Plants that may or may not revive

[CruCru]

Hi all

I'm having a look at my garden. It isn't in terrible nick (although too much rain - killed loads of my thyme). However, quite a few plants either look dead or very poorly. I'm told that some may revive.

Do any of you have an opinion on whether the following may revive?

Sage (looking really droopy)
Bugle (disappeared completely)
Phlox (may be coming back - or may be weeds)
Salvia (some fairly ropey leaves - hard to spot. Glorious last summer)
Potentilla (a couple of tiny leaves at the end of some sticks - dead, right?)
Hyssop (see Potentilla)

I hope this makes sense. It would rather break my heart to dig up plants that are going to come back.

Thanks!

[SugarPlumTree]

My Mother's potentilla always looked dead for ages and each year she'd say it was dead and later it looked lovely, she has Dementia so could never remember the previous year's conversation ! Hold fire on that one for now. Don't think my sage looks great but I have hope still.

It hasn't been very warm here yet really so I think some things are a bit slow. I tell myself that to not have to face the fact that my hydrangea limelight looks suspiciously dead though.

[CruCru]

Oh gosh, I hadn't even thought about my hydrangeas. They aren't in leaf yet but I pruned quite hard earlier this year.

Good to know about the potentilla - I pruned that too so I hope it keeps going.

[HeyMacWey]

My thyme looks dead although I can see the odd new green leaf trying to break through.

I planted a hydrangea annabel last year and its not looking great. I didn't prune it at all in the autumn - should I have done?

Soil is pretty warm here now (East anglia) and lots of other perennials are starting to spring into action.

[CruCru]

I think you're meant to prune hydrangeas in the early Spring but am no expert.

We are in the Isle of Wight so it is warm (but the wind tends to slow plants down) and we get a lot of rain.

[shovetheholly]

I would wait! It's been a comparatively cold March and things can look a bit terrible this time of year. Some plants just take a while to get going - April's more your month than March for many. My bugle is only just starting to come back, and my guess is that your sage may surprise you in a month. Using some slug deterrent can make a difference (please don't use metaldehyde, though, it kills hedgehogs and other wildlife and gets into the water supply - the organic pellets are better, or nematodes).

If you get lots of rain, mediterranean plants that relish dry, drained conditions, like thyme, are going to struggle. You may be better off growing it in a pot with loads of grit, and moving it to a position near the house where it gets less moisture over winter.

[PurpleWithRed]

Nothing's dead until it's the end of May and it's still dead.

Sage - it will or it won't; if it's been soggy over winter it might not, put the next one in somewhere a bit drier
Bugle - turn your back and it will suddenly pop up
Phlox - relatively hard to kill, I'd give it the May test definitely
Salvia - rarely last a winter with me unless I remember to put them in the greenhouse. Don't like wet feet.
Potentilla - shrubby one? as above, give it the May test
Hyssop - hmm, can't remember.

Like everyone says, too early to assume the worst. Give them another month.

[CruCru]

Ah, thanks!