Finding Hardy Perennials for Zone 5b: Resources and Soil Recipe

A gardener in upstate New York (Zone 5b) wants a reliable list of perennials for nursery shopping.

Top Online Resources

• Spring Hill Nursery – Enter your zone and preferences; get tailored suggestions. springhillnursery.com
• Ilona’s Reflecting Pool – Curated perennial info. geocities.com/reflectpool/gardening.html

Proven Soil Mixture (The “Foolproof Recipe”)

Great gardening is 90% soil preparation. For each 10'×10' bed, rototill 1 foot deep:

• 4 bags good topsoil
• 4 bags composted manure (horse/cow/chicken, not raw)
• Any amount homemade compost
• 2 bags play sand (adjust for soil type)
• 1 bag Milorganite (organic fertilizer)
• 2 bags cedar mulch (small chips)
• 2 bags pelletized gypsum (if clay soil)
• 1 bag powdered/granulated sulfur

Maintain by lightly turning this mix into established beds yearly. Milorganite (~$10/bag) is safe for pets and works on lawns too. After planting, apply Preen with fertilizer to suppress weeds all season.

This mixture creates a friable, fertile soil that drives exceptional results.