Alchemilla mollis

Buy a young plant in autumn or spring

Container-grown plants are widely sold by all garden centres in 9 cm or 1 L pots. One plant is enough for a typical garden — it'll spread by self-seeding into a colony within 3–4 years. Spacing: 50 cm apart for ground-cover plantings; 1 m apart if you want individual specimen mounds.

Plant in sun or part shade

Alchemilla tolerates anything from full sun to fairly deep shade. Best display: part shade with morning sun — flowers are most prolific, foliage stays fresh. Full sun: works well in moist soil; in dry sunny positions the foliage can scorch at the edges in summer. Deep dry shade: alchemilla survives but stays smaller and flowers less.

Plant in any soil

Alchemilla's chief virtue: tolerance of poor and difficult soils. Heavy clay, sandy loam, chalk all work. Slightly moist is ideal but the plant survives drought well once established. The only soil it dislikes: waterlogged ground. No special preparation needed — alchemilla thrives in plain garden soil with a token mulch.

Watch the leaves catch raindrops

Alchemilla's signature visual effect. The pleated soft leaves are slightly water-repellent, and after rain or heavy dew each leaf holds a single large mercury-like bead of water at its centre. Medieval alchemists collected this alchemilla water believing it had magical properties (the genus name Alchemilla comes from alchemy). A border of alchemilla after rain is one of the great quiet pleasures of UK gardening.

Cut the whole plant down after flowering

The single most important husbandry rule. When the lime-green flower clouds start fading in late July or early August, cut the whole plant down to 10 cm above the ground. Three reasons: (1) prevents prolific self-seeding (a single un-cut alchemilla seeds hundreds of volunteers); (2) triggers a fresh flush of clean foliage for late summer and autumn; (3) tidies the plant after the slightly tatty post-flower stage.

Manage the self-seeding

Alchemilla is famously promiscuous. Cut flower-heads off BEFORE they shatter to prevent self-seeding entirely. Or let one or two plants seed and accept volunteers. Self-sown seedlings appear in any bare soil — paths, gravel, between paving stones, in the lawn. Most UK gardeners balance the colony — let a few seed, pull unwanted volunteers. The seedlings are easy to pull while small (March–April); harder once established (mature alchemilla has a deep root system).

Use as cut flower or ground cover

Cut flower use: the lime-green sprays last well in water and brighten any mixed bouquet — particularly good with pinks and blues. Pick whole stems just as flowers fully open. Ground cover use: plant in mass alongside paths, under roses, in mixed borders. The pleated foliage suppresses weeds and softens hard edges. Classic UK pairings: alchemilla + nepeta + roses (a cottage-garden trinity).

Divide every 3–4 years (or not at all)

Alchemilla is one of the few perennials that doesn't strictly need dividing — it stays vigorous for many years from a single plant. Division is useful if you want to spread the plant or refresh a tired specimen: lift in early autumn or spring, split with a spade into 4–6 sections, replant immediately. Self-sown seedlings are often easier than division for propagation.