the most beautiful healthy onions, otherwise they will re-infect each other. And, of course, we separate the old onion along with the roots. If you wish, you can paraffinize the material before storage - dip it in molten paraffin for a couple of seconds. In the spring they don’t clean it off, they plant it right in this spacesuit. It seems that gladioli are stored better this way, but I haven’t tried it. I do not separate the neck and old peel, because of this the bulbs will dry out.
Where to store: I tried storing it in the pantry at home, in an ordinary cardboard box, sprinkled with ash, but not all survived until spring. But they are stored better in the refrigerator, and without the hassle of ash. Only the box should be ventilated and made of thin cardboard, not thick. It can also be stored in a cellar if the temperature there is stable and does not drop below 2 degrees in severe frosts.
Winter care: I examine at least once a month for fungal diseases, or, more simply, for mold. If a gray mold coating appears, then you need to dry the room or ventilate it, and add vermiculite or silica gel to the boxes. Wipe the diseased onions with something alcoholic, dry them, and put them back.
Dahlias
When: There is no need to rush with cleaning: as soon as the first light frosts touch the leaves, we dig them out within three days. This way the tubers will ripen better. I don’t prune the main trunk in advance, because I need to remove moisture from the cut, cover it with foil from the rain, and I’m too lazy. In 3-4 weeks you need to stop feeding, make sure that the roots are not washed away by rain, and hill up if necessary.
Fig 4. Dahlia variety Procyon a month before digging
How: You can dig on a rainy day. Step back from the bush, carefully dig around it, then pull it out. Remove excess soil with your hands rather than with a shovel, as the neck of the tuber is very fragile after removal. It is better to fold and take away not immediately, but to dry it for at least a couple of hours, then the neck of the tubers will become limp after a while and will not break during transportation and processing. You need to leave 8-10 cm of the stem. Don't be afraid to damage the roots.
To rinse or not: at the dacha you can rinse it with a stream from a hose, and at home again, more thoroughly, under the tap. Leave to harden the skin for 4-5 days.
Rice. 5. I dry dahlia tubers on the windowsill near the open window.
Processing before storage: The tubers, in an amicable way, need to be divided. But, since I don’t cut off the stem in advance, thereby giving a start to the growth of new eyes, I don’t divide them, I store them in groups. And then, if you don’t leave a piece of the neck with the buds, then in the spring they won’t germinate. That's why I don't take risks, especially since the eyes are completely invisible. All I do is cut the stem as low as possible, wipe the knife with alcohol after each cut, remove the top small tubers - they are not ripe anyway, as well as all the branches of the roots. After this, you need to rinse again and cut the ends of the tubers. The cuts should not be brown. A rusty cut is a sign of damage, then we cut it higher. If more than half of the tuber remains, it will go for storage. Treat by immersion in a fungicide solution for 15 minutes. You can add insecticides. If a tuber floats on the surface of the solution, throw it away; it means it won’t survive until spring. If you drowned, good. After the processing time has expired, we take it out, mark the variety, and lay it out on cotton material.
Should I dry now or not?: a day or a little longer.
Where to store: in a cellar or refrigerator in conditions of sufficient humidity, temperature not lower than 3 degrees. Place the tuber in a bag with vermiculite or large sawdust and close it loosely. Again, you can wax the whole tubers, but I haven’t tried it. This winter I want to try storing it in a cardboard box, layered with crumpled newspapers.
Winter care: the main thing is not to allow the temperature to be warm, otherwise the dahlias will begin to grow, and this will weaken them. Maintain air humidity. In the refrigerator it is already high, but in the cellar - measure and adjust. Otherwise, the tubers will shrink and become unusable. Well, of course, no one canceled the monthly inspection for rot. We separate the parts that begin to rot and throw them away.
This year I tried to dig up annual dahlias. Some of the tubers turned out to be good, large, I hope that at least half will survive. In general, it is believed that dahlias are the most capricious in winter storage, since they need to constantly maintain a certain air humidity.
Rice. 6 Small tubers of annual dahlias obtained from seeds
Lilies
When: after the first frost, when the foliage dries up, giving all its strength to the corm.
How: cut the trunk at a distance of 7-8 cm from the ground. Take care of the scales and do not tear off the roots!
To rinse or not: very carefully, without damaging the scales.
To dry or not: If you can provide a temperature of 15-20 degrees, then you can dry it. Otherwise, it is better not to rinse, but only to clean the soil manually.
Processing before storage: sprinkle with fungicide powder, cover with vermiculite, place in a cardboard box with holes so that the corms do not touch each other.
Where to store: in the cellar, basement, refrigerator, but only at a temperature of 0 or even -2 degrees.
Winter care: if the scales and roots begin to shrink and dry out, you can sprinkle them with water. Mold can be removed with a strong solution of potassium permanganate.
What if you don’t dig it up? There are Asian hybrids, mostly old ones, known to everyone by their appearance, with which you can avoid all this fuss.
However, you also need to take extra care for them: hill up higher to drain the melt water. Then, until the snow appears, keep the plantings covered with film, and after the soil freezes, remove it and mulch it with a thick layer of straw or at least cover it with spruce branches. Oriental hybrids overwinter in soil worse. Therefore, when purchasing, you need to write down the name of the lily. In the spring, you need to remove the mulch as early as possible so that slugs do not appear under it, which can eat the stem that has begun to grow.
Do I need to prune perennial flowers for winter?
Perennials- peonies, phlox, irises and many others - are very well adapted to mild climate conditions. They are winter-hardy, but precautions must still be taken: plants may die not from the cold, but from damping off. If the soil is overly moistened, plant roots suffer from a lack of oxygen. Under such conditions, the plant may die.
The most unfavorable conditions for preserving plant life in winter are positive air temperatures: snow falls on unfrozen ground. It needs to be loosened so that the onset of frost can reach the soil and freeze it.
Hasty covering of roses when the ground is not yet covered with a crust of ice can also lead to damping off. Insulation with improvised materials must be carried out when the soil is frozen to 3-5 centimeters, after the first strong autumn frosts.
If the air temperature drops to minus 35-40°C and the snow cover is low, this can lead to freezing even of very resistant plants: irises, phlox, peonies, daffodils, delphiniums, lilies, hyacinths, tulips. They are also badly affected by sudden changes in temperature. At least light insulation is necessary: peat, humus. Biennials often die - Turkish carnation, forget-me-nots, pansies, daisies, mallow, and bluebells. Insulating these plants, among other things, protects them from mouse infestation.
Unfavorable conditions for wintering plants are created if they have not completed the growth phase before the onset of frost. Care in the second half of summer should be aimed at full maturation of the plants. Give preference to phosphorus-potassium rather than nitrogen nutrition, limit watering. Following these recommendations will help prepare your plants for winter.
For the central zone of the European part of Russia, the optimal time for pruning peony stems is the second ten days of September. Later pruning threatens rotting of the rhizome.
In some plants, such as cornflower, pyrethrum, doronicum, cornflowers of all types, and oriental poppy, only the wilted parts need to be cut off, and the green leafy rosettes should be left until winter.
Regarding pruning hydrangeas, then, first of all, you need to know what type of hydrangea you planted.
Hydrangea paniculata flowers appear on the shoots of the current year, so its branches are shortened by two-thirds, but not in autumn, but in early spring, in April. At the same time, sanitary cleaning is carried out. Only strong shoots are left, and not many at that. If paniculate hydrangea is not pruned annually, it grows quickly and practically stops blooming.
In tree hydrangea, spherical inflorescences appear on last year's shoots. In the fall, all inflorescences are removed from the bushes, and in the spring the stems are shortened 1-2 cm above the large swollen buds. Annuals leave 3-5 buds. Frozen shoots are cut back to healthy wood, and weak ones and those growing inside the bush are removed entirely.
Any hydrangea begins to be pruned no earlier than 2-3 years of age.
Perennial flowers in the garden photos and names, what garden flowers to plant in the country
Perennial flowers in the garden: photos and names, what garden flowers to plant in the country
On this page you can see photos and names of perennial flowers for the garden and read their descriptions.
Astilbe(Astilbe sp.) is valuable for its flowering in the second half of summer, and, of course, for its unpretentiousness. Planted once and forgotten for several years, only in the spring you need to cut off the inflorescences. In spring - because in winter dry plumes also decorate the garden. Astilbes grow and divide without problems. With watering, these perennial garden flowers also grow in the sun, but it is better to plant them in partial shade.
Helenium autumn(Helenium autumnale). The name of these perennial garden flowers says it all: heleniums bloom in the fall, echoing the shades of other autumn-flowering plants. The ocher and yellow tones are magnificent and the blooms are long lasting. This flower is extremely unpretentious, it is easy to divide at any time of the year, even in bloom.
Goryanka red and Colchis(Epimedium x rubrum, E. colchicum). Now there is a “horny weed” boom in the West, and soon there will be a great variety of varieties on the market. But these two - a species and a hybrid - have been tested a long time ago and have settled firmly in gardens.
It is difficult to imagine the best ground cover plant for planting under the canopy of trees: they grow slowly, but indomitably, gradually crowding out weeds. And spring blooms are full of captivating elegance. By constant division and resettlement you can create sustainable beautiful carpets.
You can divide and replant mountain weeds throughout the season, although, of course, it is preferable in the very early spring.
Dicentra is magnificent(Dicentra spectabilis). When “broken hearts” (its popular name) bloom, you can’t pass by.
Look at the photo - the name of these garden perennial flowers is quite justified, they are truly magnificent:
And the graphics of the shoots, and the whimsically dissected leaves, and the “heart” shaped pink flowers - everything about it is perfect! And for all that, the plant is completely unpretentious and winter-hardy. Occasionally it self-sows; it can also be propagated by division. Will grow anywhere there is enough moisture.
Creeping tenacious ‘Burgundy Glow’(Ajuga reptans ‘Burgundy Glow’). As the name of these perennial garden flowers suggests, the tenacious plant actually “crawls” around the site. However, what a color! And there is no need for flowering, foliage replaces it. Ideal for filling spaces in full sun with adequate watering.
As you can see in the photo, these perennial garden flowers go well with plants with light foliage:
Siberian iris(Iris sibirica) is simple and irreplaceable. Who else will give such graphics of sword-shaped, upward-pointing leaves? And the flowers are good, and there are a lot of them when the bush has grown. It grows in any place where it is not completely dry and poor. All varieties are suitable for the middle zone.
Bellflower peach(Campanula persicifolia) is unpretentious. It reproduces a little by self-sowing, grows well, and divides easily. And it blooms long and profusely. Its white-flowered form also deserves attention. Sun, partial shade, drier or wetter - this bell doesn’t care.
Day-lily(Hemerocalls). Not everything is simple with this crop, but there are species and varieties, mostly nameless, that are already firmly established in gardens. These are perennial garden flowers, which are suitable even for inexperienced gardeners. They are unpretentious and bloom profusely, however, their flowers are not as attractive as in the pictures of new varietal varieties. Unnamed “saffron milk caps” will delight you for years and will not cause any trouble, while expensive purchases most often disappoint, as they are designed for a warmer climate. “Folk” daylilies can grow both in the sun and in partial shade, in relatively dry places and even on the shore of a natural reservoir, adjacent to other plants in yellow-orange tones or neutral greens. You can divide and replant them without problems at any time, even in bloom.
Lily saranka(Lilium martagon) and its varieties. Well, in fact: winter hardiness without question, durability too. They grow well in ordinary garden loam. They can live in the sun, but you will have to pay attention to watering, or better yet in partial shade, where other lilies are unlikely to agree to grow.
These are plants for admiring flowering: tall, human-sized, candles with dozens of turban-shaped flowers. And the fruits then look quite impressive.
Pay attention to the photo - these perennial garden flowers can be planted among lower perennials without interfering with them at all:
Bows(Allium sp.). It is difficult to choose a favorite in this group of plants. The undoubted beauty of onions is that most are not just edible, but tasty.
For example, Chives(Allium schoenoprasum) is widely grown in gardens for early greenery. It grows in clumps and regrows earlier than others in the spring. But it also blooms beautifully and profusely! Benefit and beauty, two in one.
It behaves similarly Cheremsha (Bear onion-Allium ursinum, Victory bow- A. victorialis). These are early vitamin greens and carpet flowering. These onions grow in separate bulbs and self-sow abundantly. It is more suitable for them to grow under the canopy of trees, and chnittu - in lighted places. No maintenance required at all.
The most beautiful perennial flowers for the garden and their photos
Soft cuff(Alchemilla mollis) is an amazing ground cover plant. We are accustomed to using beautiful flowering or decorative leafy plants in the garden, but all this requires a background to highlight the beauty. A cuff is such an ideal background. Although it is beautiful in itself and can be used as a flowering plant. The leaves of these perennial flowers for the garden and cottage are incredibly elegant, especially in the morning in the dew they look like lace. Abundant flowering, albeit with yellow-green flowers, is also beautiful. The cuff doesn’t care where it grows, it grows steadily and not aggressively, and goes well with almost all garden flowers. It can be divided and replanted at any time of the gardening season.
Oriental hellebore(Helleborus orientalis). Surprisingly, this almost weed is still considered a rarity in our country. But given its beauty and speed of reproduction, it simply must move into the category of ordinary garden plants! There are a lot of varieties of these beautiful perennial flowers for the garden - double, different shades, spotted. Hellebores bloom very early, right from under the snow, and for a very long time.
More precisely, what seems to us to be petals (but in fact these are sepals) remains on the plant after the formation of the ovaries. But why such details? The main thing is that hellebores are beautiful and incredibly simple. You just need to have a little patience with them, like many other long-lived plants, they slowly grow and take root. But a year or two, and you are guaranteed a wonderful spring bouquet!
Oriental hellebores are recommended to have partial shade (they do well under apple trees) and the absence of stagnant moisture. Their leaves persist in winter, but often lose their appearance. These plants are good in masses of one variety in combination with species with light foliage, then even after flowering a wonderful contrast is obtained. Hellebores are poisonous. But many garden plants are poisonous, and we don’t even know about it.
Peony(Paeonia) herbaceous. What is a Russian garden without it? This has long been part of garden culture. If peonies weren’t one of the most beautiful perennial flowers for the garden and easy to care for at the same time, they wouldn’t grow in literally every front garden.
Surprisingly, if the garden is sufficiently drained, and the soil is deeply cultivated and nutritious, you can grow any peonies - both varietal and species. Only the varietal ones require a sunny position, while the species require mostly partial shade somewhere at the edge of the forest. You can ask friends and neighbors for lushly blooming varieties, because peonies grow and sometimes still have to be divided and rejuvenated.
As shown in the photo, you can make a special corner of these beautiful perennial flowers in the garden by selecting varieties by color, or you can plant bushes separately as part of flower beds with neighbors with similar requirements:
Primrose fine-toothed(Primula denticulata). In general, there are a great variety of primroses, but if you choose one, then it is this species. Lilac, white, pink and red balloons in May are simply adorable! And it is a very stable species that is easy to divide and sow. You can plant these perennial flowers in the garden next to other garden plants, or at least with the same peonies.
Rudbeckia dissected(Rudbeckia laciniata), or golden ball. The image immediately appears in your head, right? Everyone knows this plant. Inconspicuous and gradually developing at the beginning of the season, in August-September it brings down a cascade of double yellow spherical flowers. Ideal for planting near a fence, as it rests on it. If you don’t yet know what perennial flowers to plant in your garden, be sure to pay attention to rudbeckia: it goes well with other autumn-flowering species like helenium. Rudbeckia is absolutely undemanding and reproduces by division.
Phlox paniculata(Phlox paniculata). This is definitely folk culture. This one of the best perennial flowers for the garden has hundreds (or already thousands?) of varieties and a deep history of domestic selection. Any variety is worthy of your garden, and if you approach it from a design point of view, then you just need to choose the one you need in terms of height and flower color. But this culture, and especially domestic old varieties, deserve more, perhaps even a small collection. Phloxes combine perfectly with each other in color; you can plant groups of 3 varieties in the same color scheme.
Phlox needs a lot of light, but not the hottest place in the garden, rich loam, but without stagnant moisture. They grow and are easy to divide; this even needs to be done every few years, since old bushes gradually grow out, bloom worse and may not even survive the winter.
Khosta(Hosta sp.). This is the case when you can say: plant any! All varieties are good; when using them in the garden, only relevance in the composition is important. There are hostas for sun (although most are for partial shade), huge and tiny, green, blue, yellow and multi-colored. Any place that is not completely dry, poor and hot, they will grow.
Here you can see a selection of photos of the most beautiful perennial flowers for the garden and cottage:
Bulbous and climbing perennial flowers for the garden (with photos)
Siberian Scilla(Scilla sibirica) is a cute garden bulbous weed that forms sky-blue clearings in the spring. Once you have planted its curtain in the garden, you will not get rid of it, and you will not want to: these plants do not bother anyone, do not drown out their neighbors, vegetate for a month in the spring, and then disappear. These perennial bulbous flowers for the garden reproduce by self-sowing, gradually occupying an increasingly larger area. Does not require anything (no digging, fertilizing, etc.) other than the initial autumn planting of the bulbs.
Haller's Corydalis(Corydalis hallerii) and Chionodoxa Lucilia(Chionodoxa luciliae) behave the same way. Once brought into the garden, they gradually spread throughout it, filling it with shades of blue, pink, white and lilac in the spring. This is what blooms first in the garden and goes well with each other.
These photos show bulbous perennial flowers for the garden and summer cottage:
Maiden grape five-leaf(Parthenocissus quinquefolla) is a very beautiful vine. Many people have a difficult relationship with these climbing perennial garden flowers: they grow too powerfully. But for a non-collection garden this is an indispensable plant. It grows anywhere and everywhere (unless the desert destroys it), quickly grows in mass, takes root instantly with cuttings and layering, does not freeze, and the autumn color is unparalleled. Maiden grapes are ideal for quickly populating trellises (only the trellises must be very strong) and creating sight-proof walls. Also suitable for a gazebo.
Clematis of the third pruning group(Clematis sp.). What kind of group is this, you ask? Some varieties of clematis bloom on last year's shoots and it is important to preserve them by constructing various types of shelters. They are also usually less winter-hardy. This is not our method. Those clematis that are suitable for us are those that grow new shoots from the rhizome every year (they belong to the 3rd pruning group, they also belong to the Viticella, Jacquemman and Integrifolia groups). All care for them is to remove the “tops” in the fall. They bloom in the second half of summer for a very long time (1-3 months depending on the variety). Plant in a sunny place without excessive moisture.
Look at the photo of climbing perennial flowers for the garden, grown in the middle zone:
There are a number of perennial flowers with which everything is simple. In mid-October, plants begin to prepare for winter. All flower stalks and leaves are cut off, leaving 5 to 10-15 cm of the above-ground part from the ground. 
These are herbaceous peony, hybrid irises, paniculate phlox, lilies, asters, delphiniums, aquilegia, sedum, cornflower, echinacea, rudbeckia, carnations, gypsophila, mallow, oregano, lemon balm and others. 
There is a group of flowering perennials from which only flowering shoots and damaged and diseased leaves are removed. Most of these plants can die if all their foliage is cut off. These include: garden lungwort, brunera, heuchera, astilbe, hybrid anemones and others. 
The foliage serves as an additional blanket for them. But the hosta leaves can be cut off at will. These plants come out of the ground late in spring and in most cases the leaves left turn into a rotting mass that cannot be removed without drying. 
They also require special attention to pruning clematis. Some varieties are cut off completely, others partially, and others are not touched at all. Therefore, when purchasing clematis, you should find out which pruning group the variety belongs to. 
Plants such as bergenia, liverwort, most ground cover sedums, saxifrage, awl-shaped phlox, and periwinkle do not require pruning.
After autumn pruning, all perennial flowers are mulched with organic matter and peat; if this is not possible, then it is enough to apply a little autumn fertilizer around the plants and cover them with earth. In any case, the flower beds need to be put in order. The autumn work carried out will save time in the new spring season.
Autumn work in the flower garden is different from summer. If throughout the warm season the gardener’s desire was to help his pets grow abundant green mass, extend the time period and improve the quality of flowering, then caring for flowers in the fall poses other tasks for us.
At the beginning of September, the weather and the length of the sunny day still allow the plants to fully bloom and develop. Moreover, such perennials as roses, dahlias, gladioli and chrysanthemums prefer the cool of the day to the heat.
Depending on the weather, you should either stop watering or water as needed once or twice a week. Water the roots with warm water in the first half of the day. Avoid moisture on the leaves to avoid rot. When entering winter, shed well once.
Feeding
In fertilizing, limit the amount of nitrogen, which is responsible for increasing mass, and introduce potassium and phosphorus fertilizers, which allow perennials to receive root nutrition and fully 
prepare for winter rest. It is rational to apply fertilizers no later than the first ten days of September, by incorporating them into the soil, followed by watering.
Autumn treatments
Important work in the autumn garden includes seasonal plant treatments: pruning and spraying. It's time to arm yourself with scissors and pruners. It is necessary to cut out all old, diseased, immature and thickened branches. In late autumn, treat with a 3% solution of iron sulfate (300 grams per 10 liters of water).
Working with perennials
From the beginning of September, it is time to prepare garden perennials for the next season. And if for some plants the work is limited to pruning and mulching, then for others a full cycle of care is required: digging, dividing, processing and replanting.
Autumn division of perennials
After the cessation of intensive growth, a favorable time comes for dividing the overgrown bushes
peonies, clematis, hosta, astilbe, phlox, daylilies, monarda, juveniles, aquilegias and delphiniums. Nests of lilies that are more than three years old can also be divided. It is worth considering that after transplantation, stable positive temperatures must remain for at least a month so that the plant takes root and survives the winter period painlessly. To improve rooting, it is recommended to apply special autumn fertilizers rich in phosphorus and potassium into planting holes. Rhizomatous plants should be buried to the depth of 3-4 cm, lilies to the height of three bulbs.
Digging up plants
At the end of August - beginning of September it is necessary to begin preparations for dahlias. To prevent damage to developing buds, you need to mound the dahlia stems high with soil. Gladioli, without waiting for complete flowering, prune.
After the first frost, when the dahlia flowers turn black, prune the bushes. Soak in the ground for up to a week (in rainy weather, cover the cuts with foil or polyethylene) until the buds bud, and dig up. Rinse the dug roots and corms with running water, cut off the old ones and discard diseased tubers. Soak for 30 minutes in a disinfectant solution, dry well before storing in the cellar. Cannas, callas and root begonias after digging are also stored in the cellar, but together with a lump of earth.
Chrysanthemums that do not winter in open ground should be transferred to a greenhouse or transplanted into pots and lowered into the cellar.
When choosing a place for seedlings, expect that the layer of snow cover should be sufficient to preserve the tender seedlings. Plants need to be planted in the soil, without burying the rosette in the ground, pressed tightly, and watered to allow the soil to settle and the roots to take an optimal position.
Removing annuals
When many annuals fade, it is often recommended to remove them from the site or burn them, but some flowers can serve even after wilting. For example, common marigold is a natural fungicide. When digging up beds in the fall for spring planting, you can embed marigolds into the soil, at the same time healing and improving its structure.
Autumn care for annual and perennial flowers, although essentially the same, differs in purpose. For garden annuals, we strive to extend the flowering period and their decorative value. For perennials, taking into account the vagaries of the weather, we create the prerequisites for a successful winter and high-quality flowering next season.
23 Sep 2016
Perennial flowers delight us with lush blooms and decorative greenery every summer. All garden perennials growing in our climate must have winter-hardy characteristics; some plants can easily overwinter without shelter at all, but there are also those that need to be carefully prepared and covered before the onset of cold weather.
In autumn, plant growth stops; in some herbaceous crops, the entire above-ground part dies off. Dried leaves and flower stems should be cut off in the fall to prevent fungal diseases from developing on them. There are rhizomatous perennials whose leaves remain green after frost, for example, hellebore, bergenia, and irises. The above-ground part of these plants cannot be completely cut off in the fall, since the wintering greenery in the spring is necessary for the plants to develop in the spring, and it will decorate the flower beds while all other plants have not yet woken up from hibernation.
Consists of several stages. First, perennials are pruned as necessary, then treated with fungicidal preparations to prevent the appearance of fungal diseases, mold and rot, and finally, the plants are insulated by mulching or installing a shelter. Read more about the most popular perennial flowers and their preparation for winter.
Photos and names of perennial garden flowers in alphabetical order:
Aquilegia or catchment pleased us with flowering in the summer, and until autumn the plant retained its delicate greenery. After the first frosts, the stems and leaves of the plant disappear; in October they are cut off almost to the ground, leaving 5-7 cm above the ground. Aquilegia can overwinter without shelter, but it is necessary to cover the exposed rhizome due to erosion of the soil after watering; for this, the bushes are sprinkled with humus, peat or plain soil.
Astilbe brilliant It grows in one place for 5-6 years without any problems. Young rooted plants can overwinter without shelter; in late autumn, the dried above-ground part of the plant is cut off and the rhizome is covered with a 5 cm layer of peat or humus. With age, the astilbe rhizome protrudes more and more onto the surface of the ground, while the renewal buds can freeze out. Old astilbe plantings must be additionally covered with dry leaves and foam on top so that the leaves are not damaged by precipitation.
Perennial asters They bloom until late autumn; September and October bushes are sometimes covered with the first snow. These flowers can withstand short-term cold snaps and snow, and with the thaw they will continue to bloom until real frost. When perennial asters have mostly faded, their stems are cut to the ground, leaving 5-10 cm stumps. It is better to cover perennials in dry weather. The rhizome of the plant is covered with humus, dry leaves and covered with spruce branches. Perennial asters can overwinter without shelter, but plants weakened by late flowering will produce fewer shoots next year.
Badan decorates a flower garden or alpine hill with leaves all year round. The rhizome of this plant overwinters well without shelter under a layer of snow. To prevent snow cover from being blown away by the wind on a hill, it is necessary to build barriers in the form of dry branches stuck in like a snow-retaining fence. For those who want to propagate bergenia, its seeds are sown before winter, then in the spring they will give vigorous shoots.
Heuchera It is also famous for its beautiful leaves that fall under the snow and remain until spring. Heuchera leaves cannot be cut off in the fall, then the plant will safely overwinter and quickly grow in the spring. Preparing heuchera for winter involves hilling the base of the bush, covering it with peat and humus. The top of varietal and hybrid plants can be covered with spruce branches, but the heuchera cannot be covered with dense material, since without air access the plant can dry out.
Helenium It blooms in late summer - early autumn and after the inflorescences have withered, the stems of the plant are cut off at a height of 5-10 cm. To prepare for winter, the cut bushes are covered with peat or humus so that the regeneration buds located close to the surface of the ground do not freeze out. In winter, snow is shoveled onto the flower garden; the larger the layer, the less severe frosts are scary for wintering perennials.
Delphinium It has high frost-resistant qualities and can withstand even winters with temperatures down to -50 degrees, but only under a thick layer of snow. Tall delphinium stems are cut at a height of 15-20 cm. Since the plant’s stems are hollow, water can get inside and the base of the plant rots, so the cut is covered with garden varnish or plasticine. If there is no snow and severe frosts are expected, then the place where the delphiniums grow is covered with dry leaves and covered with spruce branches.
Dicentra or broken heart flower completely fades by autumn in a sunny place, but in partial shade beautiful greenery can be preserved, then it is cut at a height of 5 cm from the base. For the winter, the rhizome of the plant is covered with mulch on the surface of the ground around the bush, with a layer of 5 cm.
Irises flowers (killer whales) have a tuberous rhizome that spreads across the surface of the earth. The iris rhizome has exceptional cold-resistant qualities, but a spring thaw during the day and frost at night can destroy the plant. Before the first frost, iris leaves are cut at a height of 15-20 cm, dead and dry parts are removed so that putrefactive diseases do not appear. For the winter, the bare rhizomes of irises are covered with sand, peat or plain soil to a height of 10 cm, leaving the leaves sticking out. It is impossible to cover irises with dry leaves or dry grass, as they will rot and the plants may dry out. To retain snow in open areas, dry branches are laid on the plants. In the spring, when the snow and top layer of soil thaw, the cover is removed and the layer is raked so that the iris tubers warm up in the spring sun.
Clematis gardeners love it for its luxurious flowering, but not all perennial clematis species have high winter-hardy qualities and require careful preparation for winter and shelter. Clematis is pruned depending on the group. Large-flowered clematis, which bloom on last year's shoots, are not cut to the ground, leaving stems 1-2 meters long. To prepare for winter, long stems are twisted into a ring, laid on a bed of dry leaves or sawdust, a frame is built on top, for example, a box is placed and covered with insulating bulk material, for example the same dry leaves or sawdust, covered with roofing felt or film on top to protect from moisture . It is necessary to carefully mulch the base of the clematis bush with humus or cover it with sawdust.
Small-flowered clematis are usually cut to the ground; their numerous shoots die off after frost, but the rhizome is quite winter-hardy and in the spring produces many new shoots that grow quickly and bloom in early summer. Clematis called "princelings" bloom on last year's shoots, but they can overwinter on a support without shelter.
Daylily - “the flower of the intellectual” requires virtually no maintenance in the fall. Only faded flower stalks need to be cut off, and the leaves should be removed after they have completely turned yellow. Released daylily varieties overwinter without shelter, but exotic hybrids or not yet fully rooted plants planted in the fall are recommended to be covered for the winter by covering them with humus, peat, dry leaves or spruce branches. Covering perennials should be done when the weather is stable and cool outside, otherwise, when the weather gets warmer, the covering materials and the plants themselves may begin to rot, and mold will form, which will continue to develop in early spring.
Peony It is well preserved in winter under a thick layer of snow. After the first frosts in October - November, the peony stems are cut at a height of 5 cm, by which time the rhizome will have already accumulated enough nutrients for growth in the spring. After pruning, the peony bush is covered with humus or peat to a height of 10 cm, while there is no snow, this shelter will protect the renewal buds on the rhizome from the first frosts. In spring, most of the mulch is raked away from the bush.
Roses not as sissies as many people think. Roses can bloom even at zero temperatures; you should not rush to cover them, as the shoots may begin to become moldy under the insulation. Roses are pruned and covered for the winter no earlier than the second half of October. Roses from the hybrid tea group are pruned, leaving branches with 1-2 buds from the ground, floribunda and polyantha roses are pruned above 4-6 buds, and the shoots of climbing roses must be preserved completely. Hybrid tea roses with short pruning are easier to cover; the base of the bushes is covered with earth, while the top layer of soil should already be frozen so that the root collar does not freeze. The top of the plant is covered with sawdust and shavings, and the top is covered with a bucket or box to protect it from moisture. Above roses with high pruning, it is necessary to build a frame, bend the shoots as much as possible to the ground, and wrap them with roofing felt. Climbing roses are removed from the support, laid on a mat, covered with insulation and covered with acrylic in several layers.
Rudbeckia "golden flower" bright and unpretentious perennial. In the fall, just before the frost, cut off the stems of the plant at the root, cover the top with compost or soil.
Perennial phlox require minimal preparation for winter, paniculate phlox's stems are cut to the ground, and a bucket of humus is poured onto the bush to protect the rhizome from frost while there is no snow.
