PLANT YOUR BORDER
Most of these plants do best in a humus-rich moistureretaining soil, so add in plenty of well-rotted organic matter and top it up each spring with a mulch of compost placed around the plants to hold in moisture, smother annual weeds and gradually improve soil structure. The euphorbia needs well-drained soil and full sun, so if you’re on heavier soil, add plenty of grit and consider raising the border height to improve drainage.
1 Start with the grasses
Establish container-grown calamagrostis and hakonechloa grasses in autumn or spring. Add extra compost to give the calamagrostis the humus-rich conditions they love. Once established they’ll cope with poorer, drier soil but perform best with consistent moisture. The hakonechloa prefers part shade and slightly better-drained conditions; winter waterlogging can lead to rot. Plants take time to establish, but the rhizomes spread slowly outwards to form generous clumps.
Leave the bleached top growth through winter before finally cutting everything back to ground level in early spring, taking care not to damage new growth. Split large clumps in spring but don’t reduce too much.
2 Add the herbaceous perennials
Both the astrantia and anemone love a humus-rich, moisture-retentive soil. They’ll grow well in sun or part shade. The astrantia starts to flower in early summer but if you cut back the first flowers once they fade then you’ll encourage a later flush. Leave these flowers on the plants for a winter silhouette. Anemones can take time to get established and generally resent disturbance, but once they get going they can spread rapidly and might need a firm hand to keep in check. Their bright white flowers look glorious all through autumn but once they fade you can cut the whole plant back and tidy away the spent shoots for winter. Divide established clumps in autumn or spring, or propagate new anemones by taking root cuttings.
3 Plant the holly
Hollies and large evergreens are best planted in spring. Larger specimens come with a hefty price tag so inspect plants well before you buy to be sure you’re getting a healthy, bushy specimen. Before you plant, place the pot in the border and view from multiple positions around the garden. It will add permanent structural heft to the planting and you want to be sure it’s in the right place, especially because holly resents disturbance and takes a few years to get its roots down.
Water the container deeply before planting and lightly tease out the roots if congested. Plant at the same depth it was previously growing. Water in well and continue to water if there are prolonged dry spells during its first year of growth. If you want to shape plants, do it in late winter or early spring.
4 Finish with the euphorbia
This structural superstar is best established in spring, in a well-drained spot. Gloves and long sleeves are essential when handling these plants because their milky sap can be a skin irritant. Water the container thoroughly beforehand and be sure to choose a planting spot with enough elbow room for them to grow – these sub shrubs can make surprisingly buxom specimens. Cut flowering stems right back once they’ve finished their display. In the meantime more shoots will have appeared from the base of the plant which will in turn carry flowers the following year.
Plants will eventually need replacing and you can propagate new stock by inserting cuttings into gritty compost in April, using charcoal to stop the ends from bleeding too much milky sap. ✿