Jennifer Coppola At Home
This was my first year taking care of plants in the yard, and I am happy to report that not all of the plants died! Most survived from the batch planted by the builder last year, and I even added some new plants that made it to mid-October. Here is my official "planting analysis" and what worked in the 7a zone where I live.
Regular Weeding Will Help the Plants Grow
Weeding is a chore that is not for everyone, so if you don't enjoy it, find a friend or partner who does. The reason why weeding is important is that the fewer weeds surrounding your plants, the better. I found that removing the weeds regularly meant that the water and nutrients from the soil went back to the plants.
Planting Flowers in July is a Risky Move
Since this was my first year planting, I didn't think that adding more flowers in July would be a big deal. After all, Home Depot had some great sales on black-eyed Susans and multicolored coneflowers that I thought I couldn't go wrong with.
The main problems that happened were heat and overwatering, by yours truly. I was afraid that if I did not water the flowers enough, the flowers would die. It turns out the flowers died because coneflowers and black-eyed Susans only need to be watered once a week, not once a day... or twice.
As of today, 2 out of the 5 coneflower plants survived (as in are still green), and the black-eyed Susan plant did regrow. Both coneflowers and black-eyed Susans are perennials, so I am hopeful to see these flowers return next year.
Don't Be Afraid to Prune
This is a mistake I made early on because I was afraid to prune any flowers, since the coneflowers and black eyed susans started dying. After I did a little research on the right way to prune for each plant, I went to work. While most of the coneflowers did not revive, the pink rose bushes and marigolds continued to multiply at a faster rate once the dead flowers were cut off.
You don't have to be a self-proclaimed plant lady to get started with gardening. I did a lot of research online, downloaded a plant app called PictureThis, and asked for advice from my mother, who is a real plant lady.
For next year, I will plant marigolds again since those flourished all summer and may look into other perennials like more Black-eyed Susans or hydrangeas that come back every year.
