May Lane, you will have to sow Foxglove seeds this year if you want flowers next year. The bigger the plants are by September, the better the flowers will be next year. Regarding small perennials, I agree with Perki, buy now, pot on, grow in a cold frame, and plant out a much larger plant. I find little plants get lost amongst larger plants that are rapidly growing and spreading.
I bought a shedload(100++) of small (9cm pots) perennials last year. Grew them on in an unheated greenhouse, potted them on to 1 litre pots, then planted them out mid June. They did really well last year but I am expecting bigger and better things from them this year. I only like white foxgloves in my garden so any pink ones that arrive get turfed out. I sow a little seed of the white ones every year just to help them along.
'Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement' - Helen Keller
You can buy three of the same plant if you don't mind spending a bit more and you will get a bigger impact quicker. Block planting of 3 plants spaced around 5-6 inches apart in a triangle will likely create more instant colour by June/July.
Depending on which plants you choose, some will need to be kept against a warm wall or inside an unheated greenhouse till the soil is much more drier and warmer. It doesn't matter whether you buy now or later, it's more about your local conditions in your garden. There will be a cold spell coming this weekend, particularly in the South East.
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Regarding small perennials, I agree with Perki, buy now, pot on, grow in a cold frame, and plant out a much larger plant. I find little plants get lost amongst larger plants that are rapidly growing and spreading.
I only like white foxgloves in my garden so any pink ones that arrive get turfed out. I sow a little seed of the white ones every year just to help them along.
It is a new build garden and I'm eager for impact so I think I'll use garden vouchers to buy bigger perennials and some seeds too.
Depending on which plants you choose, some will need to be kept against a warm wall or inside an unheated greenhouse till the soil is much more drier and warmer. It doesn't matter whether you buy now or later, it's more about your local conditions in your garden. There will be a cold spell coming this weekend, particularly in the South East.