Hardy plants are low maintenance and so make for easy gardening. But there is also a much larger group of plants hardy once established. Establishing a plant well gives you an open door to include more than just the traditional toughies in your garden. So just how do you establish a plant to give it the best chance of being considered hardy?

• Read the plant label to check that you can meet its basic requirements, such as correct light levels, temperature range and space.
• Soak the plant in a solution of seaweed tonic and soil wetter while you dig the hole.
• Prepare the hole to twice the size of the pot, improving the soil to suit the plant. Add pre-soaked water crystals if they suit the plant's needs.
• Don’t dig a dish into clay soil, your plant may well drown after heavy rain. Instead fork gypsum into the clay surface and create a planting mound on top using quality soil.
• Remove the pot and gently tease out the roots. Be aware that some species should not have their roots disturbed.
• Position your plant in the hole, the root-ball soil level should be at the same height as the surrounding soil.
• Backfill around the rootball with the improved soil. Press the soil down firmly to remove air pockets but don’t compress it.
• Create a small dished mound on the surface around the edge of the root ball as a watering dish.
• If staking is required, add the stakes now ensuring that they are not pushed through the root ball. And use at least three stakes.
• Spread a slow release fertiliser to suit the plant and granulated soil wetter.
• Water in well with a solution of seaweed tonic.
• Mulch well, apply the mulch at least 50mm thick, and then water again.