Question
QUESTION: I need to convert two separate garden areas to small green cover/perrenials to lessen my summer gardening work..due to age! The Areas are 1) 3 by 15 feet..north of garage shady! 2)4X20 feet 95 % sunny. I'm in zone 5. Any suggestions will be appreciated. Thank you.

ANSWER: Robert,
 I am doing the exact same project--getting into a maintainence stage in the garden.  Mine is my backyard-60' x 96'!!
 First I want to give you the best "SOIL RECIPE",  80% of the success of the garden is the soil!  I have to go out of town for the day but will get to the plants tonight for you.  
 Do you have any existing plants you want to transplant into the areaas?

Super Soil Mixture:

  In the established garden areas, I  use a shovel or pitchfork to turn the  areas around the plants  each year and work in some of the mix.  Work it into the soil around all your established plants.
 
For new garden beds:
 For every 10?x 10?of NEW area add: (you can cut the portions as needed)

4 bags of good topsoil
4 bags of horse/cow/chicken manure-elephant is the VERY BEST!!
Any amount of your own compost
2 bags sand-play sand is OK(depending on your soil type)
1 bag Millorganite -organic fertilizer, nurseries-not avail. in all states
2 bags cedar mulch
2 bags pellet gypsum (for aeration)-if your soil has lots of clay
1 bag powdered/granulated sulphur

Rototill this mixture into the ground to about 1 foot in depth or more if you can.

This mixture is the best I have formulated and I have GREAT success with it.  I always have a bunch of it premixed so when I transplant I can have that area primed!  This stuff is like butter if you till it enough and put in the right stuff!

MILLORGANITE can be purchased at all the nurseries in town, about $10 a bag.  It is organic and will not harm pets or you!  You can put it on the lawn in the spring and again in the fall with a spreader ( I put it on quite heavily) and all your flowers and vegetables.  It is not available in all states.

揚REEN?is also a GREAT product to put on your garden areas to prevent weed growth.  You first have to get all the weeds out first.  Then put on the PREEN-with or without fertilizer-right at the first of spring and again in the middle of summer. [You cannot grow seeds if you put PREEN down first] I抳e NEVER had weeds in my flower areas since starting this product.  If you want to go organic and natural, use corn gluten at the same times.

I live in the same zones as you so I'll be back tonight with plant suggestions

Sijka

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: You never answered my original question?  Do you have some long blooming perennial recommendations". You did tell me about your favorite garden mix. Thanks.

Answer
Robert,
 I'm so sorry---I must have been tired or just sun beat!!

Not even a question about the spring:
Full Sun:
Crocus
Creeping phlox (3") a ground cover
Grape hyacinth (6")
Regular hyacinth (10-12" and very fragrant)
Daffodils-12-14" and there are dozens of color combinations)
Tulips- (12-16") and in a great variety of size and color
Partial sun and shade:
Crocus
Grape hyacinth
Candytuft

And on into summer (listed in no particular order)
Iris
Lady's Mantle
Mountain bluebells
Cranesbills
Summer phlox (the tall ones)
Bee balm (spreads wildly)
Gooseneck loosestrife (REALLY takes over)
Obedient flowers
Butterfly weed (also fall)
Balloon flower

On into fall:
Cardinal flower
Aster (lots of sizes and colors)
Sage
Bostonian
Chrysanthemum
Goldenrod

A great book to get is:
The Time Life Complete Gardener>Three Seasons of Bloom
ISBN# 0-7835-4117-1

Now for some shade or partial shade plants
Partial sun and shade-Spring:
Crocus
Grape hyacinth
Coral Bells-green leafed
Candytuft
Spiderwort
mints-keep cut to a manageable area
Lilies of the Valley-these will spread-start out sparingly
Elephant ears-green or black-these are HUGE and need to be
dug out for winter and stored properly.
Caladium-Very colorful and need to be dug out for
winter and stored properly.



And on into summer flowering:
Coral Bells-red leafed
hosta-and they do flower! there are now 228 different
varieties--Magnificent!! Look on web for varieties.
Lady's Mantle
Lungwort
Mountain bluebells
Cranesbills
Summer phlox (the tall ones)
Bee balm (spreads wildly)
Purple sage

You may want to go to your library or book store for books on shade gardening or check out these websites:

websites  to use for reference if you have partial shade, dense shade, etc.....

http://www.provenwinners.com/main.cfm

http://springhillnursery.com/

http://www.tmac.clara.co.uk/urgring/faqshade.htm

http://www.growinglifestyle.com/h/garden/shade/index.html

http://www.nativesoftexas.com/plants_for_shade_and_part_shade.htm


You will notice that some of the same plants are on the sunny and the shady plant lists.  Some that like sun will be a smaller version of the full sun plant.  I have had success crossing over--and if they don't work--transplant them!  Every area of your yard is it's own "micro-climate" and you never know what will really work until you try.

Hope this will help you.
Sorry about not answering you!

Sijka