Fall is a great time for dividing plants for Garden Mart!

Fall is a great time for Dividing Plants for Garden Mart! Fall isn’t only harvest or perennial planting time. It is also the time to split your perennials. I decided last September and October to get a jump on my preparation to donate 10 perennials for the Garden Mart. I dug and potted up a bunch and was delighted to see how well they over-wintered. I tucked all of the pots close together in a sunny spot in my garden beds that were out of wind. I packed a bunch of leaves and straw mulch from the vegetable garden around the pots to keep them insulated. (You could also sink the pots in an empty garden spot as long as the pots have good holes in the bottom.) Much to my delight all of the perennials “took.” It was disappointing that my plants didn’t get to Garden Mart this year. The best was I learned that dividing and potting them up to overwinter does work. I encourage you to give it a try. This approach would save you time next spring getting your perennial donations ready for Garden Mart.

- Brenda Schultz, Garden Mart Chair