Preparing and planting your perennial border

Are you going to plant a new border? Then thorough preparation is very important.

Depending on the existing situation and the target image, specific measures may be required.

Feel free to ask about this when requesting a quote.

Soil sample analysis

Not sure which soil you are dealing with? Do you doubt whether all nutrients are sufficiently present?

Then we recommend having a soil sample analysed before planting/creating. The chemical composition of the soil - together with its structure and soil life - will determine whether a soil is suitable for a certain type of planting.

Soil preparation

Clear soil of root weeds such as horsetail, hedge bindweed,...

Loosen soil well: air is one of the most important requirements for good root growth

Embed and cover with stable materials such as gravel, sand, pebbles, dolomite or lava, only if necessary.

Possibly add certain nutrients to the soil, make it more acidic or calcareous if soil analysis shows this to be necessary.

Optional:

Mulching (=applying cover) with inert materials (see next point in this info sheet)

Mulching is not a necessity. But if you would like to cover the soil, it is best to do this before planting.

A covering layer makes maintenance easier, provides an insulating layer in winter and prevents compaction of the soil by treading.

• Interesting in non-ground covering plantings
• Lava, gravel, pebbles, coarse sand, dolomite. In other words: any inert material
• In the case of lava: 7 cm thickness to be applied after planting or before planting

(in combination with our planter)

• Planting is done with the root ball half in the ground if no lava has been applied yet
• Planting with our planter if lava is already applied

Planting period

Always dependent on weather conditions! In doubt about planting? Feel free to ask us for advice.

• Spring
• Autumn

Maintenance of the perennial border

Mowing and disposing of clippings (see  photos below article)
Mowing the border should be done with concepts such as prairie, when all plants are not evergreen.
Do you also have evergreen plants? These may not be mowed.

FEBRUARY
the most important month for maintenance. Half of the total maintenance is done during this "big cleaning" month.

Note: Below are some photos of the method that can be used to mow in February.

- Mowing

When? Depending on the weather and the use of bulbs
Without bulbs: when growth returns, late February
With bulbs: when the bulbs emerge, late January or early February

Note: Do not step on germinating flower bulbs!

Cutting height: as short as possible above the covering layer and / or the bulbs.
With prairie, unless otherwise stated, no distinction is made between the plant species.

Note: Evergreen plants are not mowed.

For this you can use a brush cutter (not in combination with lava!), Motor hedge shearers, pruning shears or scythe.

- Removal of clippings

with a fork, rake.

- Leafblowers

In order not to obtain a seedbed for wind-spreading weeds through a layer of fine plant material, the entire area is blown clean with a leaf blower.

For this you need a leaf blower, shovel, leaf remover and brush.

- Fertilizers

do not  fertilize (unless predetermined after analysis), only a bi-annual light lime dose is recommended.
May be granulated.

- Weeding

Immediately after mowing, you can schedule a tour for weeds.
Giving special attention to weeds in the heart of the plants is important.

Use a spade, bucket, wheelbarrow for root weeds such as dandelion, etc.
Don't PULL AT, but pull out. Make sure the undergrowth is free of all weeds.

Note: Smooth the cover back and ensure that the substrate is not exposed.

- Managment control work

This is usually only needed after five years. Plants that are too dominant, thinning and / or replanting empty places, keeping a walking path free, ...

MONTHLY MAINTENANCE : MARCH / AUGUST / NOVEMBER

MARCH (From March to the end of the year)
Weeding

Please note:  pick all weeds out of the heart of the plants. Massively germinating young weeds can be weeded and left lying. Preferably do this in warm and windy weather.

NEXT MONTHS: SEE March.
A monthly weed is a minimum. This way you can prevent a weed stock from nesting in the garden. If maintenance is done consistently, it will reduce the time needed for weeding in the long run. A prairie garden is not weed free. The older and more covered the soil of your garden is, the less time this job will take.

AUGUST: see March.

Now we are also going to look at the shape of the plants and the planting as a whole and possibly intervene: fine-tune

Pay special attention to any fallen plants and / or bulbs that have stopped flowering. Fallen plants are either supported or cut. This may be necessary especially in the first few years until the soil is depleted, then the plants will stand much stronger. Non-vertical, faded - and only these - bulbous plants such as Allium are removed. Small early flowering bulb crops are not removed because they are overgrown by grasses and perennials.

Cut edges and / or paths. Pathways and overhanging plants along the driveway, etc. should be removed now.

NOVEMBER
Last weeding session