Keeping my perennial garden healthy and growing

by kbean

Gardening In Progress

Gardening Journey Overview

Follow this step-by-step gardening journey to see real progress updates, challenges overcome, and practical experience.

Progress Updates (5 total)

Update #1: Keeping my perennial garden healthy and growing

Want to track the growth in my perennial flower garden! It’s a lot of work weeding, mulching and planting perennials/taking care of them so they come back year after year
Challenges Overcome: Last sunday I weeded the entire flower bed on my hands and knees (ouch!) and mulched everywhere.
Obstacles Faced: I know some plants won’t come back this year for some reason so I am anticipating that
Next Steps: Keep checking on everything to see how it’s progressing. Be consistent with watering.
Looking Back: I learned that it was definitely best to wait for mulching until after things started to poke through the ground. I was worried that the mulch would be too dense

Update #2: things are popping up!

25% complete
things are starting to come up through the bark mulch and starting to see things that i wasn’t sure made it through the winter
Challenges Overcome: i finally started to see some things that i planted last summer like a lot of cone flowers! the lillie’s of the valley are in full force too!
Obstacles Faced: need to be consistent with watering and really soak the garden on hot days.
Next Steps: the peonies are starting to get taller and bushy. need to purchase some cages to go around them to keep them upright and happy!
Looking Back: be patient and remember that some things take longer to pop up through the ground!

Update #3: things are blooming!

35% complete
my climbing rose and sweet pea are climbing the trellis, planted a bachelors button plant and the irises are about to pop!
Challenges Overcome: i’ve been really good with watering after work and it’s paying off!
Obstacles Faced: it’s going to only get hotter so keep up the watering.
Next Steps: keep checking on things and making sure there aren’t any pests in the garden
Looking Back: wait to see what pops up before going wild at a green house. i didn’t think any of my bee balm came back so i bought 3 quart containers only to get home and see it in two spots in the garden

Update #4: Irises are blooming!

40% complete
these double bearded irises are my favorite! they are so striking and are almost as tall as me!

Update #5: sweet peas & roses!

45% complete
Sweet peas and roses are taking flight! The sweet peas are about 3 feet tall!
Challenges Overcome: With consistent watering every evening, another climbing rose bloomed and the sweet peas are getting so tall!
Obstacles Faced: I’m worried the tiny sweet pea vines will tangle around the rose so I need to be mindful of that
Next Steps: Keep babysitting the garden!
Looking Back: I have to check on the sweet peas nearly every day because they have tiny little vines that twist around everything

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