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. 

 

 

  • Dahlia fimbriata Myrtle's Folly 3L pot

    For a top quality cut flower. Height 90cm. Massive 20cm across flowers with lots of fine petals making an amazing pom-pom of peach, pink and yellow. Stunning.

  • Dahlia Gallery Pablo Bicolour Salmon Yellow 3L pot

    Very decorative bedding dahlia with compact growth habit and a rich profusion of large flowers. This variety is suitable for pots, flowerbeds and window boxes. Flowers from early summer into autumn.

  • Dahlia Izarra 3L pot

    Flower colour is yellow with orange in the middle of the petal. Petals are narrow and separate from each other with a linear shape.

  • Dahlia Moonfire 3L pot

    A superb dahlia with dark green leaves and soft orange-yellow and red flowers. Height 50cm. Spread 40cm. Flowers from July to September. Herbaceous. Not hardy.

  • Dahlia Mystic Dreamer 3L pot

    Single type dahlia bred by the eminent NZ grower Dr Keith Hammett. Delicate flowers pink-veined on a base of white with a dark central disc. Foliage is dark brown, almost black. Attractive to bees and pollinating insects this easy to care for cultivar is suitable for pots and containers on the patio and for planting in the garden.

  • Dahlia Twining After Eight 3L pot

    A fantastic new variety with black leaves and flat single white flowers, which sometimes turn a very pale pink. 1m.

  • Dahlia Vuurvogel 3L pot

    Spectacular semi-cactus Dahlia that provides spiky shaped petals that develop from red through to orange, to bright yellow centres.

  • Dahlia x hortensis Gallery Pablo 3L pot

    Very decorative bedding dahlia with compact growth habit and a rich profusion of large flowers. This variety is suitable for pots and flowers-beds and window boxes. Flowers from early summer into autumn.

  • Dahlia x hortensis Happy Day Yellow 3L pot

    Compact, mound-forming, tuberous perennial with toothed, pinnate, purple-black leaves and strong, upright stems bearing single, yellow flowers from summer into autumn.

  • Dahlia x hortensis Lubega Power Tricolour 3L pot

    The flowers are yellow, red and orange. Height up to 20cm. The soil conditions should be well-drained and the plant area sunny.

  • Dahlia x hortensis Lubega Power Tropical Punch 3L pot

    A fruity cocktail of yellow and coral pink. Very dwarf and well-branching habit. Perfect for container growing.

  • Dahlia x hybrida Dahlietta Surprise Demi Pink 3L pot

    A dense, compact dwarf dahlia with deep, pink double flowers. Great in tubs. 30cm.

  • Dahlia x hybrida Gallery Art Fair White 3L pot

    A delightful, spreading, low-growing evergreen perennial. Fine silvery leaves are covered in bright white daisy-like flowers in summer.

  • Delphinium Magic Fountain Deep Rose White Bee 3L pot

    A pacific hybrid perennial. Dwarf form with spikes of deep rose flowers. Height 80cm. Flowers from May to July. Herbaceous. Hardy. Sheltered Site. Harmful if eaten.

  • Delphinium Magic Fountain White 3L pot

    A pacific hybrid perennial. Dwarf form with spikes of white flowers. Height 80cm. Flowers from May to July. Herbaceous. Hardy. Sheltered Site. Harmful if eaten.

  • Delphinium Magic Fountains Dark Blue Black 3L pot

    A pacific hybrid perennial. Dwarf form with spikes of blue flowers. Height 80cm. Flowers from May to July. Herbaceous. Hardy. Sheltered Site. Harmful if eaten.

  • Delphinium Pagans Purples 3L pot

    A pacific hybrid perennial with tall spikes of purple flowers. Height 2m. Spread 75cm. Flowers from May to July. Herbaceous. Hardy. Sheltered Site. Harmful if eaten. Protect from slugs.

  • Dianella tascmanica Destiny 3L pot

    Hardy, cream and rich green variegated leafed 'Flax Lilly'. Ideal for border and large container. Excellent cold weather and frost tolerance. Compact and interesting foliage. Ideal as a foliage plant or as a feature in a large pot. Easy to care for. Ideal Conditions: Prefers full sun, or partial shade with free-draining soil or compost. shelter from cold winds in frosty areas. Possible Situation: Ideal for mass planting for landscaping, or for central features in containers.

  • Dianella tascmanica Tas Red 3L pot

    Shiny green, strappy leaves which have varying hues of yellow and red - mostly during the colder months. Short deep red flower stems and blue berries emerge up to 60cm in spring. Very drought tolerant species and is happy in free draining dry, or slightly moist soil. Full Sun or partial shade.

  • Dianthus caryophyllus Dinetta Pink 3L pot

    Dinetta Pink is a small cushion-forming perennial with linear, grey-green evergreen leaves and double lilac flowers in late spring through autumn.

  • Dianthus deltoides Brilliant 3L pot

    Evergreen. Mat-forming perennial. Many small upward facing scarlet flowers borne singly above tiny oblong pointed leaves. Height 10-15cm Spread 20cm. Full sun. Well drained soil.

  • Dianthus deltoides White 3L pot

    A mat-forming perennial with narrow dark green leaves. Single white flowers, with bearded petals. Some with darker eyes. Height 20cm. Spread 30cm. Flowers from May to July. Evergreen. Hardy.

  • Diascia Personata 3L pot

    Diascia personata is rather special. It produces robust, 90cm stiff stems, densely clothed in lance shaped fresh green foliage. Copious dusky pink flowers with darker markings are produced in terminal racemes from May until the frosts.

  • Dicentra eximia Amore Rose 3L pot

    The various selections of Fern-leaf Bleedingheart are valued for their compact habit and long season of bloom. This 2013 introduction forms a vigorous clump of lacy, green foliage topped by clusters of delicate, dangling bright, rose-pink, heart-shaped flowers. Vigorous and very hardy. Excellent for edging, and very useful for mixed containers and tubs.

  • Dicentra formosa Alba 3L pot

    Wild Bleeding Heart. A spreading perennial with lobed. grey-green leaves, white flowers. Height 45cm. Spread 60-90cm. Flowers from April to June. Herbaceous. Hardy. Brilliant for dry shade groundcover.

  • Dicentra formosa Aurora 3L pot

    Wild Bleeding Heart. A spreading perennial with lobed. grey-green leaves. white flowers. Self-seeds. Height 45cm. Spread 60-90cm. Flowers from April to June. Herbaceous. Hardy.

  • Dicentra formosa Langtrees 3L pot

    A vigorous perennial with lobed, silver-grey leaves. Racemes of pink tinted white flowers. Height 30cm. Spread 45cm. Flowers from April to July. Herbaceous. Hardy.

  • Dicentra King Of Hearts 3L pot

    This variety forms a vigorous clump of powdery grey-green leaves, topped by clusters of delicate, dangling heart shaped flowers in a bright rose-red shade. Excellent for edging, and very useful for mixed containers and tubs. May be divided in fall or early spring. Removing faded flowers will promote lots of new buds to form. Height 20-25 cm Spread 30-40 cm

  • Dicentra spectabilis 3L pot

    Bleeding Heart. A clump-forming perennial with lobed, pale green leaves. Arching fleshy stems produce racemes pink and white, heart-shaped flowers. Height 1.2m. Spread 45cm. Flowers from April to May. Herbaceous. Hardy.

  • Dicentra spectabilis Ruby Gold 3L pot

    A unique contrast of golden foliage and true red flowers makes this Dicentra a great addition to the shade garden. This easy to grow perennial has large, heart-shaped flowers that hang from sturdy, arching stems from May to July providing lots of colour in shady sites.

  • Dicentra spectabilis Valentine 3L pot

    This beauty features arching spikes of elegant cherry-red, heart-shaped blooms with white tips held on dark burgundy stems. Blooms late spring to early summer. The delicate ferny foliage matures to an attractive powdery grey-green. Thrives in damp borders and woodland gardens but also makes a fantastic addition to a shady patio container. Protection from direct hot sun is recommended.

  • Dierama Blackberry Bells 3L pot

    Large, deep purple-maroon flared trumpets on very tall, strong springy stems. Ideal Conditions: Prefers full sun, or partial shade with free-draining soil or compost. Possible Situation: Ideal in a border or raised beds.

  • Dierama Blackbird 3L pot

    Funnel-shaped, claret-purple flowers on elegant stems. Ideal Conditions: Prefers full sun or partial shade with free-draining rich soil in a sheltered position. Possible Situation: An architectural plant, ideal in any herbaceous border.

  • Dierama Erectum 3L pot

    Clusters of pale pink flowers on upright stems. Ideal Conditions: Prefers full sun or partial shade with free-draining rich soil in a sheltered position. Possible Situation: An architectural plant, ideal in any herbaceous border.

  • Dierama Igneum 3L pot

    Fairy Wandflower found from Natal to the Eastern Cape. Rich coral or salmon pink flowers with whitish bracts, clump forming and free flowering mid July onwards.

  • Dierama Pink Rocket 3L pot

    Angel's Fishing Rod. Wandflower. A clump-forming perennial with grass-like leaves. Graceful arching stems of delicate, bell-shaped deep pink flowers. Height 1-1.5m. Spread 60cm. Flowers from July to August. Herbaceous. Frost hardy. Sheltered Site.

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