This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.
Not hardening plants off in your part of the world: hellebore & foxglove

This may be too big a question, but here goes: In your locale, what would happen if you left a plant in a pot outside without hardening them off first. I'm not talking about seedlings or baby plants and I'm not talking about tender annuals like a tomato or something that hates cold.
Say, a well grown hellebore or a foxglove in a three litre pot has been in your house for a few weeks. The threat of frost has passed. What effect would you expect to see if you suddenly left these plants outside.
As we know, many of the options might apply and there is nuance that isn't covered by polling options. Yes, different plants respond in different ways to everything. Much like my questions about potting on, my main thrust is: have you experimented? Do you notice a great difference? Have you killed plants this way?
Not hardening plants off in your part of the world: hellebore & foxglove 21 votes
There would be an inital shock, but I expect the plant would be pretty fine pretty quickly
23%
I would expect a greater growth spurt from a hardened off plant once outside
0%
Without hardening off a plant would never reach its optimal size over the growing season
0%
0
Posts
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Foxgloves - I sow them in seed trays covered with grit and leave outside until germinated in late Summer. Then pot them on and leave them outside. Depending on size they get planted out in late Autumn or early Spring.
Neither has any need for additional warmth around here.
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
I leave small [2 or 3 inch pots] examples outside all year round here. The most they'd get would be tucked against a wall, or in amongst other plants.
The latter can be a problem if you forget they're there, so against a wall makes it easier to keep track of them.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I've left a verbena cutting (from last summer) outside against the french doors (north facing) and it's still growing
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...