Cypress Gardening Tips

For many of the residents in our area, gardening comes as second nature. However, for some of us, Mother Nature’s green thumb is a trial and error effort. In hopes of making this easier for those of us without the natural insight towards plants and flowers, here are a few tips we hope will be helpful. Listed below are some of the more common perennials, and some tips on when to plant and how to care for them.

Flowering perennials represent a large group of garden plants. Their common characteristic is that their roots persist from year to year. Perennials are suitable for many locations, and can easily be incorporated with annual flowers and Perennials with similar cultural requirements are grouped into plantings, known as rock gardens, bog gardens, or the perennial flower border.

Baby’s Breath (Gypsophila paniculata) grows to be 18-30 inches and blooms June-July. Color ranges from white to pink, and it requires full sun and a well-drained area. e best soil to grow Baby’s Breath is loam, which means any well-kept garden ts into this category. Often, it is best to add organic matter to help develop a good loam. Add one-third organic matter and one-third sand to one-third soil by volume. Baby’s Breath is easy to grow. Avoid acidic soil, and add lime if needed.

Chrysanthemum (Dendranthema hybrids) are beautiful flowers that grow between 10-36 inches in height. They bloom from July until frost and range in a variety of colors, including white, pink, red, orange, lavender, and violet. They require full sun and a well-drained area. Varieties determine the growth. Pinch the tips of tall types in early summer to promote ‘bushiness’.

The Forget-Me-Not (Myosotis scorpioides) is a smaller perennial ranging in height from 6-9 inches. It blooms in April-June and the color is blue. Semi-shade is required for the Forget-Me-Not and a moist to well-drained area is advised.

The Dwarf Iris (Iris pumila) is a small flower growing in heights of 3-5 inches. It blooms in April, and the colors are red, yellow, blue, and white. It withstands full sun, but a well-drained area is best suited for this perennial. This flower is excellent for edging in a bed or border, but it MUST be divided every three years.

The German Iris (Iris germanica) is a 12-36 inch flower that blooms April- June, with color varieties of blue, violet, red, pink, white, yellow, lavender, and orange. is too requires full sun and a well-drained area - it is an easy to grow variety!

The Japanese Iris (Iris Kaempferi) is an 18-36 inch variety that blooms May- June. It has colors of blue, white, yellow, lavender and pink. It is good in a moist to well-drained area in full sun to semi-sun. is variety likes rich soil, and it is important to never let it dry out.

The Oxeye Daisy (Chrysanthemum leucanthemum) is a variety that grows 10-18 inches and blooms May-July. This flower sports a white flower that needs full sun in a well-drained area, and is a common wildflower, easy to grow and it tolerates poor soil.

The Painted Daisy (Chrysanthemum coccineum) is a larger daisy, growing to be 12-24 inches in height. This flower blooms in June-July and comes in hues of pink, red and white. Requiring full sun and a well-drained home, this daisy will not tolerate wet soils and must be replanted every three years.

One of my personal favorites, the Peony (Paeonia hybrids) is an 18-36 inch flower that blooms May-June in white, pink and red. This beautiful plant needs full sun to semi-sun and a well-drained area. Transplant this perennial in late September and plant 2-3 inches apart in deep, rich soil.

The Sweet Pea (Lathyrus latifolius) is a very tall variety that grows from 60-96 inches in height. It blooms June-August and is pink, red, or white. It needs full sun, to semi-sun and a moist, well-drained, or even dry, area. is is a very easy flower to grow. It may, however, crowd out other plants.

The Violet (Viola) is a 6-8 inch plant, blooming in April-May. It is available in violet, lavender, white and yellow varieties. This plant needs full sun to semi-sun in a moist to well-drained home. The violet develops a dense mat and reseeds easily. Good Gardening!