Border order
Don’t settle for a sad tangle of weeds, show messy borders some love and frame your garden with plants that will dazzle all year round
All too often, overgrown, neglected and unloved borders form a sad margin around a pristine lawn or perfect patio. For some reason, we just let them be.
The good news is that a bit of weeding and new planting can pay real dividends – and you can soon get the best from your borders.
But first, take a look at the soil. If it’s tired, badly drained or too dry you may be wasting your time.
Dank, smelly soil is a sign of poor drainage that will rot roots and kill off any new plantings. Equally, dusty, dry soil with a crumbly texture is bad for new growth.
In both cases, your borders will need a makeover.
First, remove dying and dead plants and shrubs. Ditto weeds – ditto anything that does not fit into your new plan.
Make sure you dig all the roots to prevent a comeback of zombie weeds and plants. Be really brutal here – it’s for the best.
If time is not an issue, lay thick black polythene over the whole area, put stones on top and leave it for a year. It’s not a quick solution but it should kill everything. Prune any older shrubs, clearing out any dead debris or damaged branches. Trim hedges and overgrown plants to shape.
For really large borders, or if your soil is particularly impacted, hire a rotavator to turn over the ground. Personally I think it’s more satisfying to do it by hand and it’s a great workout.
Adding well-rotted manure or compost will help improve your soil and give your new plants a nutrient boost. By digging trenches at least 2ft deep, you can work your organic matter deep into the soil.
Start at the back and move forwards. Bark chips, leaf mould, straw and some well-rotted manure will all improve the soil structure if it is clay-heavy.
While you are turning over the soil, mix in handfuls of solid feed, such as chicken manure or Growmore fertiliser.
These will break down slowly over time, feeding your new plants. But turning the soil itself adds oxygen and
encourages worms and other insects to aerate it. Use a sharp spade or edging tool to really define the edges of your border, then install plastic or ceramic edging to stop the lawn intruding and to keep it neat.
Now you can start thinking about replanting your border. In many cases, borders are a legacy part of your garden, planted many moons
You can mix up textures to give a dramatic visual effect
before by previous owners. So this really is your chance to make an indelible impression on your garden.
Measure your plot and mark any existing shrubs, rocks or trees.
Take a photo of the space on your phone to get a better impression of the area – you can use this as a helpful plan to take to the garden centre when you’re buying plants and shrubs.
I like a cascading effect so plant the taller varieties at the back coming down in size as you get towards the front.
Look for different textures – mixing them creates a dramatic visual effect. This layered look gives the illusion of maturity.
Smaller shrubs provide depth while neat rows of evergreens such as lavender will create a more regimented look.
But it shouldn’t be too well-ordered. A mix of plants and shrubs will give brilliant splashes of colour and some much-needed changes of texture, scent and foliage.
And if you want instant impact, think big.
Don’t wait for plants to grow – go for more mature specimens in 10 and 20 litre pots. You may need to get them professionally delivered but they will look immediately stunning.
Also look to buy and plant en masse. In threes, fives, nines – always the odd numbers. A mass of colour in your borders will catch and hold the eye.
One of my absolute favourites for a border is bergenia.
My parents had it in the garden when I was a child and we used to love rubbing the leaves, which have a fantastic rubbery feel.
It’s a perennial that retains its leaves all year round, growing out of a tuberous root.
Early in the year it will send out long shoots with masses of bell-shaped flowers, rising above the foliage in a gorgeous pink that will redden as they age. It is perfect for borders – it grows to about eight inches so won’t dominate an area.
But don’t stop with that. There are hundreds of amazing plants that will brighten your borders and give them the love they deserve.
For a longer-term project, how about buying a plant that is in flower from a garden centre every month? That way you will have 12 months of colour in your garden.
As one plant goes out of flower, another will come in.
It’s like shopping for clothes. We have spring, summer, autumn and winter togs. So why not do the same for your garden?
And as you’re putting in plants, an underlayer of bulbs – tulips, crocus, daffs – will be welcome come spring.