New perennial bed

jaffacakes

Hi all,

I am planning on making a new bed in front of the hedge in my front garden. It's quite sunny. It will probably be about 3m x 1m though it will be curved like a half moon so deeper planting at each side if you know what i mean  (shaped like a smiley face upside down)

Below is a list of plants i was thinking about so far. Do you think these all work well together? I was thinking of incorporating a few grasses but not sure which types. Also maybe a few annuals in the bare spots for the first year and for earlier flowering as most of these perennials are quite late flowering.

What do you all think?

Thanks all

jaffacakes

Of course, i forgot the list 

Aster × frikartii 'Mönch'

Rudbeckia Goldsturm

Crocosmia × crocosmiiflora 'Emily Mckenzie'

Achillea 'Moonshine'

batwood14

Hi Jaffa

These are all nice plants and I would have them all, especially Rudbeckia Goldsturm  They are though as you say summer flowering in the main with the Aster which is autumn flowering so you may want to consider extening the season to include spring flowering perennials.

As you have a yellow / purple theme why not add some giant alliums, alstromeria (too many to mention) aquilegia (Black Barlow) Echinacea add some bulbs such as tulips and gladioli and don't forget some foliage such as dark leaf Heucheras (some fantastic colours). Take  trip down to the garden centre as they will be gearing up for all of these and many more.

jaffacakes

Thanks batwood. Some lovely suggestions there to extend the season. Aquilegia Black Barlow looks beautiful. Perhaps, i could replace a few Aster monch with Echinacea for variation. I already have some dark heucheras so could definitely include them. 

Fairygirl

Grasses will really help. Pick golden or rusty coloured ones as they'll work well with the colours you have in your perennials. Carexes are good - evergreen mainly, and plenty of choice. I also have a nice Uncinia rubra called Everglow which is a reddish/olive colour. I may have a pic...

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Hackenochloa is another grass that's also good for using with yellowy planting. 

I'd echo using dark purples - especially for foliage contrast. That's a Ligularia (Britt Marie Crawford) behind that Uncinia. Great contrast with shape as well. It has lots of orangey/gold daisy flowers in summer. 

jaffacakes

Hi again all. thanks for the suggestions. For spring colour, i am thinking of adding Anemanthele lessoniana, cushion spurge, aquilegia black barlow along with some purple tulips and daffodils. I could throw in a few Alchemilla mollis and geraniums also. Maybe nepeta walkers low too and sone allium purple sensation?

Does this work well?  Many thanks.

batwood14

Here's my newly planted spring border. The roses were already in but I have added Foxglove 'excelsior', Aquilegia 'william guiness', Pulsatilla vulgaris 'voilet blue' and ' rubra' Ranunculus and Anemone de Caen 'Mona Lisa'

8000wildflowers

Hi. Agree on the adds of aquilegia and alliums. Try wallflowers with the daffs for earlier flowers too. Definitely go for nepeta - flowers for months and months if you cut some of it back. Love it and so do the bees.

Careful with the Anemanthele - I have it in some flower beds and in year 2 plus it can spread quite a lot, could take up a lot of room in a small bed and smother the others, pick a grass that grows up more than out perhaps like a calamagrosti.

enjoy!

jaffacakes

Thank you both. Definitely some good ideas. I was thinking about wallflowers for spring but i don't know much about them. Maybe i'll try some from seed. They looks lovely with tulips too. Didn't know that about Anemanthele. I have it in my back garden in some small borders  Stipa tenuissima looks lovely with alliums, nepeta, aquilegia, echinacea so maybe that might be a better option dotted here and there  

BobFlannigon

In the right conditions wallflowers can literally flower all year round.  The scented ones hold one of my most favoured fragrances.

I just had a thought regarding the use of grasses.  Could you use something like a Crocus, say with a variegated leaf to 'simluate' grass after it has flowered striking a balance between colour (early in this case) and grass-like qualities?  That might be a terrible suggestion though, it depends how much you like grass!

Loxley

I'm obsessional about blue-purple palettes at the moment - you've got Aster 'Monch', what about Salvia 'Caradonna', Geranium 'Rozanne', Nepeta 'Little Titch' - all good doers with a long flowering period. Dot in some limy accents like Euphorbia palustris. Your Achillea 'Moonshine' would go well too.

Last edited: 31 March 2017 13:03:45