http://www.hgtvgardens.com/perennials/15-perennials-you-cant-kill
Discover tough-as-nails perennials you don’t need a green thumb to grow http://www.hgtvgardens.com/perennials/15-perennials-you-cant-kill Shasta Daisy (Leucanthemum x superbum) A daisy is a classic, beloved flower, and Shasta daisy tames the wild part of this beauty to make it a solid garden performer. Choose shorter varieties like ‘Snowcap’ to prevent flopping and avoid staking. Clip spent blooms to extend the flower show for months. Combines well with: daylily, rudbeckia and catmint. Hardy in Zones 4 to 9. ‘Perry’s Blue’ Siberian Iris (Iris sibirica ‘Perry’s Blue’) Siberian iris brings on the color in spring, with flowers lingering about 4 weeks. Site in full sun to part shade and in various soil types, from dry, to boggy, to clay. Dry soils result in shorter plants. Let seedheads remain for winter interest. Combines well with: daylily, shasta daisy and roses. Hardy in Zones 3 to 9. Bee Balm (Monarda didyma) Bee balm blooms stage floral fireworks in the garden. Blossoms resemble pincushions and beckon many pollinators, including butterflies, hummingbirds and bees. Flowers best in full sun but you still get a show in part shade. Combines well with: purple coneflower, Shasta daisy and rudbeckia. Hardy in Zones 3 to 9. Ostrich Fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris) Feathery leaves fill part to full shade with beautiful green texture. Ostrich ferns do spread aggressively when happy; use care siting it near cherished plants. Combines well with: hosta, sweet woodruff or spring wildflowers, like trillium or trout lily. Hardy in Zones 3 to 9. ‘Stella de Oro’ Daylily (Hemerocallis ‘Stella de Oro’) Golden lily-type flowers punctuate a mound of strappy leaves. This is a reblooming daylily, so you can expect blossoms to open all season long. Full sun coaxes the most flowers to form. Combines well with: Siberian iris, purple coneflower and bee balm. Hardy in Zones 3 to 9. Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) Purplish-pink petals dangle around an orange-brown central spiky cone. Bees, butterflies and hummingbirds visit these flowers. Cut blossoms for bouquets. Combines well with: bee balm, toadlily, Siberian iris and Russian sage. Hardy in Zones 3 to 8. ‘Gold Standard’ Hosta (Hosta ‘Gold Standard’) Broad oval leaves bring on the color with deep green edges skirting lighter green centers. Leaf centers fade to gold during summer. This hosta tolerates dry soil better than other hostas. Combines well with astilbe, sweet woodruff and ferns. Hardy in Zones 3 to 9. Lily-of-the-Valley (Convallaria majalis) Celebrate spring with the dainty white bells of lily-of-the-valley. These perfumed blooms hold up well in the garden or vase. Tuck into part to full shade for a deer-resistant show. Combines well with: ostrich fern, toad lily and sweet woodruff. Hardy in Zones 2 to 7. ‘Goldsturm’ Rudbeckia (Rudbeckia fulgida ‘Goldsturm’) This classic bloomer opens bright yellow daisies with dark brown to black centers. Spreads easily, giving you plenty of flowers to enjoy in the garden or vase. Pollinators visit blossoms, followed by birds that come to feast on seeds. Combines well with: Siberian iris, catmint and Shasta daisy. Hardy in Zones 3 to 10. Toadlily (Tricyrtis hirta) Exotic orchid-like blooms appear on plants in autumn and continue to open until frost. Plants are sturdy, withstanding full shade and clay soil. Deer leave these bloomers alone. Plants can spread aggressively when happy. Site them accordingly. Combines well with: hosta, astilbe and ostrich fern. Hardy in Zones 4 to 8. Daffodil (Narcissus hybrids) Greet spring with the cheery yellow flowers of daffodils. These easy-grows-it bulbs last for years in the garden. Critters leave both bulbs and blooms alone, and clumps spread over time. Look for varieties with pink, orange and white flowers. Combines well with: lily-of-the-valley, Siberian iris and Shasta daisy. Hardy in Zones 3 to 8. Catmint (Nepeta hybrids) Edge your garden with a flounce of gray-green leaves topped with spikes of lavender blooms. The flowers start in spring on this perennial and don’t stop until fall. Clip stems midsummer to keep them in bounds. Pollinators love catmint, while deer and rabbits leave it alone. Many varieties are available in different sizes. Combines well with: daylily, Shasta daisy and bee balm. Hardy in Zones 3 to 8. Mint (Mentha hybrids) Bright green leaves packed with minty fragrance and flavor make this perennial herb a welcome refreshment. Gather leaves for culinary use or simply enjoy brushing by them in the garden. Mint can spread aggressively. Take steps to contain this rambling beauty. Explore the many varieties available to find different leaf flavors and colors, along with different plant sizes. Combines well with: ostrich fern, bee balm and daffodils. Hardy in Zones 5 to 9. Goldenrod (Solidago hybrids) Goldenrod explodes in autumn with bright yellow blooms. The floral fireworks attract pollinators aplenty, making this a good choice for wildlife gardens. Plants spread by underground stems. Simply pull them when they wander beyond their bounds. The variety ‘Fireworks’ has a tidy size that suits smaller gardens. Combines well with: toad lily, catmint and Siberian iris. Hardy in Zones 4 to 8. Bishop’s Weed (Aegopodium podagraria ‘Variegatum’) Variegated green and white leaves create an eye-catching edging to planting beds in full sun to full shade. Lacy white flowers appear above the mound of foliage from late spring to early summer. This plant spreads by underground stems. It’s nearly impossible to kill, since the smallest piece of root generates a new plant. Combines well with: bee balm, rudbeckia and daffodils. Hardy in Zones 4 to 9.
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Are your tomato plants not getting enough drainage? Follow these steps on growing tomatoes in a raised bed. http://www.hgtv.com/design/outdoor-design/landscaping-and-hardscaping/how-to-grow-tomatoes-in-a-raised-bed
Materials and Tools: water topsoil edging material flour tomato plants compost cow manure vegetable-safe fertilizer mulch garden hose spade tiller tomato cages spading fork hard rake Steps: 1. Choose a site for the raised bed that's level and free of debris. Select a well-draining spot that's close to a water source and receives at least eight hours of direct sun daily. 2. Remove sod and use a tiller to turn and loosen the soil. If the ground is very hard and there isn't access to a tiller, use a spading fork to break up the soil. Deeply rooted plants to be planted in the raised bed will need to penetrate the soil below. 3. Create an outline of the raised bed with the edging material or even flour from the kitchen. Calculate the estimated volume of soil needed for the project by measuring the length times the width times the depth of the raised bed; the bed should be at least 12" deep to give the roots room to grow and allow for proper drainage. Lumber, cinderblocks or stone can be used as edging materials. They're heavy enough to keep a raised bed in place for a long time, and they can be inexpensive or free. The only cost may be the time and effort required to move them into place. 4. The soil is the key ingredient to a successful raised vegetable bed. Get enough topsoil to fill the estimated depth of the raised bed. Since tomatoes are heavy feeders and prefer a rich, organic soil, mix in two- to three-inch layers of compost and cow manure to the top one-third of the topsoil. Rake the soil smooth. 5. Tomatoes can be deeply planted since roots can form along the length of the stems. Plant them at 18- to 24-inch spacing. Don't worry about letting the plants lean to one side; in a few days, they straighten up on their own. Water tomatoes regularly to avoid blossom-end rot, which is caused when the soil is allowed to dry out. Keep the soil moist but not soggy, and regularly feed plants with vegetable-safe or 10-10-10 fertilizer according to the label recommendations. Apply a two- to three-inch layer of mulch around the base of the plants. Tip: As tomato plants start growing, they'll need to be staked for support. Use wooden stakes, cages or wire supports to train tomatoes. Mix crops with flowers for a productive and beautiful flowering landscape. Many vegetable plants and herbs are beautiful in their own right. - See more at: http://www.hgtvgardens.com/vegetable-garden/design-a-classic-produce-garden#sthash.9BDiuIuz.dpuf You might start off with a few potted herbs or an annual crop of greenhouse tomatoes, but “growing your own” soon becomes addictive. Happily, there is a wealth of ingenious options for making even a small plot productive.
Mixing crops into flower borders, English-garden style, is useful if you don’t have a dedicated vegetable plot, and certain leafy crops are just as good-looking as they are flavorful. Runner beans produce delicate flowers, and the blooms and fruits of apples, cherries, and strawberries are as attractive as any grown for ornament. Red currants, followed by the autumn foliage of blueberries, also create eye-catching displays. Kitchen and formal knot gardens are dramatic, and even raised beds with decorative edging can make a statement. Maximize your culinary space by training fruit against walls, and by growing vines and climbing vegetables against a trellis. In a courtyard or patio garden many crops can be grown in pots or hanging baskets. Break up expanses of green with a line of purple cabbages and a colorful border of flowers. Key Design Elements for a Productive Garden
Looking for a way to make your kitchen garden as beautiful as it is useful? These examples of beautiful edible gardens will inspire you. - See all 23 kitchen gardens at: http://www.hgtvgardens.com/edible/23-gorgeous-kitchen-gardens#sthash.w1IoMoes.dpuf
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