Caring for potted lupins

Q The large herbaceous perennials at our local garden centre were expensive, so we bought a few smaller ones including a tiny lupin.

Can we put them straight in the garden, or should they be kept in pots for longer? Yvonne Purcell, Daventry, Northamptonshire

A Larger pots of well-established perennials are a good buy precisely because they are robust enough to hit the ground running. Even if they are sometimes munched by molluscs, nibbled by rabbits or scratched at by birds or cats, they are tough enough to survive until action can be taken. Some are established enough to tolerate being divided into two at planting time, or will yield a few basal cuttings. Yet I sympathise with the allure of choosing three different plants (usually sold in 3.5in/9cm pots) for a very similar price.

Lupins are propagated by cuttings or seeds, and I expect your young plant is a seedling. Although it is technically hardy and you would have found it in the outdoor section of your garden centre, it has probably only recently emerged from a polytunnel or greenhouse.