Plant Perennials In The Fall For Spring And Summer Flowers Calgary Growers Can Brag About

By Mamie Conrad


To produce a spring and summer garden with an array of colorful flowers Calgary growers can brag about, the autumn planting of perennial bulbs is imperative. Winter lows in Calgary are known to plummet below thirty degrees Fahrenheit. The perennial plant whose stems and foliage die off in the fall, works in tandem with the zone three growing climate

Sometimes planted for their foliage, perennial flowers come in an extensively varied array of colors and species. They first gained notoriety when planted in groupings to create perennial boarders in the classical garden designs of Edwardian England. While perennial borders create a striking vision, they require lengthy planning, and laborious maintenance.

Once viewed as a utility plant in the prevention of soil erosion, perennials have gained popularity among landscapers and gardeners, who have begun judging the plants by their individual merits. Easy to transplant should the need arise, they can also produce for many years virtually maintenance free with only their annual clean up, an infrequent fertilizing and a normal watering schedule.

When looking for a bright splash of color to brighten a garden space, both annual and perennial plants have a varied selection of flowers to choose from. What makes the perennial flower preferable is its longevity. The annual plant grown from a seed dies after one season. The perennial plant grows from a bulb, or a bulb like structure, which stores food for use during the dormant season, re-emerges the following spring.

The true bulb, from which Daffodils and Lilies grow, is comprised of a short underground stem sitting on a basal plate, surrounded by protective layers of leaves. Use of the word bulb has grown to include the other bulb-like structures characteristic of the perennial plant. For instance, Gladiolus are grown from a Corm; Dahlias come from the tuber family, and both Calla and Iris from the Rhizome.

Whether bought from your neighborhood nursery or local garden store, on-line, or from mail-order catalogues, perennials are readily available in most places. When purchased from a reputable nursery or commercial grower, they will likely bloom during their first spring and summer. Perennials can also be purchased and planted in the early spring as starter plants.

The addition at about twenty-five percent per volume, of organic matter in the weeks just before planting will increase the health and longevity of perennial plants, which are most productive in healthy soil. For flowers that will bloom right up to the end of the season, also include a dose of fertilizer that rates high in potassium and potash, or that is labeled especially for bulbs.

Bulbs need soil that has good drainage and adequate water retention. The addition of organic materials lightens up heavy soil, while adding density for water retention to sandier soils. Plant the bulb in a hole that is three times the depth of the bulbs widest diameter, making full contact, with no gaps between it and the soil. To help replenish nutrients used in the initial blooming, and to keep the blooms on flowers Calgary growers prefer all season long, add a tablespoon of bone meal or super phosphorus to the hole.




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