After Purchase Guide

Perennial Plant Care Guide

Bought a perennial in a pot? Follow this simple guide to help your plant settle in, grow strongly, and return year after year.
✦ Not Sure? Follow This
UnpackRemove packaging and check moisture
WaterWater if compost feels dry
PositionMatch sun or shade to the plant
Plant OutPlant soon, but avoid frozen or waterlogged soil
Settle InKeep watered until established
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Full Sun

Sun-Loving Perennials

Lavender, Salvia, Echinacea, Rudbeckia, Verbena

What to do after purchase

  • Unpack your plant as soon as it arrives
  • Water if the compost feels dry
  • Place in a bright, sunny spot while waiting to plant
  • Plant out as soon as possible in free-draining soil
  • Keep watered during the first few weeks while roots establish

Best conditions

  • At least 6 hours of sun
  • Well-drained soil
  • Avoid waterlogged ground
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Shade

Shade-Loving Perennials

Hosta, Astilbe, Heuchera, Brunnera, Ferns

What to do after purchase

  • Unpack and check the compost is slightly moist
  • Keep in a sheltered shady or partially shaded place until planting
  • Do not leave the pot to dry out completely
  • Plant into moisture-retentive soil
  • Water regularly during the first season, especially in warm weather

Best conditions

  • Shade or partial shade
  • Moist but well-drained soil
  • Shelter from hot afternoon sun
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Easy Care

General Garden Perennials

Geranium, Nepeta, Geum, Campanula, Achillea

What to do after purchase

  • Remove all packaging and water if needed
  • Keep outdoors in a sheltered spot if you cannot plant immediately
  • Plant at the same depth as in the pot
  • Firm in gently and water well after planting
  • Keep the soil lightly moist while the plant settles in

Best conditions

  • Sun or partial shade depending on variety
  • Most enjoy well-drained garden soil
  • Avoid extremes of drought until established
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Pots

Plants Suitable for Containers

Agapanthus, Penstemon, Gaura, Crocosmia

What to do after purchase

  • You can keep these in pots or plant them into the garden
  • If repotting, choose a container with drainage holes
  • Use fresh compost and water in well
  • Do not let pots dry out fully in warm weather
  • Feed during the growing season for stronger flowering

Best conditions

  • Sunny or lightly sheltered position
  • Good drainage is essential
  • Pots may need more frequent watering than garden plants
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Establishing

Perennials That Need a Little More Time

Peony, Delphinium, Lupin, Hellebore, Astrantia

What to do after purchase

  • Plant as soon as possible so roots can establish well
  • Water thoroughly after planting
  • Keep evenly moist during the first growing season
  • Do not worry if growth is modest at first
  • Many perennials improve significantly in their second year

Best conditions

  • Choose the right final position carefully
  • Enrich soil before planting if needed
  • Protect fresh growth from slugs, strong wind, or late frost where relevant
Perennials may die back in autumn or winter and return in spring. That is completely normal for many varieties.