Information for gardeners
This page is here to help you as gardeners to get the very best from your plants. As an independent grower, I genuinely care about how your plants grow once they leave here, and I want you to feel confident every step of the way. The guidance I share comes from experience, curiosity, and plenty of learning along the journey. My aim is simple: to help you succeed, enjoy your garden, and watch your plants thrive.
Plant sizes, condition & maturity
Plug Plants
Mini Plugs
Size: 15mm sq (approx.)
Growth stage: Tender young seedlings in need of pricking out and potting on to grow before being planted out.
Quantity: Usually supplied in strips of 12.
Midi Plugs
Size: 20mm sq (approx.)
Growth stage: A little more mature than the mini's, can sometimes be planted out if the weather is good and the last frost has passed.
Quantity: Usually supplied in strips of 6.
Maxi Plugs
Size: 30mm sq (approx.)
Growth stage: More mature, sometimes over a year old, which can mean well developed root systems and/or fewer leaves due to winter dormancy or cutting back. Generally hardened off and garden ready, though for best results good weather is preferred for planting out.
At Plug Plants by Post, plants are grown naturally here in the UK - no fuss, no gimmicks, no fancy packaging - just healthy young plants raised with care. Because they’re living things, not factory-made products, each plant has its own character, and that’s part of their charm. If you value honest growing, real plants, and great results over glossy packaging and uniform appearance, you’re in the right place.
RHS Plant Hardiness Ratings Explained
The RHS plant hardiness ratings, introduced in 2012, offer gardeners a clearer, more practical guide to how well plants tolerate winter cold across the UK. These ratings replace the older H1–H4 system, which does not directly correspond to the current categories, making the newer scale far easier to understand and apply.
For a fuller explanation of the ratings, plus an interactive UK hardiness map, visit Plant Maps at Gardens Illustrated.
You can easily browse all of Plug Plants by Post's available plants by RHS hardiness category, helping you choose varieties that suit your garden’s temperature conditions. Explore and shop plants matched to your climate:
Soil & pH
The best soil is the one you already have. Working with your garden’s natural earth, while making small, simple improvements, will always give the best results. A little compost and the right plant choices can transform your garden.
Top tips
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Add well-rotted organic material to enrich any soil type.
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Improve drainage of clay soil by digging a 10" (250mm) hole, adding grit or perlite at the bottom, then mixing plenty of compost into the remaining soil.
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Choose drought-tolerant plants for light, free-draining soils (e.g. eryngium).
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Choose moisture-loving plants for heavier, damp soils (e.g. hostas, roses).
Sunshine, shade & frost
Most plants are happy with a mix of conditions, some thrive in shade (e.g. hosta, hellebore and ferns) some sunshine (e.g. rudbeckia, phlox and daylily) but even these will tolerate adverse conditions if they are provided with ample relief - plenty of water in hot dry weather, and mulch or fleece during cold wet weather.
The trick is to keep an eye out and respond when your plants give the stress messages - yellowing leaves and wilting.
The great joy of gardening is learning and loving, like all of life.
If you're not sure, just ask!
If you ever have a question, please get in touch - I’m an independent gardener who genuinely enjoys helping others grow. I love sharing what I’ve learned, hearing about your challenges, and improving my guidance so we can learn together. Whether you’re a novice or experienced gardener, your success matters to me, so if you’re not sure, just ask.
