đż Perennial Shuffles: Divide, Move, and Make Room đż
đż Perennial Shuffles: Divide, Move, and Make Room đż
May is one of my favorite times to rethink the garden—especially the perennial beds. Plants are waking up, the weather is perfect for digging, and you can really reshape your space before summer hits. Dividing and moving perennials isn’t just practical—it’s deeply satisfying. It’s like rearranging furniture and realizing your room suddenly works better.
đ Why Divide?
Over time, many perennials get too crowded. You’ll see fewer blooms, more flopping, or bare centers. Dividing helps refresh the plant, encourage better flowering, and gives you free plants to use somewhere else (or share with a friend). Hostas, daylilies, coneflowers, and more benefit from a split every few years.
đ Moving What’s Not Working
We’ve all done it—planted something in the wrong spot. Maybe it’s too shady, too wet, or just not thriving. Don’t let guilt keep it there. May is the time to dig it up, give it a better home, and move on. Your garden should bring you joy, not frustration.
â Make Room for What’s New
Let’s be honest: we’re all bringing home new plants in May. Creating space ahead of time helps you make better choices and avoid impulse overcrowding (which I still do, by the way). Use this time to add compost, fluff the soil, and get everything ready.
đą Pro Tips for Happy Transplants
Water well before and after you move a plant
Try to keep the root ball as intact as possible
Replant at the same depth and mulch around the base
Don’t forget to label if you’re moving something dormant!
đ¸ Final thought? Don’t overthink it. Gardening is a living, growing process. If you shift things around and they thrive—great. If not, try again. The shuffle is part of the magic.
Support winter birds with easy homemade suet recipes, including bark butter, no-melt suet, and suet wreaths, plus storage and feeding tips.
Learn how to tell if dried herbs are still good, the best ways to use them up, and simple infusion methods for vinegars, oils, and compound butters.
A DIY seed-starting how-to for Zone 5 gardeners, including what seeds to start in February, beginner-friendly setup tips, and proven methods for healthy seedlings.
Winter sowing is an easy, eco-friendly method for starting seeds outdoors using natural freeze-thaw cycles—perfect for native plants and pollinator gardens.
Learn how to plant and care for a terrarium with simple, sustainable tips that make these mini ecosystems easy to maintain and perfect for small spaces.
Discover the benefits of houseplants, from improving air quality to boosting mental health and supporting sustainable living—perfect for winter and beyond.
Brighten your winter with a stunning amaryllis. Learn how to plant, water, and care for amaryllis bulbs indoors—and watch the full how-to video linked inside.
Learn how to keep your poinsettias vibrant all season long with these easy indoor care tips. Discover the best lighting, watering, and placement strategies for healthy holiday plants.
Help your plants survive the winter and thrive next spring. Learn how to protect perennials, shrubs, and trees in Zone 5 with these simple, effective garden care tips from The Landscape Connection.
Fall cleanup doesn’t mean stripping your garden bare. Learn how to protect pollinators, wildlife, and soil health with a mindful approach that keeps your Zone 5 garden thriving and ready for spring.
