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perennial plug plants

Loganberry HutLoganberry Hut Posts: 199
in Plants

So far, ive stuck to hardy annual seeds for my inital gardening debut....but my eye has been caught by TM's offer of 72 large plug plants 'perennial best value collection' for £19.99

http://www.thompson-morgan.com/flowers/flower-plants/perennial-and-biennial-plants

is it actually good value? and would they be strong enough to plant out when they arrive? Would they flower this year? can i go wrong with them?

Posts

  • CeresCeres Posts: 2,697
    You may want to check out what people say about T&Ms tiny plants before committing yourself to buying these perennials. I've found mail order plants to be variable in quality and tend to avoid them because it is a bit disappointing to receive a box of mush when you were expecting some happy little plants. That said, some of them are okay. I think you would be better advised to either grow your perennials from seed, that way you can get things that you really want, or take yourself off to the nearest garden centre and buy healthy and vigorous plants that you know will survive. Anything you get by mail order will probably need a bit of tender care before you can plant it out in the garden.
  • Loganberry HutLoganberry Hut Posts: 199

    i have no greenhouse, and basically every window sill in my house is covered with sprouting seeds.... ideally if im buying plants, they need to be plantableoutable asap. thanks for the tip tho! i think i need to find some awesome local nurseries... my GC seems to be more about the homewares, and although the plants all look very healthy, the selection is limited.

  • CeresCeres Posts: 2,697
    Nothing wrong with a limited selection to start with. The plants will probably be those that are more easily grown. If you're going for perennials think about some small shrubs or grasses as well as the flowering plants because they can give you some ground cover and colour during the winter months. There are lots of evergreens and coloured leaved plants that act as foils for the more showy summer creatures. Glad you are putting your windowsills to good use.
  • CharleyDCharleyD Posts: 440

    I think I would agree with Verdun on this one.  From what I can see most of the on-line gardening suppliers seem to do a big selection option but this takes away a lot of pleasure obtained from choosing colours, heights and the types of flowers that you like.  Plus, in my very limited experience, the tiny plug plants are very hit and miss and success rates variable. 

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