From my perspective, sunlight is my primary source of energy. It is the fuel that powers my entire system, especially the complex process of creating flowers. If I am planted in a spot that is too shady, even for just part of the day, I simply cannot generate enough energy to produce blooms. My priority becomes survival—growing leaves to capture what little light I can. I may become leggy as I stretch towards the light, and my foliage might look just fine, but all my resources are going into staying alive, not into the extravagant energy expenditure of flowering. I need a minimum of six hours of direct, unfiltered sunlight each day to have the strength to show off my beautiful flowers for you.
My roots are my mouth, and the soil is my dinner plate. I am a bit of a heavy feeder and I prefer my soil to be consistently moist, rich, and well-drained. If the soil is too sandy or poor, it cannot hold the nutrients and moisture I need to support flowering. I will be undernourished. Conversely, if the soil is heavy, soggy clay, my roots can suffocate and rot, making it impossible for me to uptake any nutrients or water at all. Stress from drought is a common reason I withhold flowers; without a steady supply of water, I cannot transport nutrients or maintain the turgor pressure needed to build flower buds. A layer of mulch around my base helps keep my "dinner plate" moist and cool.
Nutrition is a delicate balance. You might think feeding me more will help, but it can often do the opposite. If you give me a fertilizer with too much nitrogen, you are essentially telling me to focus all my energy on growing green, leafy vegetation. Nitrogen promotes fantastic leaf growth at the expense of flowers. I need a fertilizer that is more balanced or one that is higher in phosphorus (the middle number in the N-P-K ratio), as phosphorus directly supports root development, bud formation, and flowering. Please, go easy on the nitrogen-heavy plant food if you want to see my blooms.
If I am a new plant, please be patient. In my first year, my main job is to establish a strong and healthy root system to ensure I can survive for many seasons to come. I am building my foundation. It is in my second and subsequent years that I will have the resources to put on a spectacular floral show. Furthermore, as I mature, I spread and form a large clump. If I become too crowded, I am competing with my own stems for light, water, and nutrients in the soil. This internal competition causes stress and can significantly reduce my flowering. Dividing my clump every few years in the spring gives me and my new divisions the space we need to thrive and flower abundantly.
Timing is everything. I form my flower buds on new growth that emerges in the same season. If you prune me back too late in the season, you might accidentally be cutting off the very stems that were destined to produce my flowers. Also, a late spring frost can be devastating. If I have put out new growth and tender flower buds, a sudden freeze can damage or kill them, leaving me with no choice but to wait until next year. Please be mindful of when you cut me back and protect my new spring growth if an unexpected cold snap is forecast.
