FAQ - Edgewater

What is the difference between a perennial and an annual?

Perennial plants are plants that are hardy for your climate. In other words, they will survive the winter, and will return again the next spring to hopefully become bigger and better plants. Annuals, are not, for the most part, cold tolerant and will not survive most Midwestern winters. Therefore, you have to plant them…….annually.

How do I know what zone I am in?

Better Homes and Gardens Zone Map. Click here to view.

How does full sun actually mean?

Although this is all very relative to your own garden and how the plants do there, here is a general rule of thumb for sunlight requirements.

Full Sun -at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day
Part Shade/Part Sun -at least 4 hours of direct sunlight per day.
Shade -2 to 4 hours of cooler day sun can be tolerated or dappled light.
Dense shade -2 hours or less of direct sunlight.

When do I cut back my perennials?

You may cut back and clean up your perennial beds either in the late fall or early spring. The advantages to early spring clean ups outweigh the fall clean ups. Allowing your plants to stay in tact will give your garden a tremendous amount of winter interest, and also with some plants such as the Echinacea, or Rudbeckia, it will give our fine feathered friends a food source.

When should I mulch my plants for winter protection?

Mulching is an excellent way to protect your plants in our harsh Wisconsin winters. Mulching should only be done after the ground is frozen. If it is done prior to this time, the mice, who are still looking for a place to make home for the winter, will have a posh new condo with a free buffet all winter long!

When should I divide my perennials?

There really isn't’t a set answer for this question, but only to say that each plant is different. Some plants resent division and others thrive on it and will actually flourish by being chopped in half on a regular basis. Follow the directions on the tag that came with the plant or if you still can’t find your answer. Ask our professional staff to help you!

When do I prune my Clematis?

There are 3 groups of Clematis. Some refer to them as Groups 1,2 and 3 and some refer to them as Groups A, B, and C.

Group 1 or A Clematis are Early flowering. Prune these back as soon as possible after bloom, but no later than the end of July. this allows time for new growth to produce flower buds for next season. Remove shoots that have bloomed. Do not cut into woody trunks.

Group 2 or B Clematis are large Hybrids. Large-flowered hybrids bloom in mid-June on short stems from previous season's growth and often again in late summer on new growth. Prune Feb. or March by removing dead and weak stems, then cut back remaining stems to the topmost pair of large, plump, green buds. This cut could be a few inches to a foot or two from the stem tips. You may be able to force a flush of new growth from the base by cutting the vine back to 18" immediately after the flush of bloom in June.

Group3 or C Clematis are later flowering. Plants in this group flower on the last two to three feet of the current season's growth. Some types begin blooming in mid-June and continue into fall. This is the easiest group to prune since no old wood needs to be maintained. In Feb. or March cut each stem to a height of about two to three feet.

On your tag for the variety it should list what group they belong to. You can also refer to our perennial list if you are unsure.