Perennial Question

If I buy a perrenial plant will it flower this year? Does this depend on how big the plant is?

When could perrenial plants be planted?

 

Hi
It depends on the plant but I would say 95% of perennials will flower this year if bought as plug plants or divided from an existing plant. It depends on the size of the plant as to how many flowers you get.

As to planting now, well...my RHS Gardening through the Year advises dividing existing perennials now if the soil isn't frozen, but I would wait until early Spring before buying and planting new ones. If it helps, I planted a whole load of small plants last March/April and was rewarded with plenty of blooms in summer...this year they should be even better.

What have you in mind to get?

 

I agree with Aaron, I would wait until spring to plant them in the ground - especially if they are small young plants. If they are bare rooted or tiny plug plants, you can pot them up into larger pots and keep somewhere sheltered until spring.

Most should flower this year.

 

I was looking at the perrenials in J Parkers - they are all plants ( I believe) but I dont know what size probably about 1-1.5" tall soil pots/soil cylinders based on what I recieved from there before..... so they should flower this year...

http://www.jparkers.co.uk/Index.cfm?fuseaction=category.standard&category_id=454

 

Most perennials are easy to look after and after a couple of years you can divide them and hey presto! new plants FOC. Have you decided which ones you're going for?

 

If they are from J Parkers they are likely to be small plug plants. Pot them up into 9cm pots straight away and put somewhere sheltered, in a cold frame if possible, then re-pot in March into 15cm pots and plant out into the garden in May.
It really depends on the type of perennial, but the majority should flower this summer.

Post a list when you have chosen, it's nice to chat about summer flowers in the middle of winter!

 

I am sure that most will flower this year. I suspect that they chose plants that do - to prevent upsetting people.