Transform your garden with a beautiful perennial border
Grown from seed at a fraction of the cost of buying established plants
Perennial Grow Along 2026 • Free Follow Along Community Experience • Starting 18th Sept 2026
Transform your garden with a beautiful perennial border
Grown from seed at a fraction of the cost of buying established plants
Perennial Grow Along 2026
Free Follow Along Experience
Starting 18th Sept 2026
Wait, what are perennials?
Perennial flowers are flowers that come back every year once they're happy and in the right spot. For example: think Rudbeckia, Achillea, Echinacea.
The whole point is: you plant them once, and they'll keep giving for years.
Perennials are great, their popularity in garden centres proves it...!
Benefits of Perennials:
With a different mix of perennials, we can have flowers from April through to first frosts in October
Good for pollinators and support biodiversity
Cut flowers: Many varieties suit a vase
Many varieties can be divided and shared with other parts of the garden, or with friends and loved ones
You don't need to buy established plants. Grow them from seed, and you'll get the exact same result for a fraction of the cost.
Growing perennials from seed isn't just economical; it fills gardeners with immense pride. You grow plants on site that are hardy rather than plants that are grown to look great on a given day. There's something truly special about nurturing a tiny seed into a magnificent flowering plant that will grace your garden for years to come. Whether you're planning to expand your borders, add color to new areas, or simply experience the joy of growing, this project offers something for everyone.
John will be guiding you through the entire journey from seed to spectacular flowering plants in step by step videos and a live Q&A.
We break down exactly what you'll need to get started: perennial seeds of your choice, suitable growing media, seed trays (or improvised containers), and labels.
You'll learn about selecting the right varieties for your conditions, including both cultivated flowers and native wildflowers.
Starting with a comprehensive sowing demonstration on YouTube, we'll progress through germination, pricking out seedlings, growing on through winter, and finally planting out next summer.
I will be actively involved myself: transforming a bed in my own garden with plants grown during the grow along.
A live Q&A session to address your specific situation, ensuring everyone succeeds regardless of experience level.
The Schedule:
Each stage of the Grow Along follows the same simple pattern: a video showing you exactly what to do at each stage. We'll have an initial live Q&A session where you can ask about your own plants and plans. I'll be available to troubleshoot anything that's not going to plan throughout the Grow Along via YouTube comments and email.
1. Sowing - video release 18th Sept
2. Live Q&A session via zoom - 25th Sept at 7pm
3. Germination & pricking out approx. mid/late October
4. Growing on through winter over the winter months
5. Planting out approx. summer 2027
Growing conditions will dictate the exact timing, so dates will firm up as we go. I'll keep you posted by email so you always know what's coming next. I'll be growing my own border along the exact same timeline, so you'll see the whole thing through with me, from seed to finished bed.
Join the Grow Along!
Complete beginner or seasoned grower, it doesn't matter. If you want a proper perennial border without the price tag, and you're happy to follow along step by step, this is for you.
About John
John has worked in the gardening industry for 30 years and knows what works in Irish gardens - because he's made all the mistakes himself. He hosts the weekly Master My Garden podcast and runs these workshops from his Garden in Co. Laois near Carlow town, where he grows and tests everything before recommending it.
Growing up between his father's farm and his mother's garden, with grandparents on both sides who were brilliant growers, John's been surrounded by gardening his whole life. Now he's passing on what he's learned - minus the trial and error you don't need to do yourself.
Questions that might be on your mind...
Perfect! The grow along is designed for all levels. We start with the basics and then the Q&A is there to address everyone's specific situations.
Perennial seeds of your choice
Suitable growing media
Seed trays (or anything you can improvise)
Labels
I'll show you how to pick the right varieties for your own conditions, both well-known garden flowers and native wildflowers.
The perennial seed I will grow in this challenge are:
Achillea millefolium 'F2 Summer Berries'
Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii 'Goldsturm'
Salvia x superba 'Blue Queen'
Lupinus x russellii 'The Pages'
Verbena bonariensis
Aquilegia vulgaris var. stellata 'Nora Barlow'
Gaura lindheimeri 'Emmeline Pink Bouquet'
Erigeron karvinskianus 'Profusion'
Echinacea hybrida 'Paradiso Tall Mix'
Lavandula angustifolia 'Lavender Vera'
Native Ox-Eye Daisy
Native Campion
No problem. Sign up and you'll be kept in the loop by email and have the chance to submit questions in advance so you can catch up via the replay.
Let's grow a beautiful perennial border from seed - for a fraction of what it'd cost from the garden centre!
Don't miss this opportunity to create something beautiful and lasting for your garden while developing valuable skills that will stay with you for the future.
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