It’s all about perennials
Lifting, dividing, cutting back: there’s lots to do now, says Ruth
THE season of mists and mellow fruitfulness is also the season of the perennial – those border stalwarts that chug on delightfully, year upon year, providing a seasonal framework for annuals and biennials to fill out.
Trees and shrubs are perennials, of course, but I’m concentrating on herbaceous perennials that bring so much colour and interest to the garden. I’ll also be looking at tender and exotic varieties, such as dahlias and canna lilies, in a future issue.
Early autumn is a great time to think about lifting and dividing your perennials, and taking cuttings.
The soil is warm from summer, and damp, so it is easier to work than at height of summer, and it is more welcoming to new plants and those that have been moved or divided.
Some plants such as bugle (Ajuga) throw out offsets that grow into mature plants in situ. These are easy to lift, keeping their roots intact, and plant where you want them to grow.
If you are buying new additions to the garden, check the label to see what conditions the plant favours (sun or shade, acid or alkaline soil) and how big it will grow. Make sure it has enough room to reach its full potential without crowding out other plants in its vicinity.
’Tis also the season to sharpen those secateurs and cut back most dead flower stems and old battered foliage before the onset of winter.
Leave a few hollow stems standing as hibernation homes for insects and other
invertebrates, and only cut back less hardy perennials such as penstemons by half. Leave the rest standing to protect the crown from the worst of the cold weather. You will also need to make room in the greenhouse or a light porch
or bedroom for overwintering perennials that turn up their toes at the first sign of frost: pelargoniums, non-hardy fuchsias and gazanias, to name but three. Split mature gazanias and pot up the divisions, and take cuttings of pelargoniums and fuchsias to act as an insurance policy in case the parent plants don’t make it through to next spring. The tips for taking cuttings (opposite page) apply to all perennials, with the exception of pelargoniums that don’t need to be dipped in rooting compound.