Support or stake (optional)

Stake flopping stems if desired. Many of us wait until our poor plants are already bending and flopping before we take the matter in hand. Staking in spring means you will have a few weeks of visible, sometimes ugly stakes in the border, but it will save many headaches throughout the rest of the growing season. Early staking means plants growth through a framework, and often do not need any more support or tying in later.

Try to use natural looking materials, such as branches or bamboo stakes that fit in with garden plants better than metal and wooden stakes. However, there are places where metal rings make life easier and sometimes the strength of a square wooden stake is necessary. Using biodegradable tying material, like twine, will not only blend in more naturally with the garden, it will make winter cleanup easier, since twine can go right into the compost.

Some exceptionally tall flowers, like hollyhocks and delphiniums really do need staking. They will look fine one day and then wind or rain will level the whole lot of them. Once down, they won't pop back up. In many cases, fallen stems will begin to bend up from where they hit the ground, growing in a kind of 'S' shape.

Other plants are more subjective in their need for staking. Flowers like daises, asters and coneflowers might flop over on other plants, but you might enjoy the informality of a more natural garden.