Floppy Perennials, Holey Vegetables, and Wet Soil Gardening

Sometimes our gardens need troubleshooting.
Floppy Perennials, Holey Vegetables, and Wet Soil Gardening
Peonies sometimes need assistance staying vertical. lzf/Shutterstock
Updated:
0:00

Q: We have several tall perennials that flop over when they go into bloom. When we try to straighten up the iris, peony, and delphinium plants, they crack and break. How can we keep them growing straight up without having a whole bunch of poles sticking up in the yard?

A: Check with your local garden center for a horizontal fence, sometimes called a peony hoop. They usually come in circular rings of a wire grid. They have a variety of diameters and leg lengths. In the early spring, stake the legs into the ground with the grid hovering over the base of the plant. The plant stems will grow up through the grid, helping to hide it. As it gets taller, the legs can be pulled up and out of the ground or new, longer legs can be added.

Jeff Rugg
Jeff Rugg
Author
Email questions to Jeff Rugg at [email protected]. To find out more about Jeff Rugg and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at Creators.com. Copyright 2023 Jeff Rugg. Distributed by Creators Syndicate.