Autumn-planted perennials...

[katewitch]

So I found out around August that you can plant perennials in the autumn, and they will be ready to go in the spring. I was eager to do this in a new bed we had dug, and ordered some bits from Sarah Raven.

The anemones were biggest and, despite being a bit slug-nibbled, are doing fine and still there.

The salvias (two of the hardier varieties) have of course mostly dried up but, again, expected and I have hope that they will sprout new shoots in the spring.

However, I also planted some thalictrum and some asters, which were small baby plants back in September (and the thalicrrum had a note on saying it was dormant and not to worry).

I've just been out checking on the slow emergence of my Snowdrop shoots and the leaves have, it seems, been entirely eaten and/or died away.

I am a novice and have no prior experience of these plants and googling is no help, are they done for do you think? Or should I be expecting miracle shoots come April...?

The leaves might have gone, but the crown of the plant should still be there. Thalictrum and asters are both tough customers. Watch out for slugs though.
Effective autumn planting does depend on where you've though, and the sort of plants you choose. Sarah Raven plants can be a bit on the iffy side in my experience.

I can't see anything there but I didn't get too close as it was rather muddy... I guess I'll just hope

Depends what salvias you have. Purple flowered ones .. Amistad . I think they are called, need to be started again from cuttings. Hot lips will survive the winter and pink ones will get killed by the frosts ( I have a pink one I bought in a pot last autumn just gone, put it in the greenhouse and it’s gone black. I’ve brought it indoors in the hope that it’ll revive in the warmer weather.

The salvias seem okay (one of them is otsfrieland, they're supposed to be hardier varieties), it was the others I was talking about.

I wonder how they can get away with advertising things as perennials okay for autumn planting if they're just going to die though?

What they mean is 'Suitable for autumn planting in the milder counties'. It's not necessarily the cold that does for things. Salvias like dry conditions and the west of the UK has wet winters.

I'm in Bucks, is that not a mild county?

Mild enough, I would think. And so long as your salvias have drainage and sun they should be fine. 'Ostfriesland' is one of the hardiest anyway. I'm sure they'll be fine - don't give up on them.

I always think my Thalictrum is lost and then around April, up it pops. It’s a bit early to give up hope.

Me too, thalictrum always reappears!

I have salvia Amethyst (pinky shade) and Caradonna. Both tough as old boots. Splitting them in spring as they're whopper.

Our thalictrum always survives ok too... and we're in South West Wales 😉

Otoh, salvias of all types don't make it through the winter. We brought Nachtvlinder from our previous home in England - it survived the first winter (2018-19) and I took some cuttings, but all had died by spring 2021. I've given up on them now.

In Bucks, I'd have thought you'd be ok. When we lived in Hants virtually grew well 🙄

Thanks all, I shall keep everything crossed then!

I'll report back circa April for future reference of newbs like me...

@katewitch

The salvias seem okay (one of them is otsfrieland, they're supposed to be hardier varieties), it was the others I was talking about.

I wonder how they can get away with advertising things as perennials okay for autumn planting if they're just going to die though?

They may still be dormant, not dead and if it was 'too muddy' you probably didn't get close enough to check.

Ps Autumn planting still means care needed.

I think they'll be OK, just be patient. It's meant to be a lot better to plant perennials in autumn so they put their energy into a good root structure over the winter. Most perennials look crap over winter, whenever they are planted.

I’d plant good beefy divisions from the garden in autumn but mimsy little plants from nurseries? -I’d think twice. It does depend on the plants though. And the nursery. Hostess, oriental poppies, no problem. Salvias, gaura, things that need drainage not so much. But in sunny Bucks you should be fine. Don’t worry.

Hostas!

Reading this with interest as I also have two thalictrums and an aster planted in late summer which look completely dead right now. Fingers crossed they reappear!