PLANNING IS KEY
bamboo; or a cottage garden style, with self-seeding annuals and perennials that will spread without needing regular digging up and dividing. Traditional herbaceous borders are the sort you see in the grounds of stately homes, ablaze with mid-summer flowers, often set against a yew or beech hedge. They can be a lot of work, as the hedge may harbour weeds and pests, and once the summer display is over, there is nothing much to see.
In a small garden, you’ll probably be better off planting a mixed border perhaps in an island bed. You can include trees and winter-flowering shrubs for height and bulk; perennials (which add summer colour) and bulbs, which provide a spring show, meaning there’s something to see most of the year. There’s less work involved in this kind of scheme – it’s the original pick ’n’ mix selection.
Why not just go to the garden centre and buy whatever takes your fancy? Well, impulse buying is fun, but when the plant that looked great in the shop finishes flowering, it may be ages before it ‘peaks’ again. You need to be a bit methodical – sorry!
One of the best ways to plan a bed or border is to start jotting down the names of plants that will grow well in your garden’s circumstances. Reference books contain useful lists of plants for particular situations, or try spending a fact-finding morning in a garden centre. But one of the most enjoyable ways of undertaking research is to visit other gardens. When you see a scheme you like, take notes or a picture to remind you later.
PULL IT TOGETHER
When you analyse what makes a border successful, you’ll see there are several basic plant shapes: tall and upright, low and spreading, spiky, domed, rounded and foamy ‘filler’. Try sketching rough plant shapes on paper and arranging them together to get an idea of the finished effect.
A good tip is to place plants in threes to create ‘triangles’. Think about colours that go together or contrast well: for example, in a traditional border, it makes sense to have a preponderance of green – provided by evergreen and foliage plants – with blobs of colour sprinkled throughout to stop everything clashing.
Then, keeping them in their pots, place your plants in position and judge the overall effect, before planting the major trees and/or shrubs and evergreens. You can then add your perennials and fill the gaps with annuals while you wait for the shrubs to grow. Finally, fork the soil over lightly and mulch it well (with organic matter such as compost).
Remember, however, that your scheme will change with the seasons and as it matures. The great thing about plants is that, if you decide you really don’t like the result later, you can always dig them up and move them – it’s a lot easier than moving house.
When you don’t have time for the constant attention that bedding plants need, or can’t manage the regular makeovers of seasonal schemes, consider a container garden – filling pots with long-lived plants that can stay put for years without a lot of fuss.
The sort of plants you go for must be hardy, of course, but they’ll also need to look on top form all the time. Most will need a 38cm-45cm pot to do well – put some drainage material (like stones or pieces of chipped pot) in the bottom and fill with John Innes No 3 potting compost.
There are loads of suitable plants to choose from. Evergreens, such as box
and naturally compact shrubs are brilliant; and dramatic architectural shapes can look superb. Some of the best year-round tub plants are natural show-offs, things such as bamboo (for coloured canes, go for golden-stemmed bamboo and black bamboo), dwarf rhododendrons and Japanese maples, Chusan palm
or
dwarf fan palm
yucca and phormium. Most of the smaller clematis are brilliant in tubs – grow them up posh obelisks or rustic tripods.
If you prefer a traditional look, then patio and miniature roses are the answer. I’d say they’re a better alternative than summer bedding for busy people, because they’re just as colourful and flower for as long, but you don’t have to throw them away at the end of the season. Just keep them in their pots for next year.
The past 50 years have seen a gradual role reversal. Nowadays, it’s often the countryside that is highly manicured, and it’s gardens that wildlife rely on for a living. The popularity of garden ponds has meant a huge increase in the numbers of newts and frogs. Many butterflies that are now scarce in the country find everything they need in gardens, and several once-common countryside birds now rely on them for food supplies, especially in winter.
Much of the difference is due to the lower usage of pesticides in gardens than on farmland, but a lot of gardens are also being designed and managed with wildlife more in mind.
Wildlife adds a lot to the garden. There’s always something to watch – a blackbird teaching her babies how to tug worms out of the lawn, and, if you’re lucky, hedgehogs on summer nights. There are butterflies, birds and bees, and strange insects to identify. With something to interest the whole family, the garden can become – dare I say it – educational.
Anything you can do to make the garden more wildlife-friendly will help. To encourage birds, grow plants that provide them with natural food: seeds of ornamental and wild grasses, berries and fruits, sunflowers and thistle-like plants, such as teasels. Put out bird seed, suet, bits of cheese and dried fruit, especially in winter and now in spring, when they have chicks to feed. Good plants for attracting butterflies and bees include lavender, marjoram, scabious, Michaelmas daisies (Aster novae-angliae), ice plant (Sedum spectabile) and the aptly named butterfly bush (Buddleja davidii).
Wild flowers are more than just decoration. They are vital to attract insects and feed the caterpillars of butterflies and moths. To grow your own, sow seeds in pots or trays – annuals in spring, perennials in autumn – then plant them out into soil that has been forked over but not fertilised. Good wild flowers for damp ground and around ponds include lady’s smock (Cardamine pratensis) and marsh marigold (Caltha palustris), while wood anemones and foxgloves are perfect for shade under trees. In long grass, plant ox-eye daisies and field poppies; and in short grass, cowslips, primroses and violets. These are perfect for people who can’t get to grips with a full-blown wild flower meadow; just mow the lawn with the blades set high enough to miss these little treasures.
Once everything has been designed and planted up, leave it alone as much as
possible – the less disturbance it gets, the better your chances of attracting scarce creatures such as slow worms and stag beetles. Don’t tidy away old perennial flower stems until spring; spiders and other beneficial insects use the dead plants to hibernate in during the winter.
Most importantly, stop using pesticides. In time, a natural balance will establish itself. By doing something as simple as not spraying the greenfly on roses will encourage all sorts of creatures such as lacewings, hoverflies and blue tits to feed on them. The ‘good’ wildlife cancels out the ‘bad’ and will take care of garden pests automatically. Well, partially at least.