There is nothing sadder than a magnificent clump of delphiniums or peonies flattened across the path after one summer downpour. The answer is to get the supports in early, before the plants need them, while they can still grow up through them.
Support early, hide it later
The trick is timing. Stakes put in when a plant is half-grown are soon hidden as the foliage grows up and through them, looking natural. Stakes rammed in after a plant has collapsed always look like a rescue, because they are.
Choosing a method
Different plants want different support, but the principle is always to hold the stems without strangling them.
- Link stakes or a grid for a whole clump like peonies.
- A single cane and soft tie for a tall spire like a delphinium.
- Twiggy hazel sticks, pushed in early, for an informal look.
The natural way
Prunings saved from winter, especially bushy hazel or birch twigs, make the most sympathetic supports of all. Pushed in around a clump in spring, they let the plant grow up through a natural cage that all but disappears by flowering time.
Tie loosely
Where you do tie stems to a cane, use soft string or twine in a figure of eight, leaving room for the stem to thicken. A tight tie cuts into the growing stem and snaps it in the very wind you were guarding against.