planning perennial beds

Hi, Rob -- yes, I've been there (most of us probably have)!  Could your
problems with lack of lushness (so to speak) have anything to do with
the summer heat you have in your area?  I've read that a lot of the
southeast gardeners plan on a good spring and early summer show, then
let the garden revert to basic green through the heat of the summer,
with maybe another burst of color with Fall flowering plants as the
weather cools down. Even those plants said to be heat-tolerant are often
not as tolerant of high humidity, which I believe SC has? (As we do
here.)

I do space plants more closely than recommended (and I've read that many
others do this too).  This requires more frequent division and moving
but the results are often more satisfying.  Also, I've found that tree
roots of almost any kind will prevent or slow perennials from attaining
their full potential (most of my beds have this problem).  And there are
some years when it all seems to come together, everything reaches its
peak, the weather cooperates, and you have a week, or several, of a
dream realized!  I'm assuming you nourish your soil and don't
overfertilize with nitrogen (which produced more leaves but fewer
flowers).

Those photos aren't generally staged -- but they capture 'a moment' ,
meaning that the same garden in the photo might not look as great a week
earlier or later.

Keep us posted this summer on your successes & failures -- where there's
a will, there's usually a way.

Anne - Chicago

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