Ideas for a border - full sunlight, average drainage

[sageygirl]

I am a clueless gardener and have in general simply cut back whatever I happen to inherit. The shrubs in one of our borders have died over the winter and over half the border needs replanting so I am going to be forced into action. Need to dig out and replant. Need hardy annual plants that want no attention, preferably not too prickly. I know one of the border plants we had was a Choisyu (I can't spell it). Any suggestions would be gratefully received - want hardy annuals.

Do you mean hardy perennials - the ones that come up each year? Hardy annuals are the sort that are tough-ish but you have to replace each year. Choisya is a nice shrub but can grow to quite a size.

I've just replanted a sunny border with a mix of a few shrubs as a frame and hardy perennials in between. Shrub selection includes..... Lilac, Philadelphus, Pieris, Acer Palmatum and Cistus. None of those are prickly and they all have nice flowers or interesting foliage

Hardy perennials include the big flashy oriental poppies (scarlet and white), paeonies, delphiniums, lupins, sedums, heleniums, alliums, heuchera, aquilegias, irises, campanulas, asters. The taller ones need canes to hold them up and they'll all need a hair-cut before dying back for the winter. Otherwise they're all quite easy to grow. Invest in slug pellets and good luck!!!

have alook at www.crocus.co.uk