PLANT YOUR BORDER
Any new planting deserves a weed-free start, especially with large plants that you expect to be in place for years to come. Assuming the ground isn’t saturated or frozen, work across the site, digging out weeds, breaking up compacted ground and forking in plenty of well-rotted organic matter. All these plants (except the fern that sits in the bamboo’s shadow) appreciate a sunny sheltered site on fertile but well-drained soil. The blue fescue and euphorbia appreciate a more gritty, free-draining soil. Finish with a mulch to conserve moisture and keep down weeds.
1 Establish the bamboo
Work out where you intend to site your bamboo and the amount of elbow room you’re willing to offer it. Dig a circle around this area and insert a bamboo barrier so it finishes 10cm (4in) above the soil surface to block creeping rhizomes. Plant the bamboo once the ground begins to warm in spring, turning the container round and stepping back to ensure its best canes are facing forwards. Water in well to settle the soil back around its roots and water again deeply during dry spells. Established plants can be tidied in spring. Prune out weak or damaged canes and show off the gold stems by thinning out dense clusters and removing lower leaves.
2 Add the euphorbia and bergenia
In early spring or autumn, you can add the euphorbia and bergenia. With its acidgreen flowers, a perennial presence and strong architectural shape E. characias wulfenii is a winner with garden designers. Do wear gloves and long sleeves when handling because euphorbia sap is an irritant. Don’t plant near path edges or where children play. Improve drainage on heavier ground. Young plants put on lots of growth in the first year before flowering early in year two. Cut fading blooms back to the ground in summer to stop plants sprawling and to encourage new growth. Propagate new plants from softwood cuttings taken in early summer to provide replacements every four or five years. ‘Beethoven’ is a lovely front-of-border bergenia thanks to its neat growth habit. Rather than the bright pink flowers usually associated with bergenias, this one has white blooms with pale rose pink centres and an increasing pink blush as they fade. Choose a sunny site to encourage the best winter foliage colour, although they’ll grow happily in part shade too. Cut away damaged leaves in spring before the flowers appear. Invigorate older plants by digging up clumps and replanting the younger outer sections into refreshed soil.
3 Finish with the fern and fescue
Plant the fern and fescue in spring. Polystichum polyblepharum is a handsome fern that needs plenty of extra well-rotted organic matter such as leafmould or homemade compost. Place it carefully in part or full shade and surround plants with a dry mulch to protect new growth from late frosts. In spring cut back established plants to remove battered old fronds and allow new ones to shine. ‘Elijah Blue’ is a little blue pincushion of a grass that deserves a front-of-border position where it can enjoy plenty of sunshine without being overshadowed. On heavier ground, add plenty of grit and well-rotted organic matter to improve drainage. Keep plants looking smart by combing through to remove tatty leaves at the end of winter. It’s a personal choice whether you leave the flowers or cut them out – some people like the golden-brown colour that they turn; others prefer to keep things silvery-blue. In time you’ll need to divide and replant the younger outer sections.