deep borders

Christian3

Hi,

We had a very large area within the middle of the main garden with a mixture of plants and we have stripped it today of all the plants we didn't want and next Tuesday all the plants we did want, will be replanted within deep borders. We have Foxgloves on seed over winter, so we get some height but I would be delighted to know what back border plants you would suggest (the borders are approx 1.2m). Height and colour (not purple - we have a sea of purple) are important as middle/front bed plants are sorted. Height and Colour help please.
Best C 

Papi Jo

Hi Christian,

You call 1.2m borders "deep borders"? My mixed borders range from 2.5m to 4.5m deep! Do you want a mix of herbaceous perennials and shrubs or a mix of annuals and herbaceous perennials? What kind of plants do you already have available?

You will find good advice with plenty of plants listed on the RHS site at https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=948

You might be interested in browsing the borders in my own garden at http://www.rezeau.org/wp-garden/en/category/gardening/design/ with a plan at http://www.rezeau.org/wp-garden/en/garden-plan-2/

Christian3

Hi Papi Jo,

I will take my 1.2m deep borders and call then shallow  from now on.

Cottage Garden; foxgloves and lupins - but my knowledge is limited (see my bio - keen but not a seasoned gardener). Best C 

Lyn

When you start a new border you need to think well ahead unless you’ve got money to go and buy everything.
This border is 7’ deep, 100’ long,  it’s now too overgrown and I’m taking the shrubs out.

I started off sowing seeds and making cuttings the year before,  bringing the plants on in pots overwinter.
I bought a pack of 12 mixed shrubs from Amazon , £20.00 inc postage, 
I sowed annuals in the spring of the same year we dug it.  I don't much like the edging of gaudy Livingstone Daisy’s But they filled the strip for the first year.
It can be done, but forward planning is the key.
perennials and biennials need to be thought about well in advance, so do your seed orders, I only ever pay about 99p  from eBay, had lots from our seed swap thread on here.
hope these pics are a bit of inspiration for you. There’s nothing fancy in there but it has been a very cheap project, I don’t buy ready grown plants. The achievement for me is to grow everything myself. 
Be patient it will grow in no time. 
may 2014.


July14


September 14.


And today, the height is too much for the depth so taking some shrubs out. 🙂

Fairygirl

@Christian3 - not everyone has a large garden, or indeed wants great big borders that need a lot of effort to maintain. Some of us have jobs, or other hobbies too, so we don't spend every minute of our free time in a garden, so don't worry about the size of your borders - you want it to be pleasurable to work in, not a chore 
I have borders which range from 6 feet to eighteen inches. If you count the raised beds, I have one which is a lot less than that, because of the shape of the garden. It's perfectly possible to make an attractive space with very little room. It's about choosing wisely, and picking plants which suit you, your conditions, and your abilities too 
Some of the 'daisy' plants are good for this time of year - the aforementioned rudbeckias and  heleniums, leucanthemums etc,  and they work well with grasses too, if you like those. Lychnis is another good mid height plant, and flowers for ages. Japanese anemones too, although some people find them invasive.I've never found that, so it's probably my conditions/climate/soil.
You can also use things like ornamental Fennel, which will give height, but is 'see through', in the same way Verb. bon is. Veronicas are good as mid height plants, but they like sun, so it really depends on the aspect you have for the border[s]
Repeat planting is always good in a border. If you can get hold of a plant at this time of year, it's often bursting out of the pot, so you can usually divide and get more. If you wnat hsrubs, you have to be patient if you buy small ones, although some grow quicker than others. If you know the style of planting you like, that also helps, and whether you wnat a harmonius, or a bright, jolly look.
Remember that spring bulbs are a great way to extend the season too, and this is an ideal time to put them in 

Loxley

I don't really buy the whole 'tall plants at the back, small plants at the front' thing, especially in a relatively narrow border - I prefer a height variation, and plants growing through others. Shrubs are good for height - I have Hydrangea 'Limelight' with purple and mauve perennials, the colour works well with them. Marlorena mentioned a variety called 'Phantom' in another thread, which looks even better. And then you have roses, Marlorena will be able to recommend dozens. Something with hips would be nice to extend the season. These sorts of things will be able to provide a framework and bulk to your planting.

Bronze fennel is a fantastic idea for knitting everything together as FG suggests. Grasses do a similar job e.g. Deschampsia which creates a gauzy cloud of seedheads, or can be used as focal points e.g. Stipa gigantea.

Persicaria amplexicaulis is a super do-er, and you have pink, white, orange and red varieties to pick from. Thalictrum delavayi is fantastic; long flowering and see-through, the standard one is pinky-purple, but there is a white variety called 'Splendide White.' Veronicastrums are great, tall accents coming in white, mauve or pink varities.

Aster 'Monch' is indispensable, it's not massively tall but a great late season performer. My preference is to bias my planting towards late season plants, so that you don't have that depressing decline setting in at the end of summer. That requires slotting in stuff like Alliums and Geraniums to provide a bit of colour earlier on. 

Nollie

Whether 1.2m is narrow or wide entirely depends on the size and layout of your garden - as Hexagon says, if your garden is small, that could be very generous! I manage to grow three layers of plants in a border 75cm wide, with varying heights and forms. My wide border (varies from 1.2 - 3m) also has 3 layers but gives me more space for shrubs, spreaders and sprawlers.

Obelisks, arches and trellises fixed in the ground would enable you to grow climbing plants in the open and widen you height and colour range.

Many heleniums, rudbeckias, dahlias and kniphofia can easily get over a metre high and add great splashes of colour. Some achillea, agastache and salvia can also top out just over a metre. Columnar shrubs with bright or colourful foliage can height and structure. Verbena Bonariensis is very tall for a plant with such a small footprint and is great for stuffing into gaps and blending different plants together. I would call it pink but others would say it’s purple!

Many online nurseries give you the option to select height, colour, position, soil type etc. and I find that’s a really good way to shortlist plants.

Fairygirl

I was actually going to tag in that other thread we posted on recently @Nollie - the one with your photos when someone else was asking about bringing borders together. 

Hebes would be good shrubs to add into the mix -they work well with any colour. I think I mentioned them in that other thread too. 
As if by magic - here it is 
https://forum.gardenersworld.com/discussion/1033574/growing-medium/p2

Christian3

Thank you all. I will read every post reply and apply the wisdom. Best C 

edhelka

How is the border backed? Do you have a fence or a wall there? If yes, it would be a perfect place for a climbing rose or other climbers. If there is a fence, do you want to hide it?

If there isn't any backing, then the borders need a different approach than usually advised. I have similar borders - they are dividing my garden in "rooms" or they are between a path and the rest of the garden (lawn). In similar situations, planting tall plants at the back doesn't work because there is no back and the borders need to look good from two (or more) sides.

Papi Jo

@edhelka has a good point here. Usually, "borders" have a front side and a back side, resting against a fence, wall, etc. Borders that sit in the middle of the garden/lawn are more aptly called "island beds", and require a different planting scheme.