If you observe carefully in the garden, you’ll see lots of seedlings that aren’t weeds.
I think nurseries count on us not being very astute, because there are so many plants that reproduce on their own for free.
If you are careful, you can transplant these plant volunteers to other garden beds and significantly increase your inventory.
The same is true for perennials that grow in clumps. They can be dug up, divided, and the extra divisions planted elsewhere in the garden.
All for the cost of your labor and nothing more.
Volunteers
In garden lingo, volunteers are plants that grow from seeds that you (the gardener) didn’t plant.
Usually, it’s seeds that were scattered by annuals and perennials already growing in the garden, but sometimes animals, water, or wind can drop seeds into your beds.
I’ve found lots of volunteers in my garden, from the basics like alyssum to some truly amazing seedlings of shrubs and trees nearby.
Rose Campion
At one point in my gardening history, I was given a rose campion plant by a friend. The plant would throw seeds out at the end of each season, and more plants would come up.
As the garden evolved over time, shade patterns changed and the rose campion, a short-lived perennial, died out.
Fast-forward five years.
I was weeding a flower bed and saw seedlings I recognized but couldn’t place at first.
After all these years, some seeds sprouted.
I’m sure the seeds hitched a ride in the soil that clung to the roots of the daylilies I transplanted last year. The sunny location and well-drained soil must have stimulated the seeds to sprout.
The above photo shows the rose champion plant I got from a friend.
The photo below shows the rose champion volunteers that came up in the new garden.
Amazing, and free.
The rose campion looks great where it grows. It is a cheerful addition to the gold yarrow and purple tradescantia flowers.
Gaura
Another favorite flower in my garden is gaura. I have two varieties of this perennial right now, Gaura ‘Belleza Dark Pink’ and Gaura ‘Whirling Butterflies.’
These plants thrive in full sun. I love their graceful, arching stems and abundant bloom from midsummer to frost. They look delicate but can withstand mid-July heat and dry conditions.
And they self-sow easily, so I will have plenty of gaura seedlings next spring to transplant some to the new garden beds.
Salvia
Salvia comes in so many varieties. Some varieties are perennial, and some are annual.
I planted the perennial salvia ‘Ballerina Pink.’
The plants will throw out a generous amount of seeds after the first round of blooms.
Come next spring, little rosettes of salvia plants will emerge from the soil near the mother plant.
I’ll move some of those babies to one of the new garden beds. It’s nice to have some of the plants repeated in all of the borders.
This creates a balance and rhythm in the display, and pulls the eye of the viewer from one garden bed to the next.
Divisions
Campanula
A campanula plant (Campanula ‘Purple Sensation’) surprised me this season with big, beautiful blue bells. I’ve had this plant for years, but it’s never looked this good. Maybe it was the very rainy June we had. Not only did the campanula bloom beautifully, but it also spread.
You can tell which perennials will need dividing if you notice their circumference increasing each year.
After a few years, the center of the plant may fizzle – for example, it may not grow in the center, or not produce leaves or flowers in the center.
If so, it’s time to divide the plant.
I try to dig up the whole plant and split it with a spade. Then, I replant one of the pieces and plant the other pieces in other locations.
Hosta
Some perennials are tough to dig up and divide. For example, large-leaved hostas can be stubborn, and so can bearded iris.
If I can’t get the whole plant excavated, I’ll just break off pieces as best I can.
Hostas and bearded iris are the backbone of my flower gardens. Although they are tough to divide, they are worth the effort.
Their foliage is an important structural element in the garden’s design. Their flowers are an added bonus.
Bearded Iris
Bearded iris, as mentioned above, can be tough to divide.
But they can overtake your other plants, so dividing is a necessary evil. Also, my irises don’t usually bloom the first year after they are (re)planted. But the foliage is very striking even without the flowers.
Be sure to wear gloves and long sleeves when working around irises, because every part of this plant is irritating to the skin.
Sea Thrift
Sea thrift is another perennial that has done well out here.
It’s not as aggressive a grower as hostas and irises, and it’s much easier to dig up and divide.
In addition to its cute pink flowers, the grass-like clumps it forms look good all season.
Divide and Conquer
Many of the garden plants referenced above can be grown from seed or by dividing.
Free, healthy, and beautiful plants are waiting to make their appearance in your garden. All you need to do is stand back and let them grow.
