OME herbaceous plants need staking. Much of this depends on the particular site, shelter from wind, rate of growth etc. With increasing shelter from enclosing trees and hedges, fewer plants need staking in my situation. Those that do, such as delphiniums, herbaceous clematis and oriental poppies must be dealt with immediately. Soft new growth can go down all too quickly. One day they are standing erect and then, after a downpour, they are prostrate if not broken.
There are several approaches to staking. The simplest, which is useful for plants which only need a little help, is to use semi-circular plant hoops which can now be bought in many outlets. Some use hazel or beech twigs to form a tent through which the plants can grow, disguising the supports as the plant develops.
This business of disguising the support is important if you are at all concerned with the aesthetics of the garden. Oddly some gardeners are not. Most effective is a network of bamboo canes pushed in close to the base of the plant. The canes can then be interlinked with a cats cradle of string. Rather than have all bamboos showing for weeks and weeks, stake low with short canes and am prepared to put in longer stakes in June with more strings.