IS THERE REALLY A WAY TO MINIMIZE DISEASE AND PESTS AMONG PERENNIALS?

YES!  There are several ways to minimize pests and disease:

• When selecting plants, choose ones that are disease resistant in the area where you live
• Make sure that you are giving your plant the very best growing conditions--proper soil drainage, water, fertilizer, air circulation, and light condition
• (This one many people don't know is so important)  Grow a variety of plants.  If your gardens have a wide variety of plants, what bothers one probably won't bother another, and so your beds will be less likely to get a severe infestation of pests or disease
• Immediately take out plants, or parts of plants that are diseased or insect infested
• Fall clean up is important--This helps to remove pests that may over-winter in your beds
• If you see a problem, make sure to treat it IMMEDIATELY!  If you can "nip it in the bud" you'll save yourself a whole lot of grief. 

Right now the biggest pests I have in the garden beds are the dreaded GRASSHOPPERS AND EARWIGS!  I can honestly say I don't like grasshoppers or earwigs at all!  They can devour a whole mum (I know from experience) in a matter of days. Earwigs can be baited, but I really don't know a successful way to get rid of grasshoppers (I don't like spraying because I don't want bees or other beneficial insects to be affected). I try to "hand-pick" them and discard them. If anyone has a better way, please let me know!  Between them and the hot, hot summer days, August has never been my favorite time in the gardens.  But, on a brighter note, the dahlias and late Oriental lilies are starting to bloom, and that makes me happy!