Pruning & Primping

by Lisa
(Bend, OR, USA)

dead heading

by Eileen Robinson
(Scarboro/Sudbury)

Which perennial flowers do I dead head once they are finished blooming, ie bee balm, astilbe, solomons seal, hosta, ditch lilies,hydrangea,..

pruning

by Nora Dougherty
(Summit, NY USA)

When and how severe is appropriate to prune different perennials? Please include iris

perrenial seed collection

by Katie West
(Dundas, ON, Canada)

Hi Doug, I never bother collecting any seed from my perrenials. I'm not big on starting seed indoors. Is it worth collecting certain seed for relatively easy starting? I have assumed it's easier to buy a plant already established. I guess it depends on the size of your garden and your resources. I have read about your daylily seed collecting for your own trials.....

Composting Perennials

by Marguerite
(MA. USA)

My husband and I have this ongoing issue about putting all my perennial cuttings into the compost bin...and your opinion?

perennial life cycle

by Sheila
(Southern Illinois)

I wonder if there is anywhere (perhaps you have already done this) that in addition to describing the color, fragrance, bloom time of perennials---that it would also describe their behavior during a growing season. For example: right now I have some of the shorter phlox that I moved this spring & right now it looks like it is dead. Some things are starting to get the brown leaves of fall, so I don't know if that is what is happening to the phlox---is it simply done for this year? Or is it dead? I don't want to trash something if it's just on the end of this year's life cycle.
Things that would also be helpful to know is if you cut something back after it blooms to encourage more blooms, deadhead-yes or no? I know this is huge question. But it's what I wonder about during the growing season. How do I know what is 'normal' for my newer plants?

When's & How's of Dividing Perennials

by marilyn
(walnut creek, CA, USA)

All there is to know and do inc. idiosyncratic plants and general categories.

Innovative ways of sharing perrenial divisions

by Katie West
(Dundas, ON, Canada)

Hi Doug, I am wondering what are various ways people share, move their perrenial divisions to others.

When to sow prennial seeds

by Hanne
(Bethesda, MD)

Can I buy seeds in the spring (when they are available in the stores locally) and then sow them only in the fall? How should seeds be stored until sowing time?

Gathering Seeds

by Oopsie_Daisy (Bev)
(Memphis, TN)

What, when, and how do I collect seeds from my perennials?