Who wants free plants?

Seriously though, how can you say no to free plants!?! 

When we first bought our property, there was very limited landscaping. Our property was heavily forested and we had two small lawns with some pretty sad perennials that were not thriving. As I started to build gardens and perennial spaces my dreams of how our landscaping would look was also building. 

As I expanded from one large perennial garden to 12, I realized that my dreams of flowers everywhere, was really expensive. I took as many freebies as I could. I hit every single flower sale I could and I grew slowly. As the years went on, I came to discover that some of the plants I grew were little miracle plants. They grew bigger and bigger each year and could easily be divided. These are what I like to refer to as Free Plants. 

• Ajuga - this ground cover is beautiful all season long with its dark, luxurious leaves. The purple spires bloom in spring and can look quite stunning. You can expect this plant to double year after year. What's even better. You don't have to be an expert, just pull it out of the ground and plop it where you want it. It grows like a weed and doesn't take much to take off. 
• Vinca - another stunner in spring. This plant has waxy, cut little green leaves and beautiful purple flowers. Vinca blooms in spring, but new growth can bloom all summer long. Like Ajuga, you can expect this plant to double each year. 
• Ground Phlox - I don't know if there is another ground cover that makes such a stunning display as carpet or ground Phlox. In the spring, these gorgeous blooms light up the landscape. They are not as fast to double, but they grow steadily and are easily divided. There are medium ground phlox as well, they are little taller, but grow the same (pink flower in 3rd picture). 
  

• Montauk Daisies- These fall favorites grow huge and woody, so its important that you hack them back at least twice a year. The saying is to cut them both at Mother's Day and Memorial Day. This helps the plant to have better, sturdier blooms. When you hack them back (usually 6-8 inches) don't throw those stems away. Simply stick them in some dirt and water regularly and you will have brand new daisy plants! 
• Primrose - These brightly lit blooms grow like weeds and put on a floral display that makes Mother Nature proud. What is great, is that they double every year, they have shallow roots and are easily moved from one garden to the next. I love to decorate big empty areas with primrose and watch them take off. When they get too out of control, I pull them and put them in the next open space. 
• Catmint- This is definitely one of my favorite plants in the garden. They smell amazing, they grow really vigorously, and you can get at least 2 blooms out of them in summer. After the first bloom, hack them back and watch as they grow and bloom again. Even better is that the plant is super easy to divide. I pull up a large plant and using my hands pull apart some of the plant at the roots and plant it somewhere else. They will look a little scraggly for the rest of the year, but next year, you will think you have planted two big giant brand new plants. 

There are so many other plants that grow and divide easily - daylily, hosta, iris, coreopsis, bee balm, and many more. Hopefully this post has given you the confidence to pick up some plants and give it a try. All of the plants above can be divided at the end of your first season! It is such an easy way to grow your garden space while keeping your wallet in check. 

What are your favorite perennials to grow and divide? We'd love to hear from you!