Perennials are plants that return year after year for more than two years, good examples are echinacea, lavender and hellebores. If you have a couple already in your garden, one of the smartest hacks to double the amount of plants in your garden borders for free is to divide them.
At this time of year, you can split a good patch of the best perennials and plant them elsewhere. It really is worth doing as it won’t cost you a penny, just some time in the garden separating and replanting.
‘When your perennials become a bit overcrowded, you can split the roots of a mature plant and replant the divisions elsewhere in the garden. It’s a great way to fill empty spaces without spending any money,’ explains Nick Wood, horticulturist at Gardening Express.
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1. Delphinium
Delphiniums are a beautiful variety to grow in your garden, especially if you love cottage garden plants. They are classed as hardy herbaceous perennials and love cooler conditions with well-drained soil.
They come in many beautiful colours, ranging from sky blues to lilac and pink and can grow tall, making them ideal for placing at the back of your borders to add height and drama.
Nick Hamilton, owner of Barnsdale Gardens says, ‘Some plants I divide in March because they don’t like the winter wet, particularly on our heavy Rutland clay, delphinium are one of these. So, by waiting until their shoots appear above ground in March means that we get the most plants out of each clump but, more importantly, they are growing and therefore able to cope with any spring wetness.’
If you want to buy some delphinium plants to get started, have a look at Crocus’s delphinium ‘Astolat Group’, which has lovely tall spires in blush to deep pink flowers, a 9cm pot is £9.99.
2. Geraniums
There’s something very nostalgic about geraniums, they have that particular scent that can take you back to your childhood and time spent in grandparents’ gardens. Often in bold shades of white and red, geraniums are easy to care for and well worth having.
‘One of my top five picks is the hardy geranium,’ says Julian Palphramand, head of plants at British Garden Centres. ‘Lift on a dry day with two garden forks back-to-back for tough roots, tease into sections with roots and shoots, then replant at the same depth in enriched soil, watering well and mulching to retain moisture.’
If you don’t have any geraniums already, try Thompson & Morgan’s geranium hardy mix, you can buy five bare root plants in five different varieties for £49.95. You can successfully grow geraniums from seeds too if you prefer.
3. Alstroemeria (Peruvian Lily)
This perennial looks rather like a lily, and they can come in bright shades like orange, red and pink. Speckled or striped ‘throats’ are common too. They love sunny well-drained garden spots and work exceptionally well as cut flowers, plant them alongside other great varieties that work in vases – you often see them in supermarkets as they are very long lasting.
‘Alstroemeria is a variety I would always consider, ‘ says Nick Hamilton. ‘The newer varieties are expensive so dividing them when the new shoots are just visible, at the back end of March, I find to be the most economical way.’
4. Chrysanthemums
There’s something about chrysanthemums that make you smile, their good sized heads with their ruffly petals in vibrant colours are something to behold in your garden.
Hardy garden varieties are the best type as they can survive a winter. They love full sun and well-drained soil, so remember that if you’re planting afresh – chrysanthemums are easy to grow. A big favourite for borders as they offer such a punchy look, we love J. Parker’s chrysanthemum hardy mums mixed selection which can be bought in a pack of 6 for £11.99.
When dividing them up make sure you replant 18-24 inches apart to give them breathing room.
5. Bleeding Heart
‘The Bleeding Heart (Dicentra) has been renamed and is now called Lamprocapnos,’ explains Nick Hamilton. ‘I like to divide these just as the shoots begin to show in March because I can then be very precise with my cutting and dividing to maximise the number of new plants I get.’
This eye-catching perennial is native to North America and is know for its ‘heart’ shaped flowers. Classed as a clump-forming variety it can grow up to 1 metre tall and produces fleshy mid green leaves. It particularly likes woodland areas in partial to full shade and flowers from spring to around June. Add some other shade-loving plants at the same time.
To get your hands on this unusual border plant, have a look at J. Parker’s Dicentra spectabilis, from £8.99 for a pack of 3.
Dividing plant essentials
Niwaki
Hori Hori Japanese Weeding Trowel and Canvas Sheath
There’s nothing better than a Niwaki tool, and when you’re diving plants, you need something that tough and super sharp, especially for those woodier stems.
B&Q
Border D-Shaped Fork, 185mm
A good fork is a must for helping to lift out well established perennials from your borders. This fork has a D-shaped handle that provides extra comfort during this process.
Kingswood Green
Folding Horticultural Grafting Knife with Wooden Handle Precision Stainless Steel Blade
It’s good to have a variety of tools to hand when dividing and this smaller foldable knife is just the trick for cuts on smaller perennials, tubers and bulbs.
Follow our guide to our favourite perennial plants to divide up this March, and your borders will be looking fabulous – for free! At the same time, if you have the budget, you can also plant more perennials in March that come back every year.
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