Planting perennials in autumn

A colorful all year round garden bed of perennials – the dream of every gardener. Therefore, in autumn, when the first leaves fall, one should already think of spring. Now is the right time to create a perennial bed with imagination and creativity. The soil is still warm and has enough moisture. Planted in autumn, the spring flowers have enough time to root in their new location.

What are perennials?

Perennials are all herbaceous plants that survive the winter for more than 2 years, whether as wintergreen or evergreen or as underground rhizomes.
Most perennials retreat into their rhizomes in winter and sprout again in spring with new shoots. We work together with a local perennial gardening company to offer a wide range of winter-hardy perennials in our online store.

When to plant perennials?

In addition to spring, perennials can also be planted in autumn. However, the date must be coordinated with species that can take root well in the still warm soil before the frost period begins and therefore cannot rot in winter.

Autumn

Perennials are now available all year round. In addition to spring, perennials can also be planted in autumn, although the best time to plant them is still autumn (September-November): this is when the above-ground growth of the perennials is complete, while the roots are still growing in the warm soil. This creates the best conditions for vigorous development and flowering next year. Mild temperatures and sufficient rainfall support this preparation for a good start to spring.

Perennials for the autumn: Iris, Turkish poppy, daylily, peonies, lilies,…

Spring

But: there are exceptions. Frost-sensitive perennials, e.g. torch lily, anemones, catnip should be planted in spring (March-May), as they are sensitive to cold. Also the Indian nettle (Monarda), daisies and the high perennial asters survive better when planted in spring. But because there can be longer dry periods at this time of year, one should not forget to water them. These are mainly species that bloom from midsummer onwards, as they rot during winter in the often quite wet soil. All grasses/ferns belong to this group.

Before planting, it is important to know the location conditions such as light and wind conditions as well as soil type and moisture, as these are the main factors determining the selection of perennials.

About the perennial program: Winter hardy perennials from Austria