Although the majority of perennials will flourish with only minimal care, a little extra attention will help them to look their best and in the peak of health throughout the growing season. They should be watered and fed occasionally, and the area around them kept free of weeds.

Watering

If you have planted your perennials in an appropriate place, there should be little need for extra irrigation, except in very dry weather. Water newly-planted specimens regularly until they have become fully established. It is best to water in the evening, when evaporation form the soil will be minimised, and the sun is not hot enough to burn wet leaves.

Any plants that wilt or die back from drought should either recover after a heavy spell of rain or become dormant until the following season.

Weeding

It is very important to keep the ground clear of all weeds before planting, so that the plants do not have to compete for nutrients and moisture. Underplanting the area with ground cover plants or applying a mulch in spring will help suppress annual weeds; remove any occasional weed by hand as soon as they appear. Do not hoe around the plants as this may damage emerging shoots and surface roots.

Perennial weeds should be dug out carefully using a hand fork. If the roots have grown into those of a plant, dig up the plant, carefully wash its roots and then pull out the weed, making sure that no part of it is left behind. Re-plant the perennial plant once the site is completely clear.

Mulching

Suppress weeds, improve soil texture and retain moisture by adding an annual mulch of organic matter, such as bark chippings or spent mushroom compost. Apply this in spring or autumn to damp soil, spreading a 2.5-5 cm (1-2 in) layer around the crowns of the plants.

Feeding

As long as the soil has been properly prepared before planting, there should be little need for additional feeding, other than an annual top-dressing of bone meal or a balanced slow-release fertilizer in early spring. Make sure that the soil is damp (water thoroughly or apply after a rain fall) and then work the fertilizer into the ground using a hand fork. Be careful not to let the fertilizer come into contact with the leaves as it will burn them.

Tidying Up

Keep your planting area tidy once perennial plants have finished flowering in autumn by removing all faded or dead stems and leaves, cutting down shoots to the base and removing any weeds. Provide plants that are not fully hardy with some protection from frost by leaving them with their top-growth over winter; remove it in spring once all danger of frost has passed.