Jeanne Learns the Hard Way How to Care for Perennials

Last Summer we did some major landscaping at our house and I planted 3 perennial plants hoping they would re-emerge this Spring, but after the last thaw it looked as If all hope was gone.

When we bought the flowers they were just small bushes but through the summer they launched into 6 inch stalks with beautiful purple flowers. I was so excited at the thought that for once I did not have to replant new flowers like I did every year in the past.

So, I monitored the dead stalks daily, once it actually seemed like Spring was going to appear in the Northland, only to observe these dead dried up stems. I should have known that like our 2 giant hosta plants you pull away the dead flowers and stems for the buds to come up from the ground.

So, our son was out clearing some weeds and pulled all the dead stems from the ground only to discover some beautiful little green buds starting to emerge. Happily the plants were not dead after all. As you can tell by now I am the worlds worst gardener, but am pleased to know that these flowers will remerge and that they are just taking there sweet time popping up out of the ground until we start getting some warmer temperatures.

I am sure these flowers are also relieved to have some room to grow now that all the dead flowers are out of the way.