Cultures around the globe celebrate Spring as the season of rebirth. Emerging leaves and blooms, longer days, and the gentle sun bring a new sense of light, energy and hope.
For most gardeners, Spring is the season of renewal, but also of rejuvenation (which we can admit, is also known as: lots of outdoor work!). Early Spring is the season of cleaning up lingering garden projects, making last minute adjustments to landscape plans, and finding ways to stretch the budget to include all the dream plants Googled throughout the year. Late Spring is a time to take a look back at the weeks of work. It is a time to reassess, to further plans already made, to perfect as best as one can in the short period of time gifted by Nature.
After the mad rush that is late March to late May, June is the perfect time to study areas in the garden that didn’t work out the way you planned, or that need a little more color, texture or coverage. Â This, and weather that isn’t yet blazingly hot or dry, make June the ideal time to plant perennials.
Perennials are gardeners’ favorites plants and shrubs for a number of reasons:
1. Pollinator Habitat – Many Perennials, especially Natives, provide pollen, nectar, seeds and nesting material for birds, bees, and butterflies.
2. Environmental sustainability – Native perennial ground covers can reduce soil erosion and create interest in pathways, on slopes, and along roadsides and ditches. By planting Native plants appropriate to your garden’s eco-region, you eliminate the need for heavy inputs like soil amendments, chemical feed and excessive watering.
3. Repeat Blooms – Perennials are a long-term investment that make an appearance year-after-year. Many perennials multiply or spread in the growing season, making them an investment with great returns!
4. Less maintenance – Perennial varieties require much less maintenance than annuals. You can expect to spend less time and effort feeding, watering, and otherwise tending to your plants.
5. A season-long statement – Perennial gardens and meadows offer up unparalleled interest. Plan and design your garden to change with each season. Plant swaths of perennials around evergreens and dot your design with annuals to create a garden that delivers outstanding  statement-worthy colors spring to fall!
With cooler temperatures that warm up the soil but don’t stress plants like July or August, June is a great month to initiate, rejuvenate, or redo a perennial garden! This month, garden centers like Homestead Gardens will feature larger, more mature flowering plants.
You can browse the aisles and get a great sense of how perennial plants and shrubs will fit into your garden landscape.  Read our post here to find varieties and perennials we recommend for sunny spots in the garden!