Not everyone has green fingers. And they don’t have to be at all. Our simple care tips put your personal plant paradise at your fingertips. So you know how to give your new plants a water buffer, what the second bloom is, or how long you should wait to remove dead leaves and old stems. Curious? Read our tips and you’re sure to succeed.

Tip 1

Give your plants a good start: first dip the root ball in a bucket of water until the root ball stops bubbling. Only then put the plant in the garden or in a pot. This way the plant has a water buffer.

Tip 2

Dig a spacious planting hole: a little larger than the root ball. Loosen the soil at the bottom of the hole well. Add some compost to the excavated soil, place the plant in the hole and shovel the soil around it. This will give your plant a good chance to get used to its new spot.

Tip 3

Want to enjoy a blooming garden throughout the outdoor season? Then it’s smart to plant early bloomers and late bloomers interchangeably. Remember to regularly cut off spent flowers. (See tip 4.)

Tip 4

Did you know that many perennials have a second bloom? If you cut off all spent flowers and stems before the longest day (June 21), the plant is encouraged to make new buds. You can do this with lady’s mantle, sage and catnip, for example.

Tip 5

Once your perennials have finished blooming, you don’t need to do anything for now. After blooming, they give structure to your garden and they are useful too. Birds eat the seeds and fallen leaves offer insects and hedgehogs a safe refuge. That layer of leaves protects the soil from drying out and severe frost, and it makes good compost.

Tip 6

Only in spring, around March, do you spring back into action. Then you cut off old stems just above the ground and clear away dead leaves. And as if by magic, new shoots appear again!

Tip 7

Give the plants organic fertilizer in spring and late summer. This will give them an extra push during growth and they will go strong into the winter.

Tip 8

Have you enjoyed your potted plant to the fullest and it’s completely finished blooming? Put it in your border for a second life! Just watch out, this way you will enjoy it in your garden for years to come.