Perennials

hello, having bought quite a few new herbaceous perennials in January which have been kept in an unheated greenhouse since then, although i have been trying to harden them off over last few weeks, was hoping to plant them out over this weekend but as the forecast is for more wintry weather i'm not sure what to do now. 

i bought them to try and encourage more bees and butterflies but i think i'm fighting a losing battle !!!  

i've got two Buddleia, Achilleas, Geraniums ,Asters, and Globe Thistle, as well as others that i've ordered online.

Does anyone have any advice as to when i should plant these out ????

many thanks

shazza

Let this cold snap go by- just for you comfort more that anything- then get them in.

It is supposed to be wet but milder after the weekend

thanks for that.

thought the forecast (according to the newspapers anyway) it's going to get really cold, and we may even have snow on higher ground again. even if we don't have snow they said we could get frosty nights.

am i looking at the wrong weather forecast ????  

Where are you ?-there is a frost forecast for the Midlands northwards tonight.

When is the last time that you can plant out perennials?

With the weather like it has been id wait till end of may, even young perenials can die off, ive grown some last year and ive got them on my staging outside greenhouse, some dont look as if they will come back but patience, i never give up. customers ask for hanging baskets to be done now but i tell them not till after frost.

Hello, It really does depend on where you live & what the forecasts are for your area.

I've planted a lot my perennials seedlings out already. I'm going to wait a couple of weeks to plant the rest out,just to make sure.Where I live it's been a very mild winter (only 3 frosts that I've seen) but it only takes one to wipe everything out.

Thanks for the advice guys, I have so much to learn.

joslow wrote (see)

When is the last time that you can plant out perennials?

I have always stuck to the rule that if it is a pot and has been kept under cover and frost free than leave until you have either hardened it off or the risk of 'hard' frosts has passed. If it is in a pot and has been outside over winter then it can go in the border anytime. As long as the ground isn't frozen.

I have just grown Aquilegia from seed and they are now 6" in height on my conservatory windowsill, wondered at what point can they go out? and should they go out direct to the ground now or larger pots?

Lupins and delphinimums also grown from seed - although the delphinimums are taking forever to increase in size lupins doing really well! any advice welcome thank you

Harden off by putting outside during the day and under cover at night if any frost or near frost is forecast. You could cover them with a bit of old net curtain, sheet etc keeping whatever off the leaves. Then in a couple of weeks you could plant out into their final positions. No need to pot on. 

thanks so much really helpful!