Deseret Nursery Perennial Farm
Woodscape Mulches and Compost
http://www.woodscapeofutah.com
767 South Gladiola Street (3400 West)
SLC, Utah 84104
Open Monday to Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
April 1- October 31
Including all holidays and days of inclement weather.
385 214-9514
deseretnursery@gmail.com
767 South Gladiola Street
Salt Lake City, UT 84104
ph: 385 214-9514
deseretn
Growing Perennials in Utah
A simple and practical guide
GROWING PERENNIALS ALONG THE WASATCH FRONT
Perennial plants are soft-tissue (herbaceous) or semi woody garden plants that typically return for multiple, years. Their longevity can vary greatly. Realistically, most perennials bloom for 6-8 weeks. Perennials offer a refreshing interlude experience of unique color and texture that are not found in trees, shrubs and annuals.
As long as you are expending yourself, and applying water, more should be in the garden equation than just grass, trees and shrubs. In addition, they are an ideal vehicle to saving water in the landscape. Perennial plants are essentially like a home appliance. They require some care, and they may eventually wear themselves out.
Growing Perennials in Utah
There are an abundant amount of perennials that thrive in our climate. The state of Utah offers some unique climatic situations, however. Our lack of humidity in the summer makes the sun more intense in the heat of the day. But it also makes the shade less intense. Many plants labeled for full sun in other areas of the country, will not take our full sun. Their location must be shifted to be adjacent to shade, partial sun or partial shade.
Mulching around the plants helps to keep the soil cool. Quite often if the roots are cool, the plant is happy. Radiating sources of heat such as the side of a house, pavement, or gravel mulches can greatly add to heat accumulation.
The PH of our soil and alkalinity also affects certain plants and their ability to metabolize certain nutrients. This inability can be buffered by shifting them to shade, or part shade.
You hike down the wilderness trail and you see some flowers growing along the side. There is a part of you that wants some of them to be growing in your home yard. But perennials need to be what we call adaptable. Can you readily propagate it? Can you grow it in nursery containers? Is the bloom or foliage significant enough that enough people will buy it? Will it grow in the home landscape in Utah? The fact of the matter is that most Utah and intermountain native plants are not adaptable to the home landscape.
Fortunately there are many perennials that can be sourced from around the world that are adaptable to Utah, are superior in the home landscape. or
Most of the Wasatch Front is a USDA climate zone 6, 0 to a minus 10 degrees, zone 5 minus 10 to minus 20 degrees. While the mountain valley or high valleys are a Zone 4 which is minus 20 degrees to a minus 30 degrees hardiness. Most of the Wasatch Front rarely reaches the worst case scenarios of cold. However, because of the cold air settling into the high valleys, they will quite often dip into the low extremes, and it is more often a given.
Snow is an insulator and many of these higher elevations are often deeper in snow. Furthermore, the consistent nature of snow along the benches of the Wasatch front can buffer the temperatures in those areas. With perennials you have some give. We always say that it is easier to replace a perennial than a tree. Winter mulch coverings can allow a broader range of perennials in some marginal situations.
Suburban areas that are what we call "tree'd in" seem to have greater flexibility in what they can grow, whereas open, or areas where winds are prevelant, especially winter winds can pose significant chalenges. Our own growing nursery and testing gardens are located in a high and prevelant wind locale. We like to hear your experience in all of the climatic conditions, and we treasure you feedback on your successes and failures.
767 South Gladiola Street
Salt Lake City, UT 84104
ph: 385 214-9514
deseretn