d the plant will grow 18 to 24 inches tall and just as wide. The flowers come on tall stems 12 inches or more to help display their beauty. The flowers also make a great cut flower and will last for weeks in a vase of water. Established plants will bloom for 2 to 3 months as long as they are planted in a sunny location. The main plant will spread with underground runners but the plant is not aggressive and it reseeds freely also. This spring plant Black-Eye Susan in a sun location or light shade and a soil that is well drained with no standing water. Condition the soil with peat moss, animal manure, and compost. Be sure lime yearly as most perennials like a neutral soil. Plants can be divided in the spring or in the fall. Black-eye Susan can be planted in mass plantings, meadow, wildflower, cottage or butterfly gardens. In the perennial garden it will become your favorite flower because the more you cut the flowers the more they will bloom. Feed monthly with a granular fertilizer to keep plants productive.
If you would like to get back to old time gardening and build a country cottage flower garden then begin with the Lady's-mantle. This is a very unusual perennial because it has large lime green foliage 2 to 4 inches wide that resemble a geranium leaf. The flowers are a loose spray of tiny lime green flowers that has a haze effect on the plant. These flowers are not showy but standout on the plant and the soft appearance is very unique, almost like a dwarf Baby Breath in shades of lime green. The leaves are covered with tiny downy hairs on the upper side of the leaf. This unusual hair will catch water from the rain or sprinkler and suspend it like tiny drops of glistening pearls that will move on the leaf as the wind blows. Plant the Lady's-mantle in a sunny location but it will tolerate a little partial shade as long as the soil is rich in organic matter. Be sure to condition the soil when planting with peat moss, animal manure, and compost. Also the soil should be well drained, moist and fertile if you want them to thrive and spread in your garden. It wont tolerate dry growing conditions during summers that are hot. You can divide in the spring or fall. Plants grow 12 to 18 inches tall and just as wide. The flowers begin during may and last for 4 to 6 weeks and those unusual lime green flowers can be cut for small flower arrangements. Lady's-mantle make a great perennial to use in borders, edging of gardens, groundcovers, rock gardens, wall planting, and as a woodland or cottage garden plant. If you have a moist area with a little bit of shade, then look to the Lady's-mantle to plant along walk ways or garden paths. Best of all this plant needs little to no care once established in your garden.
Tradescantia Mixed Colors-Spiderwort
I always like to try something new in my garden and so should you. Last year I planted Spiderwort a gorgeous long lasting perennial that has a flower that resembles the impatience plant. Spiderwort has foliage that resembles grass with upright or reclining stems and arching foliage. The stems are rather weak and when squeezed are watery like the impatience. The flower stems are toped with clusters of flower buds that produce only 3 petals but the center of the bloom is fluffy and contains 6 yellow polled sacks. The flower stem also contains 3 grasses like leaves giving the flower cluster the appearance of a large spider. The flower color is white, pink, or purple and the flower last for just one day but the number of buds on the stems keeps the plant in bloom for up to 3 months. The flowers arrive in early summer and last well into the fall. Spiderwort will grow 1 to 2 feet tall and spread 18 to 36 inches wide. Plant them in a full sun to partial shade location in the garden. They will do best in a soil rich in organic matter so condition with peat moss and compost. The soil must be well drained and never have standing water or it will rot and die. If the bees do there job the flower will produce pods that eject seeds around your plants starting new seedlings come spring. If you have a hot s