New Perennial Bed

I built a new perennial garden today on the side of the house. This area is also the tulip bed in early spring. I know planting perennials over them will not be good for the tulip crop next year, but at this point I think I'd rather have the perennials during the summer. I also need a place for my dahlias and don't like planting them in with the roses. Dahlias take so much work with pinching and staking that it's tough with rose thorns around them.

If I get a few tulips next spring anyways it will be a pleasant surprise!

First things first, needed to mix up and put down some new soil. So mixed together garden soil, peat moss and alfalfa. What would we do without the tractor and this bucket. I use it every weekend! That's the front sidewalk (what's left of it) in the background. The streetwork continues...

Then shoveled the new soil over the bed. Left a lot of the tulip trimmings at the bottom of the bed for food for the new plants as they decompose. As I was working the new soil into the bed saw tons of earthworms which bodes well for the bed.

The new bed will sit between the climbing hydrangea (a.k.a. The Beast) and the Rose of Sharon which I've actually been trying to remove for the last few years but those roots are very firmly in the ground. I can't even budge them. That asphalt path is coming up soon and being replaced with pavers so not going to worry about the moss.

Some of the plants for the bed include:

Campanula Chettle Charm
Stokesia Peachie's Pick
Lobelia Vedrariensis
Pyrethrum Mixed Hybrids
Aster Bluebird
Gallardia Burgundy
Echinacea Pink Poodle
Rudbeckia Sonora
Chrysanthemum Fluffy
Boltonia Snowbank
Buddleia Adonis Blue

I ordered some dahlia tubers this year for the new bed as well. I plant them as annuals. I have no idea how to over-winter the tubers. I've read a ton of articles on how to do it, but it looks complicated and at the end of the day, the tubers are only a few bucks each so would rather just re-buy. Plus, I love to pick out new ones every year. This year I purchased:

Lady Liberty
Nadine Jessie
Polventon Supreme
Smarty Pants
Pink Petticoat
Brittany Rey
Nicholas
I'm a Hottie



After raking the bed smooth, I placed the plants where I thought they would look best. They are in small bio-degradeable pots which I love, so they can go right into the ground and I don't have a bunch of icky plastic pots lying around. I added in the dahilas based on their colors, they're about all the same height.

Then went about planting them.

It looks like it's going to rain, so will let mother nature finish up the last step. I have some zinnia seeds coming that I'll plant in the bed for filler and then call it a day. Good luck new baby plants!