Late Starters

Before the invention of the plastic plant pot in the 1950s, gardeners had little choice over when they put new plants in the ground. Plants were either grown from seed yourself or supplied by nurseries, bare-root, for planting in autumn or spring. But when the plastic pot arrived, nurseries could container-grow their plants and sell them all year round. It revolutionised the horticultural trade and gave rise to the first garden centres. As an invention, plastic pots are up there with the wheel as far as the world of gardening is concerned.

We’ve all got very used to popping new plants in the ground at any time of year. While it’s true that many of us still order bare-root fruit and roses during autumn and winter and a lot of gardeners wait until winter to plant dormant trees, we’ll buy and plant during the rest of year, too. But is it time to have a rethink and go back to a more traditional gardeners’ calendar? From a plant’s point of view, autumn and spring have always been the best times of year to start life in a new home. In