By REBECCA NORTON RYAN

Penn State Extension Master Gardener

While picking up your annual plants, the geraniums, petunias and vines, at the garden center you may see perennial Shasta daisies, peonies or hollyhocks. A perennial is an herbaceous plant that lives and blooms for the season, dies back to the soil in the fall and then next spring will grow and bloom again.

A shrub is a perennial that has persistent woody stems and lives above ground. An example would be roses, azaleas, tree peonies and lilacs. They differ from trees in that they have multiple stems and shorter height. Trees are also considered woody perennials.

Many gardeners have only perennials. Because they only bloom for a short period of time, a perennial garden takes careful timing and thoughtful planning to make sure the garden will have interest all summer. Next season the perennial garden will come back to give us more pleasure. Some gardeners fill in with annuals here and there while the dedicated perennial gardener allows no annuals.

Planting a perennial takes thought and planning. What are the needs of your perennial? Does it require full sun or filtered sunlight? The tag from the nursery will have all the information on the needs of your new plant.

To install your new perennial, dig a bowlshaped hole as deep as the root ball and no deeper than the pot. Prepare the soil by loosening it and adding organic matter or compost. Remove the plant from the container. Carefully loosen roots that seem to be circling the plants root ball and place the plant in the hole at the same depth as it was in the pot. Backfill with soil adding water as you go. Then water well. You will need to water your new plant regularly until it gets established.

Be patient with your new perennial. The first season the new plant will spend its energy growing a strong root system. Year two will see more foliage and more blossoms. Year 3 your plant should be at its peak with mature foliage and lots of flowers. The first year they sleep, the second year they creep and the third year they leap.

Even the most carefully designed garden can give us wonderful surprises. As the perennial garden matures the plants seem to move around on their own. There will be lots of little plants for the gardener to share. I have gotten some of my best ideas from gardening friends and neighbors. Your street can organize its own little informal garden walk.

( Rebecca Ryan is a lifelong resident of and gardener in the Bradford area. She retired from teaching at Bradford Area School District.)