HEAD FOR THE BORDER
Don’t be seduced by instant colour — ponder the merits of new displays
ON ONE of the first sunny days of the year, it is tempting to rush down to the garden centre and buy whatever you can find in flower. But while this is a great time to think about planting a new border, it pays to spend a little time planning first. Whether you are creating a bed from scratch, or adding to an existing one, consider how you want it to look.
Are you aiming for a contemporary, minimalist vibe, or a romantic cottage garden aesthetic? Is it somewhere you will see from the house all day, or tucked away at the bottom of the garden? Think about the aspect and soil type. Is it in full sun, and in need of drought-resistant planting, or in full shade? Garden designer Richard Miers says: ‘The first thing I do is think, what is the back to the border? Is there a hedge? Is there a wall? Do you walk both sides? Where is it going to be seen from? When are you going to see it? How long does the season of interest need to be?’
His next consideration is the backbone of the border. This might be a multi-stemmed tree.
SWEET SCENTS
ONE of his favourites is Parrotia persica, the Persian ironwood, which has year-round interest, with bright green foliage in summer turning to deep red in autumn, while in winter mature trees display attractive grey peeling bark.
Or it might be a shrub such as sweet-scented Daphne ‘Jacqueline mind Structure deep shade. Postill’ can be that as doesn’t simple as an obelisk with a clematis climbing it. Repetition is also key. Miers says: ‘Map out your border and put two or three of the same plant in to give a bit of rhythm. It’s nice for the eye, like a piece of music, to have the melody that continues through.’
COLOUR PALETTE
WHEN it comes to colour, Miers believes it’s a matter of personal taste: ‘Some people love bright orange with pink.
‘I love more subtle whites, purples, blues, although I wouldn’t necessarily put blue and purple together. Towards the end of the summer you can use your oranges and red, rudbeckias and helianthus that flower later in the season.’
Catriona Rowbotham, an expert in planting design, agrees: The secret to planning a new border is to think about what you want to achieve before thinking about the plants.
‘Whether you want to create privacy, a lovely view from a particular window or soften a bare boundary, that should allow you to first decide where to put your trees, shrubs, and climbers.
‘Then consider the style that you want to achieve, be it country garden, a naturalistic look with swaying grasses or a shady woodland type border.’
Her formula for any bed is to include one-third evergreen plants to two-thirds deciduous and herbaceous.
‘For perennials, plan to group them in flowing groups of three, five, or seven around your trees and shrubs and think about putting contrasting shapes next to each other,’ she adds.
Choose plants that suit the conditions. The RHS Plant Finder will tell you if a plant likes sun or shade, and if it should be in acidic, alkaline or neutral soil. And give them plenty of room.
Rowbotham says: ‘You will need fewer plants than you think you do. Plants grow — allow them their space!’