PlantinG and renovation 47
and winters, fall plantings sometimes don’t overwinter well here. Plants notori-
ous for frost heaving, such as heuchera, and tender ones such as Anemone
×hybrida and kniphofia must be spring planted. In late October and early
November I prepare beds and plant woody plants, and then come back in the
spring to plant perennials. Pamela Harper and Fred McGourty, in their book
Perennials: How to Select, Grow and Enjoy, indicate planting times favored by
growers in different areas of the country: Northeast Coast (Boston to Philadel-
phia): April to May, September to mid-November; New England (inland): April to
May, September; Mid-Atlantic Coast: October to November; Southeast: February
to early April, October to November; Plains States: April to May, September to
mid-October; Central (eastern slope of Rocky Mountains): April to May; Pacific
Northwest (coastal): March, September to October; California: February to April,
October to November; Southwest: February to April.
After 10 years, ongoing
commitment and care in the
same garden have paid off
generously.