7 perennials to plant in March for yearly blooms

Perennials are those plants that stick around year after year, and they’re a brilliant investment for the garden. As luck would have it, there are plenty of perennials that you can plant in March.

As temperatures start to rise, our gardening prospects get a whole lot broader. The list of flowers, fruits and vegetables you can plant in March is long, but perennial plants are an investment that will last for years to come.

This list of perennials to plant in March will give you all of the inspiration you need for the month ahead. You’ll need to start some of them from seed indoors, but others can be planted directly outside as bedding plants or loose roots.

1. Catmint

If you’re hoping to fill your garden with plants that bees love this year, catmint (Nepeta) is the way to go. It’s a low-maintenance herbaceous perennial that you can plant in March, giving it a nice window to establish before summer temperatures arrive. Or, sow the seeds indoors, in a greenhouse or in a cold frame.

‘Nepeta ‘Blue Panther’ is perfect for containers and adored by bees and butterflies,’ says Rachel Cole, seed manager at Fothergill’s. ‘This aromatic catmint boasts the largest flowers of its type.’

If you want to buy catmint bedding plants for the garden, Nepeta racemosa ‘Walker’s Low’ from Crocus is another stunning variety, which produces violet to lilac-blue flowers.

2. Erigeron

Erigeron, or Mexican fleabane, is one of those brilliant filler plants that looks beautiful in pots and borders (it’s a prominent feature in Cath Kidston’s patio garden, too). It’s a cottage garden plant staple, and it’ll last several years with minimal maintenance.

‘Erigeron, the charming daisy-like Mexican flower, will tumble beautifully over walls and paving all summer long,’ says Julian Palphramand, head of plants at British Garden Centres.

You can order Mexican fleabane plants in a range of sizes from Crocus.

3. Gaura

For delicate, airy blooms, Gaura is one of the best perennials to plant in March. It’s a popular drought-tolerant plant, too. Rachel recommends Gaura ‘White Bride’ for open spikes of white-tinged-pink blooms all summer long (you can order three Gaura ‘White Bride’ plants for £25.92 at QVC).

Or, you could try growing Gaura from seed (you can buy Gaura ‘White Bride’ seeds from Amazon).

‘It’s ideal at the back of borders and significantly cheaper when grown from seed rather than buying plants,’ says Rachel.

4. Coreopsis

For sunshine-yellow blooms, consider planting Coreopsis (tickseed) this month. Rachel recommends Coreopsis ‘Early Sunrise’ in particular, which flowers from April all the way through to late summer (especially if you cut it back in August). It’s often grown as an annual, though many varieties are drought-tolerant perennials.

‘Bright, sunny, and wonderfully showy, this RHS Award of Garden Merit winner flowers over an incredibly long season,’ Rachel explains. ‘It’s wonderful in pots and patio containers.’

You can order Coreopsis ‘Early Sunrise’ plants from Suttons.

5. Agapanthus

If you keep a careful eye on the weather forecast for any surprise late frosts, March is a brilliant time to plant agapanthus, too. The plants are usually supplied as bare roots, and they’re best planted before the end of April.

‘There’s plenty of planting that can begin in March, including getting any loose-root perennial plants, such as agapanthus, in the ground,’ says gardening expert Paul Parker from plants and bulbs specialists J. Parker’s.

‘They won’t fare well in the cold, so they may need some protection from frost using cloches or fleeces if cold weather is forecast.’

Thompson & Morgan’s Blue and White Agapanthus Collection includes blue ‘Queen of the Ocean’ and white ‘Polar Ice’.

6. Pulmonaria

Lungworts (Pulmonaria) are a lot more attractive than they sound – they’re actually flowering perennials that you can plant in March, and they’re brilliant shade-loving plants to grow under trees.

‘Some great spring plants to try now are Pulmonaria, which offers attractive foliage and early flowers,’ agrees Julian from British Garden Centres.

Pulmonaria ‘Blue Ensign’ from Crocus produces beautiful blue-violet flowers in the spring, and it’s an RHS Award of Garden Merit winner, too.

7. Gaillardia

I’m rounding off this list of perennials to plant in March with the ultra-vibrant Gaillardia, known more commonly as the blanket flower.

You can sow the seeds indoors on a warm windowsill this month, before planting the young plants outside after the last frosts. Gaillardia ‘Goblin’ is a favourite of Rachel’s.

‘This cheerful, compact variety flowers all summer long, attracts beneficial insects, and looks gorgeous in borders and containers,’ she says.

You can order Fothergill’s Gaillardia ‘Goblin’ seeds from Amazon, or buy Gaillardia ‘Goblin’ plants in one-litre containers from Gardening Express.

There are so many perennials you can plant in March – this list only covers some of them! – but there are plenty of bulbs you can plant in March for summer colour, too.