Tuesday, September 30

Perennial Cleaning...


This morning the flower beds were
shouting for attention...
I needed a bit of break from painting~
So I gathered up the shears, small rake
and our sweet lab & began chopping.

I can always tell when the perennial beds
need to be replanted~
Our mums don't come back strong and
full...they tend to send a sprig up
here and there.
Cutting down the peonies, iris, ever-blooming
geraniums, black eyed susans &
purple coneflowers~ there popped out a
few sweet little mums!
I finished up one bed & then went back for
the mums...bringing them in for a
few sweet arrangements~

Thought I'd share this one with you~
Hope you have a great day!

5 comments:

Nola said...

Do you cut your mums back? I had some for years, and I would keep cutting them back, rather severely, until mid July, then let them grow and they always bloomed beautifully! Just the other day, I bough mums for my new beds here; I hope they make it from year to year, too.

Michelle Palmer said...

Everyone up here has a different opinion on that...
Last year I pinched the tops off in late spring...come fall~ it didn't have any more blossoms than the one right next to it that I didn't pinch. I think I actually had less on the one I "pinched." I do cut them down every fall after flowering...the are typically under snow from late Nov. early Dec. through Feb./March thaws.
Mine come back for 3-4 years...by then the soil is so poor from our maple trees I have to turn the beds out...add compost, peat & manure...replant & mulch well.
:)
I hope yours are fabulous!

Anonymous said...

We had some mums years ago that came back for about 2 years and rather pitifully at that. Then gone! I gave up trying to plant them.

Michelle, what does your lil lab do to help with the gardening? Besides bring muddy lil paws in the house! Love those pets of ours! :-) Muddy paws and all!

Diane

Michelle Palmer said...

She gets all mud.
She stiffs out chipmunks.
She gets even more muddy~
But every now & again she comes nearby and snuggles, says hi, and then finds more mud.
:)

Debra said...

Hi Michelle!
What nice pictures-isn't gardening a great way to take a break?
We have too many flower beds, and they are a bit haphazard looking right now-
I guess I had very grand ideas when I started out with this property when we bought it 17 years ago. I didn't figure on getting older and not being able to keep up with it! I'll be 54 soon-and I just love being the age I am-and I have no complaints really. I'm very blessed with good health. But many flower beds make much work!!
Love, Debra