Buying the Best Perennials
Are you buying plants this spring? Find out how to find the best bargains and healthiest plants at the garden center this season with our helpful tips.
Picking healthy perennials at the garden center?
As you wander through the rows and rows of perennials at the garden center, it's a good idea to have some curious perennial shopping tips handy. How to choose the best ones to take home? Of course, you know to look carefully for healthy foliage with no signs of disease, but how do you choose plant size? Which plant do you pick when some are in bloom, some are buds and others are green? We've got plant shopping tips to make any garden center trip easier, so you'll always land the best perennial — and the best deal!
How to choose flowering plants
See plants like the astilbe (astilbe hybrid) above, and your first instinct might be to grab it in full bloom. It's no flowering problem and adds instant impact to the garden, right? Well, since it's already in bloom, you won't see the flowers for much longer, since most perennials only bloom once each year.
Look for buds
The astilbe in the middle has flower spikes that are just beginning to bud. A plant like this is a great choice if you're shopping at a new garden center for the first time. You can see enough of the flower to make sure you're getting the variety — and bloom color — you bargained for.
Have the perfect tag for the perennial you love? Buying a plant without flowers or buds like the one on the right makes it hard to know what you're getting. But if you trust your source or compare the foliage with another plant that bloomed from the same rack, this is the best buy. It's not putting energy into producing flowers—unless you see the flowers already cut off.
How to choose the right size perennial
You might find three plants in one rack, like these coral beads (Heuchera hybrid) and wonder if bigger is always better. The largest coral bead on the left is definitely the best value. It has a lot of foliage to support, however, so you may need to pay special attention when it transitions to your garden.
The coral bead in the middle is only one-third the size of the one on the left. It will root quickly with healthy looking foliage after transplanting. But it might not grow much this year - you never know until it's in the house. If all three of these plants are priced the same, don't buy the smaller one. You will pay more.
Sometimes bigger is definitely better
There are some perennials that you should always buy bigger because they grow slowly, like false indigo (Baptisia australis) and Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia). Peonies (Peonia spp. and hybrids) fall into this category, so buying the biggest plant you can find, like the one in the photo above, will make a big impact quickly. Look closely at the crown of a peony and look for one with more eyes or stems like the one in the photo at right.
Look for plants that you can divide
If you're looking for a great deal, choose a plant like this Penstemon (Penstemon hybrid). A quick look at its crown, in the photo to the right, reveals plants with several distinct divisions or a main taproot – we counted six in total.
Avoid buying these plants
Whether it's deeply discounted or you think you can revive it, a damaged plant can sometimes be difficult to overcome. Before you decide to spend money, research it carefully. And it never hurts a plant to see its roots. Rub the stems with your fingers and gently tilt the pot.
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