Forum home› Plants

Any Suggestions?

cloudybutnicecloudybutnice Posts: 23
in Plants
After living here for 4 years and doing major renovations to both house (2014) and garden (2016) check out my blog if you're interested (grassybottom.com) I'm very pleased with the variety and quality of the plants I've inherited from the previous owner, but it's time to put my own stamp on some more places.
The flower bed I'm trying to 'update' is South facing with a brick edging along one side and the front lawn (I use the term loosely!) on the other. The brick side is  OK as I've already planted geraniums to soften the hard edge. I now want something to do the same job along the grass edge, but without falling all over the place and ruining the grass. (I'm not very good at staking, I start with good intentions, but you know how it is.)
I love Heucheras and have recently bought a collection for another part of the garden, but I fear even the 'sun loving' ones will struggle in all day sunshine, particularly if we have another Summer like this one.
Any suggestions for  'cottage garden' type hardy perennials that would fit the bill?
Thank you.

Posts

  • ButtercupdaysButtercupdays Posts: 4,462
    edited August 2018
    Erodiums and Geranium sanguinium and its varieties, if they are not too large for the space.
    Also Dianthus, if you have soil they like - they won't grow in my acid stuff!
    All take full sun and are neat growing, though they may need trimming back if they are too happy :)
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 29,638
    Stachys lanata has hairy, silvery foliage and enjoys full sun.  Makes good ground cover when happy and won't flop over the grass.   Bearded iris also like full sun to bake their rhizomes and will provide a vertical interest.  Sedums do well too and come in a variety of heights depending on variety.   If your soil is alkaline, lavender would be good and would attract all sorts of beneficial insects.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 10,919
    edited August 2018
    Some of the plants I use-
    Dwarf Greek Oregano - about 6" smells wonderful, smothered in flowers for several weeks and quickly forms a neat upright clump. If you want more, just pull a bit away from the plant and you've already got another plant with roots and ready to go. Bees love it too - as do pizza!

    Dianthus Mrs Sinkins - compact silvery foliage and flowers with a wonderful perfume. The flowers don't last long (this year 27/5 to 15/6) but it looks good without flowers too.

    Porlock Thyme - forms a lovely neat slowly spreading mound about 4-6" high and doesn't go all straggly like many other thymes and has vivid flowers - tastes good too

    Cascade Penstemon - about 8" smothered in flowers in late spring early summer, then further flushes later in the year

    Dwarf Lavender

    I should add Geranium sanguinium as mentiond earlier - neat plants, lovely flowers and attractive foliage when not in flower


    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • cloudybutnicecloudybutnice Posts: 23
    Thank-you for all your suggestions.
  • josusa47josusa47 Posts: 3,530
    I've just edged a border with Anthemis punctata, a plant I'd never met until I moved here and found it in the garden.  It's easy to propagate by cuttings and I've given loads of it away.  The rooted cuttings I planted in spring have bushed out beautifully.  I love it - it's drought hardy, loves the sun, evergreen, pretty foliage, faintly aromatic, and covered in cheery daisies in May-June.
Sign In or Register to comment.