Aubrieta 'Audrey Blue'

Garden Ready Plants:
Garden Ready Plants can be planted straight into their final position. If you can't plant them immediately, keep them in a bright, sheltered spot and make sure they don't dry out.

Plant in well-drained soil in a sunny position, spacing plants around 30cm apart to give them room to spread. Water the plants before planting if the rootballs feel dry, then plant at the same depth they were growing in their tray. Gently firm the soil around the roots and water thoroughly.

When planting in autumn, keep plants watered while they establish if conditions are dry. Growth will naturally slow as temperatures fall, with plants putting down roots ready for stronger growth and flowering in spring.

Aubrieta loves a sunny position with free-draining soil and is particularly good for places where its low, spreading growth can be shown off.

Walls and raised beds:
Plant near the edge and allow the stems to spread and tumble naturally, softening hard edges with foliage followed by masses of spring flowers.

Rockeries and gravel gardens:
Its compact, spreading growth works beautifully between rocks and stones, provided the soil drains freely and plants receive plenty of sun.

Borders:
Use towards the front of a sunny border, along path edges or between other low-growing perennials where it can gradually form a colourful mat.

Pots and containers:
Aubrieta also grows well in containers with good drainage. Position plants towards the edge so the stems can soften and spill over the sides.

Top tip:
Good drainage is particularly important through winter. Avoid planting aubrieta where the soil stays wet for long periods, especially during colder weather.

Aubrieta 'Audrey Blue' is a natural partner for other low-growing spring perennials and bulbs, particularly in sunny rockeries, along paths and around the edges of borders.

Try it with creeping phlox, saxifraga or arabis for layers of spring colour with different flower shapes and growth habits. In gravel gardens and rockeries, sedums can continue the low-growing display after the main flush of aubrieta flowers has finished.

Spring bulbs also look wonderful emerging amongst spreading aubrieta. Dwarf daffodils, crocuses and small tulips add height above the carpet of flowers without hiding it.

Top tip:
Let aubrieta spill across the front of the planting and position taller bulbs and perennials behind it. This gives every plant room to show off without losing that characteristic carpet of spring colour.

Water regularly while newly planted aubrieta establishes, particularly during dry autumn weather. Once established, plants are relatively drought tolerant, although those growing in containers will need watering more often.

After the main flush of spring flowers has finished, lightly trim the plants to remove faded blooms and keep the spreading growth neat and compact. Avoid cutting hard back into old, woody stems.

Aubrieta generally needs little feeding when grown in the ground. Plants in containers can be given a light feed during active growth, but avoid overfeeding as this can encourage lots of leafy growth at the expense of flowers.

Keep an eye on drainage during winter. Aubrieta copes well with cold conditions but dislikes sitting in persistently wet soil.

Top tip:
A light trim after flowering helps prevent plants becoming straggly and encourages fresh growth, ready to form another neat mat for next year's display.

Garden Ready Plants:
Supplied in trays of 12, Garden Ready Plants are well-established young plants that can be planted straight into their final position. Plant them into beds, borders, rockeries or containers and allow them to establish before their main flowering display in spring.