If you'd like to landscape your yard on a budget and have some patience and time, try starting your perennials
from seed. I was able to install an entire daylily border (approximately 14 plants) for the cost of two one-gallon
nursery plants, and these plants reached blooming size after two years in the ground. Perennials such as phlox,
delphinium, monarda (beebalm), daylilies, and even woody plants such as buddleia (butterfly bush) can be
started from seed as easily as annuals, and offer you long-lasting beauty for your efforts.
Perennial seeds can be purchased from many major seed catalogs. Companies such as Parks and Thompson and
Morgan, which cater to greenhouse growers, carry the widest variety of perennial seeds and offer a lot of
cultural information. Other equipment you'll need are standard 1 ¼" peat strips, good quality seed-starting
medium (I like the Premier brands of seed starters) a warm location and grow lights.
The seed package or the catalog should offer instructions on germination rate and culture; follow these
instructions carefully, and note whether there are any special cultural requirements for your plants. For
example, many perennials need a period of chilling, or vernalization. This is to simulate the time these seeds
would spend in the ground during the winter, and actually helps increase plant vigor and germination rates.
You may end up with a seed flat wrapped in plastic bags in your refrigerator. Also, some perennial seeds need
to be kept in the dark in order to germinate well; these flats can be dampened and put into black garbage bags
until you see some green first leaves popping out of the soil.
One major difference between annuals and perennials is their germination times. Where annuals often pop out
of the ground within two or three days of planting, perennials may take from two weeks to one month to
germinate, so patience is in order. Be sure to keep your seed flats evenly moist during germination; you may
want to invest in a hand-operated misting device and offer your seeds a spritz every other day.
Once your plantlets have germinated and have two to three sets of true leaves, you should transplant the
seedlings into larger pots. The jumbo-sized peat pots are fine, but plastic perennial pots (4" wide by 6" deep)
are better. These allow the plants to create strong, deep root systems and make them much easier to transplant to
your garden area.
When the weather finally promises some frost-free evenings, you can put your now-thriving perennial seedlings
outside in their pots in a protected area to harden them off. This process takes two to three weeks, and helps
your plants adjust from the comfort of your basement or garage to the realities of nature. Be vigilant about
maintaining adequate moisture in your pots, and keep the plants out of direct sun during the afternoon warmth.
You can harden plants off on a covered porch, in a coldframe, or under the woven fabric now available in most
garden centers.
Once your plants are hardened off and consistent, heavy snows are unlikely, you can install your new plants into
their permanent locations. Remember to space your plants according to their final size – yes, with tiny plants
your bed will look a little naked, but over time, your perennials will grow into their space – water the plants in
so there are no air pockets in the soil, and apply a light covering of mulch to keep weeds down and conserve
moisture.
Starting your perennials from seed is truly an investment, and one of the only investments you can watch grow
in fact rather than on paper.
