Plant These 8 Forgiving Perennials in March for a Summer Garden Full of Color For Years to Come

Want to get ahead and plump up your borders for months of summer color, but worried that if you plant too early, a late frost will scupper your plan? There’s a really easy solution to working out what you can plant in March, and it will bring abundant blooms for years to come, for very little effort. The trick is to see which hardy perennials are sold as bare root plants – because if plants are easy-going enough to survive with their roots out of soil for a week, they’ll be forgiving in your garden, too.

Any plant that tolerates this treatment is also naturally straightforward to grow, too. It’s a surefire way to get a border full of hardy, low maintenance plants that don’t need too much molly-coddling, as well as steal a head start on summer color.

What are Bare Root Plants?

Bare roots are simply plants that are sold without soil. Think of them as hibernating plants that won’t wake up until they have all three magic ingredients of moisture, warmth and nutrients. Now, it doesn’t matter whether you buy hardy perennials as bare roots or not – the point is that they can be sold soil-less, so they’re super-tough!

Luckily, lots of our most popular perennials fall into this category, as you can see from all our lovely recommendations below.

Can I Plant Before My Last Frost Date?

Planting before your last frost date is always a gamble. Some years, winter ends with a chilly blast; other years, it melts meekly into a mild spring. And last frost dates vary widely across the country, depending on your USDA zone. But these hardy perennials are tougher than most, mitigating the risk somewhat. Do judge for yourself when is the best time to plant, though, as some gardens are far more exposed than others.

The optimum time is once your soil has warmed up, so your plants can get growing straight away. Some bare roots, such as roses, can go into the ground at any point, as long as it's not frozen or waterlogged. For others, if it's still frosty or your ground is wet and cold when you buy them, simply start them off in pots in a sheltered spot of your garden, until that prime moment arrives (details of how to plant bare root are below).

Then, if an unexpected late, hard frost is forecast, you can protect any top growth by throwing over a cozy duvet of horticultural fleece, like this from Amazon.

What’s the Benefit of Planting Early?

Aside from getting a long summer of colorful flowers, it’s often cheaper to plant early. Potted perennial plant prices tend to shoot up as soon as we hit growing season. And if you buy these hardy perennials as bare roots, that’s often cheaper again, as they cost less to transport.

All these fabulous flowering plants can be bought as bare roots and, being perennials, will bounce back every year.

1. Geums

Once you’ve got these little darlings in your garden, you’ll never want to be without them! Avens typically flower from late spring into summer, filling an often bare between-seasons gap in the garden, and are hardy in zones 4–9. Though they only grow 1–2 feet tall, geums are members of the rose family and bring that quiet grace to any garden space in sun or partial shade.

Geum ‘Mai Tai' is a delightful blend of apricot and soft yellow tones, made all the more beautiful by their red stems. Geum ‘Tequila Sunrise’ brings yellow petals tipped with a brush of rosy pink; and Geum ‘Flames of Passion’ has dramatic red blooms set off by dark green leaves. All are available bare root from Dutch Grown.

2. Astrantia

How adorable are these dainty bursts of color, each surrounded by a papery ruff of almost translucent petals? Hardy perennials, Astrantia thrive in sun and part shade in zones 4–7, with some cultivars able to cope with warmer climates. They mingle happily with other plants and there are varieties with stems varying from 1–3 feet tall, so you can grow them through grasses or under a bigger perennial such as a rose.

Astrantia ‘Major Shaggy’ is a reliable perennial prized by many gardeners, just 18 inches high with white flowers perfect for lighting up the front of a border. Cultivars mostly have muted tones, but there are punchy exceptions. Astrantia ‘Major Venice’ has flowers in a strong but stylish shade of pink, while Astrantia ‘Major Claret’, as its name suggests, has blooms in a deep red-wine hue. All are available from Dutch Grown.

3. Rudbeckia

No garden should be without these easy-to-grow perennial daisies which are typically hardy in zones 3–9. Give Black-Eyed Susan a sunny spot and they’ll bloom from summer into fall, feeding pollinators with a rich supply of nectar.

Rudbeckia fulgida ‘Goldsturm’ (available potted from Burpee) is a classic, for good reason, as it flowers prolifically and, once established, is virtually maintenance-free, making it a great option for a front yard. Shorter at two feet high but with larger flowers, Rudbeckia fulgida ‘Pot of Gold’ (available bare root from Burpee) is fab in a container. Or, if you like to stand out from the crowd, what about Rudbeckia occidentalis ‘Black Beauty’ (available bare root from Dutch Grown)? It doesn’t have petals at all, but sculptural central cones with a ring of golden pollen, surrounded by a shapely green ruff.

4. Roses

March is your last chance to get a bare root rose into the ground, and this is such a good, cost-effective way to add this garden favorite to your backyard. Plenty of varieties grow well in partial shade as well as sun, so there’s sure to be one that suits your space. Shrub roses are widely regarded as the hardiest, and plenty are heat tolerant, so there’s something for every zone, too.

If you want to add fragrance, then the pale peach-pink blooms of Rosa ‘Desdemona’ have an irresistible intense myrrh fragrance – grow it in your front yard and it’ll stop neighbors in their tracks! It’s available bareroot from Burpee. Want color? Rosa ‘Lady of Shalott’, also available from Burpee, has glorious orange-red blooms that open to salmon-pink petals backed in golden yellow – and even if this is your first time growing a rose, it’s super-easy to look after. Or how about growing a rose as groundcover? Rosa ‘Meiswetdom’, commonly known as Sweet Drift, is available potted from Perfect Plants Nursery and is very cold-hardy, drought-tolerant, spreading to 3 feet but only growing 1–2 feet high.

5. Hardy Geraniums

These cheery easy-to-grow cranesbill geraniums add cottage-garden charm to any backyard and are a great filler around taller perennial plants, happily growing through other foliage. They bloom for months and, if you cut them back hard once the first flowers fade, you’ll often be rewarded with a second flush. And they pretty much look after themselves, with some varieties hardy down to Zone 4.

My favourites are those with artful petals. Geranium pratense ‘Double Jewel’ has flurries of white petals with purple-pink hearts, while Geranium cinereum ‘Jolly Jewel Lilac’ brings vibrant heavy-veined blooms; Geranium pratense ‘Splish Splash’ has speckled white, lilac and purple flowers that look like they’re hand-painted. All are available bare root from Dutch Grown.

6. Coreopsis

Suitable for zones 3–9, these chipper little flowers will cheer up any garden, blooming abundantly on 10–18 inch stems for months through summer. Breeders have been busy and there are all sorts of pretty cultivars so, if you’re not a fan of the regular bright yellow tickseed, don’t write off this stress-free sun-loving flower that will bring butterflies to your backyard. Compact with an upright growth habit, these well-behaved little lovelies are a must-have.

Coreopsis ‘Moonbeam’ is a mellow, creamy yellow, while Coreopsis ‘UpTick Cream’ has ivory-petalled daisies with a golden centre; both are available potted from Burpee. Coreopsis ‘Solar Fancy', available bare root from Dutch Grown, has striking cherry-red flowers edged in yellow.

7. Echinacea

These beauties require very little looking after, and there are so many amazing coneflower cultivars now available. Typically suitable for zones 3–9, these easy-going, easy-growing daisies love a sunny spot.

This Echinacea ‘Blackberry Truffle’ brings cherry-pink pom pom blooms on distinctive dark stems, and is available bare root from Burpee. Or how about the elegant, swept-back two-tone petals of Echinacea ‘Pretty Parasols’, also available bare root from Burpee? This Echinacea ‘Strawberry and Cream’ is an absolute cracker, too, with its bouffant centre surrounded by notched white petals, and is available bare root from Dutch Grown.

8. Persicaria

Here’s something a little different! Persicaria, also known as mountain fleece, adds vertical interest from midsummer to early fall with abundant flower spikes that pollinators adore. As its name suggests, this perennial is tough, too, hardy in zones 3–9, enjoying partial shade in warmer climates and full sun in chillier temperatures. If you want to bring a cottagecore vibe to your garden, soften formal planting, or attract pollinators, it’s a stylish choice.

For showstopper spires, Persicaria amplexicaulis ‘Fat Domino’ grows to 4 feet tall with five-inch flowers in a rich red; Persicaria amplexicaulis ‘Summer Dance’ is more graceful with slender, arching spires in a pretty pink, growing up to 3½ foot high. Still too big? Try small cousin Persicaria affinis ‘Kabouter’, a dwarf fleeceflower. It only reaches a foot high with flower spikes that mature from a deep pink to paler blush tones. All are available as bare roots from Dutch Grown.

How Do I Plant Bare Root Plants?

It’s easy! First, you’ll need to soak your bare root in a bucket of water for between 30 minutes and 6 hours (the packaging will tell you the exact right time period) to rehydrate it. Dig a hole around three times the size of your bare root and mix some nutrients such as these worm castings from Amazon into the excavated soil. Position the plump bare root at the right height – you’ll often be able to see a ‘tide mark’ (where there’s a slight color-change on the stem showing the previous soil level) to guide you, without bending any roots. Backfill with the improved soil, firm the ground with your heel or hands, and water well.

You should plant your bare root as soon as possible after it arrives. If your soil is frozen or waterlogged, or if you’re worried about frosts, then plant your bare root in a temporary pot and keep it in a sheltered part of your garden until conditions improve. Once you see stems emerging from the compost, and the weather’s warmed up, move it into your border. This is a great way to plant a bare root at the optimum moment in spring anyway: a few weeks in a pot will let it wake up and start growing a stronger root system before.