Care & Guidance
Whilst you enjoy your perennials for their fantastic foliage or beautiful blooms, it's really the roots you're buying - because the roots allow the plants to come back every year. Use these tips to make sure your perennials get off to the right start.
Container grown perennials are easy to plant and commonly available. Start digging a hole that's a little wider but no deeper than the pot your new perennial came in. Loosen the roots, and spread them out if the plant has become rootbound* (*when roots start to grow in circles around the edge of the pot). Then firm the soil in around the roots and water well.
Planting Tips: water your perennials well after you plant them. Then lay a 2-3 inch deep layer of mulch over the soil around your new plants. The mulch will help the soil hold moisture and prevent weeds from growing. Give taller perennials such as delphiniums, holihocks and peonies support by staking them. Anchor single stems by inserting a rod or sturdy stick into the ground and tying the stem to it. Keep clump forming plants with multiple stems standing, by growing through a hoop. Regularly deadhead and divide your perennials to keep them healthy and looking beautiful.
Deadheading: simply means cutting the faded flowers off your plants. It makes your plants look better and it prevents them from setting seed so you don't have a mass of seedlings popping up in your garden.
Dividing: One of the best things about perennials is that they grow bigger and better each year. But many start to crowd themselves out if they get too big. Keep them performing well by digging them out of the ground and splitting them into smaller chunks every 3 or 4 years. Early spring and autumn are the best times to divide most perennials. A couple of exceptions include bearded iris and hosta: split these perennials in summer.
Watering: There's no one-size fits all rule for watering perennials. Some varieties stand up to drought and others need to be kept moist all the time. Keep your plants healthier and make watering a breeze by grouping plants in acccordance with their watering needs. No matter what perennials you're growing, be sure to keep them all well watered in the first year - that allows them to become well established.
Feeding: If you have rich soil or improve it with garden compost or other forms of organic matter on a regular basis, you probably won't need to feed your plants, But if you're burdened with poor soil, fertilising can be helpful. Take care not to over fertilise - this may make your plants flower less, suffer root injury, or even kill your perennials.
Winter Care: Perennials that are reliably cold hardy in your region shouldn't need any special winter care. But spreading a layer of mulch over them after the soil freezes can help prevent winter damage during an especially cold season. Many gardeners like to leave the dead stems of their perennials standing all winter, providing food for birds. Perennials can help to catch snow, which is one of the best winter mulches.
Coneflower. An erect perennial with stout stems of large daisy-like flowerheads. Height 1.5m. Spread 45cm. Flowers from July to September. Herbaceous. Hardy.
Fragrant, double cinnamon-red flowers on shorter stems. Plant habit is well-branched, strong and bushy, spreading wider than they are tall.
Coneflower. An erect perennial with stout stems of large daisy-like flowerheads. Height 1.5m. Spread 45cm. Flowers from July to September. Herbaceous. Hardy.
Large, pure yellow flowers with wider overlapping petals and a tawny centre cone. This compact plant is sturdy, well branched and produces many flowers from late summer into autumn.
Coneflower. Large, bright orange-red flowers held on quite long stems. A great plant partner to tall airy grasses and a rich colour addition to a sunny border. Height 60cm.
Vivid pink with a fully double, tight bun centre, surrounded by a horizontal rim of ray florets. The bun centre is accentuated by a darker eye. 80-100 cm high , Bee friendly
Sunny-yellow, fragrant double flowers with downward pointing petals. Height 45-60cm. Spread 60cm. Flowers from late spring through to summer. Prefers sunny position.
Has a lovely, light fragrance while being an exceptional heavy flowering variety. Medium, upright plants are covered in bright red flowers which perfectly contrasts its emerald green foliage.
The petals look like slices of watermelon with deep pink centres and light green edges. Flowers prolifically on a compact habit. An eye-catching addition to sunny summer borders. Herbaceous. Hardy.
A vigorous, recently introduced cultivar, which flowers over a long period from midsummer. Emerging red the flowerheads mature to a bright red and grow up to 12cm across on the upright, branching stems.
This Echinacea sports a double flower with a tuft of petals in the center of each bloom surrounded by longer ray petals. Beautiful creamy white fading to green in the centre. 18-24 inches high and wide.
Globe Thistle. A clump-forming perennial with grey-woolly stems and grey-green leaves. Produces attractive, globe-shaped dark blue flowerheads. Height 1m. Spread 60cm. Flowers from July to August. Herbaceous. Hardy.
A striking form bearing a profusion of golf-ball sized white blooms, Jul-Sept. Attractive foliage dark green with silver grey undersides. Height 1-1.5m. Good for bees and butterflies. Well drained soil. Sunny position.
Globe Thistle. A clump-forming perennial with dark green leaves above white-downy beneath. Produces attractive, globe-shaped blue flowerheads. Height 45cm. Spread 45cm. Flowers from July to August. Herbaceous. Hardy.
Undeniably an eye stopper, a magnificent inflorescence with dense panicles of white flowers borne above branches of dusty, silvery linear leaves, When in bloom, it is a magnet for bees and butterflies.
The elegant flower spike of this cultivar is crowded with rusty orange buds opening to peach-flushed, golden-yellow flowers. A relatively compact form, it tolerates more exposed positions where it will put on an eye-catching display.
Fleabane. A clump-forming perennial with basal leaves. Pretty semi-double lavender-blue daisy-like flowerheads. Height 45cm. Spread 45cm. Flowers from May to July. Herbaceous. Hardy.
Fleabane. A woody-based carpeting perennial with grey-green leaves. Pretty yellow centred flowers with white petals fading through pink to purple. Height 15-30cm. Spread 1m. Flowers from May to July. Herbaceous. Hardy. Protect from winter wet.
An attractive spreading plant that has pretty daisy-like, two-tone flowers that change colour from white to rose pink. Prefers full sun, or partial shade with free-draining soil or compost. Ideal for hanging baskets, containers, borders and ground cover.
Fleabane. Spreading carpet plant. Pink/lilac daisy like flowers with yellow centres. Height 30cm. Spread45cm. Flowers June - September. Full Sun good for costal locations or exposed sites.
Sea Holly. A perennial with spiny. very striking grey and white striped, figured leaves in a neat tussock. Good translucent violet blue flower heads June- August. Height 55cm. Spread 30cm. Plant in well drained dry soil, sunny position.
Golden-leaved Sea Holly. Striking electric blue, teasel shaped flowers stand tall over contrasting golden foliage. A real dazzler in the border.
In the centre of a violet-blue ruff-like collar of long, jagged edged spikes sits a thimble-like mound of tiny blue flowers. These are carried on stiff stems that rise from a clump of mid-green leaves. The flowers start pale blue and darken with age.
Sea Holly features open umbels of prickly steel-blue flowers which are a favourite for cutting, fresh or dried. This unique dwarf strain is ideal for the front of a sunny border or in mixed containers. The short stems produce metallic-blue sprays that remain attractive for weeks. Attractive to butterflies.
A perennial with open umbels of prickly flowers which are a favourite for cutting, fresh or dried. This unusual selection has grey-green leaves edged in creamy white, developing pink tones during the cooler months. Stems and flower clusters are a rich violet blue, appearing in early to midsummer. Tolerant of hot, dry sites, and soils high in salts.
This delightful Sea Holly has long lasting, bright metallic-blue flowers that arrive in mid to late summer and usually last well into the autumn. They have a strong architectural shape, so are best in uncrowded borders where they can really stand out on their own. Honey bees love their flowers so they are a perfect for adding to a sunny, wildlife-friendly garden.
Deep blue spiky collar surrounding a cone of small, deep blue flowers and are carried on dark blue stems above large, mid-green leaves.
Wallflower. A bushy perennial with grey green narrow leaves. Clusters of rich mauve flowers. Height 75cm. Spread 60cm. Flowers from May to August. Evergreen. Hardy. Sheltered Site.
Blooms very early with no cooling requirements. High heat tolerance and will flower during summer season. These are first-year flowering, very quick in production, and easy to program.
An upright wallflower with blooms that change from mauve to yellow. Ideal Conditions: Prefers full sun, or partial shade with free-draining soil or compost. Possible Situation: Suitable for the bed, border as well as large patio containers, on its own, or with other perennials or patio plants.
Milk white flowers with a hint of cream. A great combination against the dark green foliage. Prefers full sun, or partial shade with free-draining soil or compost.
Joe Pye Weed. A perennial with mid-green leaves. Bears domed clusters of wine-red flowers on purple-red stems. Flowers from July to September. Height 2m. Spread 1m. Herbaceous.
Joe Pye Weed. A perennial with erect, finely toothed mid-green leaves. Bears domed clusters of pale pink, purple or white flowers on stout stems. Height 2.2m. Spread 1m. Flowers from July to September. Herbaceous. Hardy.
White Snakeroot. A perennial with chocolate leaves. Bears pretty clusters of pink-purple flowers. Height 1.2m. Spread 60cm. Flowers from July to September. Herbaceous. Hardy.
An evergreen perennial with whorls of grey-green lance-shaped leaves edged in yellow. In the cooler months, the foliage becomes flushed with shades of red, pink, and orange. From early spring it bears clusters of lime-green flowers.
Mon - Fri 8:00am - 5:00pm
Sat & Sun 9:00am - 5:00pm
Any questions? Email us or give us a call on 01904 400092.
