Dry roots are chief cause of planting failures, and steps should be taken to prevent this—i.e., balling and burlapping, and heeling in. After receiving shrubs from a nursery, water as soon as possible; shade them from sunshine at first, mulch ground around them, and prune back severely.

The older plant you get, more severely it will have to be cut back, so that in long run, you come out just as well buying less expensive, smaller shrubs. Forsythia and azalea may be moved while in flower, but most plants should not.

Watering in fall, before ground freezes, is important for box, azalea, rhododendron, mountain laurel and broadleaf evergreens, whose leaves lose moisture in winter.

Pruning of shrubs helps to keep them young and vigorous. Rather than cutting all branches off to an even length, prune out older branches, even though they may be sound. With lilacs, for example, use a keyhole saw, and cut as close to ground as possible, cutting out oldest stems.

Some shrubs need pruning every year, especially those which have dead branches as a result of winterkill. (These include some deutzias, hydrangeas, buddleia, spireas and privets.) Other shrubs such as rhododendron, azaleas, magnolia and buddleia should have flower heads pruned off after blooming.

Hardy in zones four through nine, rhizomes can be planted from October to March. However, Japanese Iris grown from seed are smaller but bloom with exquisitely elegant flowers.

The Japanese Iris is an extremely beautiful waterside plant that exhibits breath-taking reflections when placed near water’s edge, During summer, many gardeners pot Japanese Iris and place them at ponds edge or in shallow tubs of water. However, in winter pots need to be removed from standing water to keep rhizomes from rotting. When planting Japanese Iris in a perennial garden, mulch helps retain abundant moisture they love as well as controlling weeds.

Japanese Iris do best in acidic soil in full sun to part shade. Rhizomes are typically planted 2-inches deep and 18 inches apart. Plants should be lifted and divided every three to four years, either after flowering is finished or in fall.

Although Japanese Iris is beautiful in all its variations, unusual patterns and shapes of red-violet cultivars add distinction to any perennial garden.