Gardening and Horticulture - plants around tree

I have a large crab apple tree with thick roots in that area. Because it will be difficult to dig deep, my friend suggested that I plant annuals. Are there any perennials that come in a small pot? I would need approximately three flats of impatiens which would be quite costly.

Thanks,
Karen

Hi Karen,

Yes, there are perennials that come in small pots, but you will most likely have to mail order them as most nurseries sell larger pots. If you do mail order you can check references at Garden Watchdog. You can even search by state/country and type of plant material.
http://davesgarden.com/products/gwd/

Have you considered starting seeds? Maybe prep the area in the fall and sprinkle seeds of hardy perennials so they sprout in spring.

You don't say where you live so I can't make suggestions about plant material. You might also want to consider one of the stepable plants. You can find your hardiness zone here too. If you choose something and you aren't sure if it's invasive, get back to me and I'll try to help you.
http://stepables.com/

Newt