Things to think about when planting your perennial garden… WE CAN HELP YOU….  To identify  Diagnose common insect and disease problems Plan your perennial gardens carefully to get the  Find answers to your gardening questions most even blooming. Most perennials actually  Provide soil test kits Long bloom only three to four weeks, some even less. You can see us at many local events:  Local Farmers Markets Without knowing when they bloom, you could  Chisago County Fair Blooming end up with a lot of color in late June and early  Almelund Threshing Show July, but very sparse color in August and  Chisago Lakes Home and Garden Show September, or vice-versa. Spring Gardening Expo Perennials An all-day gardening event held in March: Foliage plays an important part in the perennial Classes on a variety of horticultural topics garden as well. Even though a isn't Info booth staffed by Master Gardeners Local businesses display and sell merchandise blooming, its leaves add color, form, and texture. This may be particularly valuable in shady Bare root plant sale gardens, where fern fronds and hosta leaves can Each spring the Master Gardeners offer for sale several be as important as any perennial flowers that varieties of fruit and vegetable plants as bare root stock. These varieties are University recommended for might bloom there. our area and are often hard to find at local nurseries. Order forms are available in January

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Chisago County Extension Office Our office is located at the Ag Service Building in North Branch at 38814 Third Avenue. Chisago County Master Gardener

Many people combine both annuals and http://www3.extension.umn.edu/county/chisago perennials in the garden. Flowering annuals such as petunias, sweet alyssum or dwarf marigolds that bloom all summer long can provide continuity of color when perennials may be in a The University of Minnesota Extension shall provide equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, 'down' period. gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. Fortunately, there are many perennials that Salvia (Salvia x superba 'East Friesland', 'Lubeca', The mission of the University of bloom for extended periods of time, eight to ten and 'May Night') Minnesota Master Gardener Pincushion (Scabiosa weeks or more. Choosing liberally from this program: “Use research -based group simplifies planning for season-long bloom. caucasica 'Butterfly horticultural knowledge and

Blue Beauty') practices to deliver educational Sedum Much of the following list is excerpted from the 'Autumn Joy' outreach and project -based efforts (Veronica longifolia Pennsylvania Nursery Conference printed in the that inspire change and promote 'Sunny Border Blue') healthy people, healthy spring 1990 quarterly newsletter of the communities and a healthy planet.” Perennial Plant Association. Foliage for season-long interest (including their name) Perennials that bloom for many weeks Lady's-Mantle (Alchemilla mollis) Common Garden Peony (Paeonia lactiflora) (including their genus name) Amsonia Bethlehem Fire King Yarrow (Achillea millefolium 'Fire Kind') tabernaemontana Sage Golden Aster (Chrysopsis villosa 'Golden Sunshine') Artemisia ('Silver (Pulmonaria Threadleaf Coreopsis (Coreopsis certicillata King', 'Silver saccharat 'Moonbeam') Queen', and 'Silver 'Mrs. Moon') White fringed Bleeding-heart (Dicentra eximia Mound') Sedum, 'Alba') Blue False Indigo Stonecrop Fringed Bleeding-heart (Dicentra eximia 'Luxuriant') (Baprisia australis) (Sedum Blanket Flower Black Snakeroot 'Ruby Glow' & 'Vera Jameson') (Gaillardia x grandiflora (Cimicifuga Lamb's-Ears 'Baby Cole') racemosa) (Stachys byzantina Cranesbill (Geranium Hosta, Plantain Lily 'Silver sanguineum 'Striatum') (Hosta ) Carpet') Happy Returns Daylily False Lupine (Hemerocallis 'Happy (Thermopsis villosa) Returns') Stella d'Oro Daylily (Hemerocallis 'Stella d'Oro') Dropmore Catmint (Nepeta x faassenii 'Dropmore') Check gardening catalogs and books for Russian Sage (Perovskia atripliciflorus) Candytuft (Iberis detailed descriptions of these plants' growth Balloon Flower sempervirens) characteristics; their height, flower color and (Platycodon Spotted Dead Nettle shape, and season of bloom. grandifloras) (Lamium maculatum Find more information on landscaping and Black Eyed Susan 'White Nancy') plant characteristics at: (Rudbeckia nitida Plume Poppy 'Goldquelle') ( cordata) www.extension.umn.edu/garden/yard- Shrub Roses garden/landscaping/