PLANT YOUR BORDER
The controlling factor for this border is the heather, which insists on a sunny site and well-drained, preferably acidic to neutral soil, although Erica darleyensis ‘Darley Dale’ will tolerate slightly alkaline ground. The cornus by contrast is amenable to most soil conditions while the narcissi also enjoy a sunny site on well-drained soil. Clear any perennial weeds and add well-rotted compost or leafmould across the area to help improve soil structure and drainage.
1 Start with the cornus
You can pick up bareroot Cornus alba from November to March, or look out for container-grown specimens year round. Prepare the planting site before the bareroot plants arrive, working in extra compost around the planting hole and measuring out enough space for the cornus to grow. Unwrap immediately and soak the roots in a bucket of water for an hour before planting. Try to plant at the same depth they were previously growing, firming down the soil gently and watering in well. Mulch with well-rotted organic matter to reduce weeds and conserve moisture.
Cornus are coppiced to promote multiple young shoots that show the best winter colour. Allow your plants to get established and growing strongly for a year or so first. From their second or third year, prune back to a framework of low 5-8cm (2-3in) shoots in March and the resulting new stems will look fabulous next winter. If you would rather keep an element of structure right through the year, prune out only a third of the oldest stems for a more gradual replacement of shoots. You can propagate cornus from hardwood cuttings, so try sinking some of the prunings into deep containers of gritty compost. They’re slow to root but usually successful.
2 Plant the heathers
Spring is a good time to establish new heather plants. They do best on a sandy loam but make sure you give them extra water during dry spells while they get established. Keep spreading herbaceous perennials well away to prevent heathers being overshadowed by summer growth.
These tough plants don’t regenerate well from old wood so trim back lightly straight after flowering. The following year’s flower buds will form in summer so leave it too late and you risk ruining next year’s display. If a plant has become very leggy, replace it, or propagate new plants by taking semi-ripe cuttings from non-flowering shoots in August or September.
3 Add a swathe of daffs
Plant narcissus bulbs at three times their own depth in late summer to early autumn. Buy them when they first appear at the garden centre, or order online from a specialist grower to be sure of plump, healthy bulbs. Both ‘Rijnveld’s Early Sensation’ and ‘Tête-à-tête’ bulk up well, coming back year after year, so if you can’t afford to plant a large number to begin with, you can build up the display over time. Arrange smaller ‘Tête-à-tête’ towards the border front and larger ‘Rijnveld’s Early Sensation’ further back. Both are happy beneath some light summer shade from deciduous shrubs. After flowering, leave foliage to die back naturally, allowing the plants’ energy to be stored in a bulb for next year’s display.
For instant colour this spring, look out for pots of bulbs ready to flower at your local nursery. You can try different daffodil cultivars but make sure the overall effect doesn’t become too confused – mixed bags don’t always give the display you had in mind! In later years, dig up congested clumps and replant just as the foliage turns brown. ✿