How to Plant Your High Country Gardens Pre-Planned Garden

When You Receive Your Plants

• Remove plants from the shipping box and bags immediately.
• Water plants thoroughly if they’re dry.
• For best success, plant right away.
• If you can’t plant right away: place the plants outdoors in morning sun only. Keep soil moist but not soggy, and plant within 7–10 days.

Lay Out Your Pre-Planned Garden

Each Pre-Planned Garden comes with a Garden Map showing the optimal planting arrangement and spacing for mature growth.

• Choose a spot matching your garden’s light and soil needs.
• Measure out the area based on your garden map.
• Allow at least 12" of extra space around the garden’s edges.
• Lay out plants per the map, keeping mature size in mind.
• Adjust as needed: tallest in back, shortest in front for best visibility.

Prepare Your Soil

• Loosen soil 8–12" deep. For best results, use natural and organic materials.
• In existing beds, mix a small amount of organic fertilizer and compost into each hole.
• In new beds, mix organic fertilizer and compost throughout the soil.
• We recommend Yum Yum Mix and Plant Success Granular Mycorrhizal Root Inoculant.

Plant Your Garden

• Dig each hole the same depth and twice as wide as the pot.
• Remove plant from pot gently; loosen the root ball.
• Set the root ball level with the ground, fill soil, and press lightly.
• Place the plant tag near each plant for easy reference.
• Water all plants thoroughly after planting.

Learn more about planting perennials from David Salman in our Gardening Videos

Watering & Care

• Watering: Check soil moisture regularly. Water deeply and infrequently.
• Mulch: Apply mulch, leaving 1” around each plant to prevent rot.
• Fertilizer: Use a low-nitrogen, low-phosphorus mix once a year in fall.
• Dormancy: Perennials die back in winter and regrow in spring.
• Spring: Blooms may appear in the first season but peak in the second.
• Growth: Plants take 2–3 years to reach full maturity.

What To Expect In The First & Second Seasons

An example of a Pre-Planned Garden’s progress from planting through its first and second seasons:

Garden Maintenance

• Cut back dead foliage after killing frosts in late fall or winter.
• Shrubs keep stems but drop leaves; prune dead material as needed.
• Leave Echinacea and Black-Eyed Susan seed heads for birds, then cut back in early spring.
• Ornamental grasses add winter texture; cut back by two-thirds in early spring.

Companion Planting For Your Pre-Planned Garden

Add visual depth with ornamental grasses or shrubs behind your garden. For spring color, include spring-blooming bulbs that fade as your perennials begin to flower.

Enjoy Your Garden

Perennial gardens offer lasting beauty and minimal upkeep. When the work is done, sit back and enjoy the view. For questions, please contact us.