April – plant now for a summer display of perennial colour

It’s now a great time to think ahead to a summer of colour in your garden. Whilst it’s too early to plant out most bedding plants due to the risk of cold frosty nights, it’s a different story for herbaceous perennials. These are cottage garden plants, which are mainly dormant in winter but will recover to provide an array of colour in pots and borders from April to September. Many have a long flowering period, and as they are hardy will come back year after year. Once established, these plants will need minimal watering – this is a big plus if you don’t have the time or inclination for regular maintenance.

If you have existing perennials, new shoots will be showing now. For new displays, herbaceous plants range from ground cover alpines to those with tall stems reaching up to 1.5 metres. Many are excellent pollinators and will encourage wildlife into your garden. Achillea, digitalis, echinacea, echinops, eryngium, helenium, nepeta, pyrethrum and verbascum are just a few suggestions. Others are good for cutting to make colourful inside displays in a vase, such as alstroemeria and delphinium.

Another good reason for planting perennials is to help to prevent weeds. For example, the vigorous growth of hardy geraniums, campanula, geum and vinca will provide a carpet of colour and foliage. Over time, the lack of light underneath will weaken the toughest weeds and stop their spreading seeds and roots in their tracks.

Overall, it seems to have been a difficult last few months for plants, with many succumbing to the extremes of the winter. They – and we- deserve a more settled spring.

David Hogg

Buckland Nurseries