It seems that often people  are drawn to the Phlox perennial plants as they offer an intense beauty that is impossible to go unnoticed.  When the spouse sees this excitement, there seems to be a commonality that is establshed between the two of them.   It is as if they both now relate to the goal of enhancing their yard.  This excitement creates an openness to learn and share with each other.  It isn’t long before both partners are throwing out ideas of this and that.    Something shared is something gained!    Sometimes finding similar interests between two partners is difficult, but gardening seems to offer many opportunities for partners to work together.

Both my parents are very creative.  My mother is a grand chef and can make almost anything from pretzels to grand meals.  She is patient and often times I have come home to learn how to make bread, or sit down and learn from her techniques of making this and that.   She also is does needle work pictures.  These creations sometimes take from 800-1000 hours.  Each of her children have some of these creations in our homes.   I personally could not sit down and put the hours of expertise into such a fabulous creation.    My father as well, an architect/contractor built many many  very beautiful building during his construction era.  Now in his retirement he is head over heels into stain glass works and wow can has he ever creatived some exotic but beautiful glass works.

I have learned from the best.  I look to my parents often for their insight on being creative and take their wisdom and try to apply it in my own life.   What a wealth  of resources to have parents that are so determined and creative.   How lucky I am!

When I was young, I used to garden with my mother as I got older  I worked with one of my fathers employees from Japan. We did not communicate all that well due to the language barrier but I shall never forget the things that man taught me about landscaping.

Now much older, I have such an enthusiastic appreciation for being creative and desire to keep creating till I can’t any more.    All things around us were creations of an inventor or a person that had the diligence to see his vision come true.   I have many visions.  Perennial Paradise is one of them.  I desire to help customers that come to Perennial Paradise develop a creative streak that will allow them to see vsions as well.   I am here to help you achieve that!

Thse seeds will be used to propogate new plants for 2009.

For my own purposes,  I like to dig up areas on my property and work it finely.   Broadcast these seeds  in a dry sand base   1 part seed to 2 parts sand.  This allows you to evenly plant your seeds in the designated area. A thin layer of dried grass on top may keep seeds moist and not dry out.  Sometimes it may take 1-2 years to germinate, but most germinate within the first year.

In May the ground was barren, I threw in some seed and look at it now!

This is an additional cost savings to you!   As your perennials grow you can dig them out and add them to your established perennial gardens!  Watering a newly seeded perennial bed is critical.  It is best not to ever let it dry out.  As the seedlings sprout take special consideration to keeping the soil moist and not trampled on.  Most  perennials like part sun or sun exposure.  The internet is a powerful tool for looking up information on seeds you are planting.

• Mulch offers many benefits!
• Mulch insulates your plants from harsh winter winds
• It provides a barrier that allows rain in but limits evaporation leaving the garden.  A well mulched garden seldom needs watering when average rain falls occur.
• Leaf mulch breaks down and converts to  rich growing medium for your plants   It adds many vitamins to your plants that are sometimes stripped when you have soil exposed to the elements.
• It reduces your weeds sometimes by 95%.
• Leaf mulch is a good underlayment for wood mulch and cuts down on the amount mulches that you purchase from garden centers.
• Worms are the most important addition to any garden.  They love leaf mulch and their excretions contribute good fertilizer additions to your gardens.  They work the soil and allow it to be soft and pliable when you need to dig.  Encouraging earth worms, not nite crawlers to any garden or landscape area is the #1 recommendation that I give to homeowners.

Leaf mulch is free.  I advise people to put on 3-4 inches of leaf mulch in the fall when temperatures drop consistently to 25-30 degrees.   As your budget can afford you may want to consider purchasing shredded mulch to top dress your gardens.  There are many mulches today.  Natural cedar mulches look nice when you apply them, but they turn grey quickly and need to be redressed to keep that rich cedar look.  Over the past few years dyed shredded mulch has offered better alternatives.  Dyed mulches come in an array of colors to match your gardening tastes.  At Country Greenhouse outside of Bemidji, MN, they offer a wide selection of colors.  They are located 5 miles S. on Hwy 71.  They can be reached at  (218) 751-0534.  Ask for Duane or Emi.