Front Border Inspiration

puschkinia

Could mexican fleabane work for left over patches between the other plants you choose? I love it so much - flowers until the frosts, cheerful, cottage-y and ridiculously low-maintenance. The internet suggests it's deer resistant but I have no idea whether that's true, we don't have deer in brighton unfortunately

Watsonia

Oh, lots of good suggestions. I completely agree with not using strong pink. The conifers are a really strong limey yellow colour which would be very jarring. So whites sounds good but I’m also liking the orange idea @GardenerSuze has mentioned. As well as the purple @Fairygirl. Just white will make it a bit bland I think. 

The other side of the conifers is my actual front garden which is mainly planted in white, purple and soft pinks. You don’t really notice the conifers from that side as there is a box hedge in front of them. It lessens the impact of their yellow colour. So purple / white would create some continuity.

I’m not so sure about hebes, I haven’t had much success with them. I like the idea of them but they don’t seem to like my soil and I have actually taken them out in other places. The libertia looks lovely and I would like some all year interest, it being evergreen is a nice plus. Rather like the gaura idea suggestion as well @Balgay.Hill

Lots to mull over.

Watsonia

@puschkinia that is a great idea, i hadn’t thought of it. I love Mexican Fleabane and I have some seedlings I can transplant. I’m trying to reuse as well as adding new.  

Fairygirl

Hebes are a good idea, as mentioned. There are purple varieties and those would fit in well. A mix of purple and white is a good foil for the hedging colour.
Orange works well with those too, if you like it. I use purple and orange quite a lot.   

GardenerSuze

@Watsonia Think I would limit the number of different plants as it can make your eyes dot from one thing to another. Repeating the same plant even in a small space is a good idea. This will help the border come together. Each plant will need to earn it's keep. If you are not sure about hebes perhaps Pittisporum Tom Thumb?

Watsonia

@GardenerSuze you are right, and I try to repeat plants throughout the garden. I haven’t had a completely new bed in a while and it’s a bit like a kid in a sweet shop. I’ll try and reign myself in   

I just been out to water the cistus and potentillas i had already added, I will now settle down and look up all the lovely suggestions.

Fairygirl

I'd agree - if you can fit say 12 plants in there, 3 varieties repeated is a far better method than 12 different plants. That just jars. Keep it simple 
It's always going to be tricky to get a succession of flowers  through the bulk of the year, for example, but if you keep the colour palette simple as well, and add some bulbs for spring, you'll get a good effect. 

Watsonia

Just a short update, I haven’t quite decided yet on the final plants, but I thought I try out the blue / orange / white colour combination with annuals to see if I like it. I mainly added some plants I had grown from seed, so some orange nasturtiums and zinnias, blue lobelia, and blue cerinthe major. The white cistus and white potentilla work well in the background. There ist still a bit of a gap between the bedding plants and the conifers, so I might try some grasses to screen the trunks. Overall I really like the colour combination, so thank you for the suggestion. I had originally added some Erigeron as well but it didn’t take. I will look at some white bulbs for spring colour and I’m growing some orange geum in pots to add for next year for the orange pop of colour.

GardenerSuze

 @Watsonia It gives you some good ideas on colour when it comes to some more permanent planting. Repeating the colours and plants works well it looks lovely. Not sure what happened to yor erigeron really good drainage is essential.