Make sure
the spot
chosen to
plant is
weed-free
1
Place the plant in its pot on the ground to
make sure you are happy with its position,
before you go ahead and plant. The soil in the
pot should be soaked before planting to give
the plant a good start.
GROWING
PLANTS THAT LAST
Perennial plants are the foundation of planning a
great garden, often filling beds and borders. It is
worth taking a little extra care at the start so these
plants grow and establish well as they mature.
YOU WILL NEED
• 6
1
/2 in (17 cm) potted plant,
mint is shown here
• spade
• watering can
• garden compost
SEE ALSO
• MAKING A BORDER >> 44/47
• RAISED BEDS AND EDGES >> 50/53
• CHOOSING FLOWERS >> 54/57
JARGON BUSTER
Perennials are plants that live
for more than two years, and may in
fact live for many more years than
that. They grow back each spring or
summer from roots that go dormant
in the soil over winter.
Herbaceous perennials are non-
woody plants, unlike trees and shrubs,
which are woody perennials.
Herbaceous perennials typically
flower for a certain amount of time in
one season, unlike shorter-lived
annual plants that may flower for
much of spring and summer.
US_028-029_Growing_Plants_That_last.indd 28 07/09/2018 16:31
FLOWERS & FOLIAGE // GROWING PLANTS THAT LAST 28– 2 9
3
Remove the plant carefully from its pot.
If the roots are tightly packed around
the root ball, the plant is pot-bound and
the roots need to be teased out gently.
Place the plant in the hole, slightly deeper
in the ground than when it was in its pot.
2
With a spade, dig a hole wider and deeper
than the size of the plant’s container. Add
organic matter, such as garden compost, to the
base of the hole and dig it in well. Pour some
water into the hole before planting.
4
Backfill soil around the roots, firming the
earth as you go and ensuring the plant
stands straight in its hole. Avoid raising the soil
around the stems; the ground should be slightly
sunken with the plant at the center. Water well.
US_028-029_Growing_Plants_That_last.indd 29 07/09/2018 16:31
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