2/02-07 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For more information contact: Christine Kelleher, 800-232-9557, Ext. 512 or Gary Doerr, 916-716-1889

Neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet, nor hail, nor dark of night will stay the faithful mailbox garden from swift completion of its appointed purpose. Apologies to the postman's creed, but like your mailman, a well-planned mailbox garden will stand up to any kind of weather, season after season. And if its appointed purpose is to deliver a cheerful message, nothing could be better than flowering perennials.

Of course you'll have to find plants that are tough enough to survive both their curbside setting and your benign neglect. (Admit it, you're probably not going to tote your watering can to the mailbox every time you run out to collect bills.) Plants will also have to contend with road salt in the winter, heat from the nearby tarmac, exhaust fumes, trampling feet and the occasional pilfering of flowers by mischievous children.

The good news is mailbox gardens are usually small, so you can fill the space with a few choice perennials that will provide attractive flowers and interesting foliage when they're not in bloom.

Before planting anything, prep your soil for the hardships that plants are likely to endure. Shape the bed, strip away the sod and then dig down at least a foot deep, mixing in compost and superphosphate (0-20-0). Work the superphosphate 8 inches deep, where it will remain in the plants' root zone. Next, spread a balanced 10-10-10 granular fertilizer lightly across the bed and mix it into the top few inches. If the bed is located near the road, soil could be excessively sodic from years of accumulated road salt. Add gypsum at the rate of 1 pound per 25 square feet, working it into the soil to help wash sodium away.

After your bed is prepared, choose the right plants for year-round interest. Bulbs will start the season with cheerful color. Clusters of yellow Daffodils surrounded by Grape Hyacinths create a durable yet eye-catching combination in early spring. Once bulbs fade, you'll need something to hide the ragged foliage. That's where Daylilies (Hemerocallis) come in. Try 'Miss Amelia' with its has small, creamy-yellow flowers that stand well above the handsome foliage.

Another good choice for mailbox gardens is Achillea 'Anthea', a durable hybrid Yarrow that has soft yellow flowers from late spring into fall. Pair it with a deep-blue Siberian Iris for a stunning combination in June. Then let the Daylilies take over in July.

'Autumn Joy' Sedum will continue the parade into fall, with pink buds and cinnamon-colored blossoms in September. Leave the seed heads in place for late fall and winter interest.

For partial shade areas, plant Hostas instead of Daylilies. The leaves will hide bulb foliage in late spring and provide interest throughout the summer. Or try ×Heucherella 'Quicksilver.' It's another tough-but-attractive plant that tolerates dry summer partial shade and has clusters of white bell-shaped flowers held high above silver and bronze foliage. Pair it with the perennial Geranium, Crane's Bill. The hybrid 'Rozanne', from Blooms of Bressingham produces large blue-violet flowers from early summer until frost, and its marbled-green foliage turns reddish-brown in autumn. Note: Don't confuse this Geranium with the annual plant Pelargonium ×hortorum, which is frequently marketed as a "geranium.''

If you're looking for a tough alternative to the overused mailbox Clematis, try Clematis heracleifolia 'Alan Bloom'. Unlike the familiar twining vines that sometimes collapse into a tangled mat, this plant has a self-supporting, shrubby growth habit. Tubular blue flowers bloom from midsummer to early fall over bushy, green foliage. Plants like full sun and are drought resistant once established.

Whatever perennials you choose, remember that nothing is carefree for the first few months in a new setting. Give your plants plenty of water and TLC after transplanting and they'll reward you in following seasons with long-lasting beauty.

Pictures available.