Alright, so the other day, I decided it was time to get my hands dirty and plant some bare root astilbe. You know, those plants with the fluffy flowers and pretty leaves? Yeah, those. I’ve never planted them before, so it was a bit of an adventure.
First things first, I made sure the roots were nice and moist. I gave them a good soak because they were looking a little dry. Gotta keep those roots healthy, right? I carefully inspected each one, snipped off any that looked a little sad or damaged. Didn’t want to waste time planting something that wouldn’t thrive. But I made sure not to dawdle too much, as I didn’t want the roots to be exposed for too long!

Next, I had to find the perfect spot. I remembered reading that astilbe likes partial shade. A few hours of sun or a bright spot without direct sunlight is ideal. I have a few shady areas in my garden, so I picked one that gets a bit of morning sun and then shade for the rest of the day. From my experience, full shade makes the plants smaller and the flowers less impressive, but hey, maybe that’s just me.
Then came the planting part. I carefully dug some holes about 20-25cm apart. I gently placed each astilbe in its hole, made sure the crown was just above the soil level. I carefully filled in the holes, gently firmed down the soil around each plant. I watered them in real good. Gotta make sure they stay hydrated while they settle in, right?
- Checked the roots for moisture and health.
- Trimmed off any damaged parts.
- Found a partially shaded spot in the garden.
- Dug holes 20-25cm apart.
- Planted the astilbe, crown above soil level.
- Filled in the holes and watered thoroughly.
Now, I just gotta wait and see how they do. I’ll keep an eye on them, water them when needed, and deadhead the flowers after they bloom. Oh, and I learned that you can propagate them by division. Maybe I’ll try that next year! I’ll also need to remember to cut the stems back to a few cm above the ground at the end of the growing season to encourage even stronger growth next year.
Fingers crossed they’ll grow into those gorgeous, fluffy plants I’ve seen in pictures. It wasn’t too hard, really. Just a bit of digging and watering. Anyone can do it! Gardening is such a rewarding hobby, don’t you think?