Football proof plants that aren't trees or large shrubs!

[Goldikova]

Please help, have lovely big garden and planning sweeping herbaceous border in about 4 years time but till then need some tough from of border plants (up to 75cm high) which will withstand frequent battering from DS(9) football but look colourful and not just be box hedging or similar. WOndering about some grasses - we have some already which are a bit dull but would prefer something with flowers.

Any ideas?

Thrift is nice- fairly low maintenance and low growing, and forms clumps, with pink ball-shaped flowers. The leaves are quite grass-like too.

You might also get away with dianthus ('Pinks') which also seem fairly robust (my gardening is very hit and miss, and they seem to survive).

Miniature lavenders would bring colour all summer, and the foliage is silvery green, so interesting all year round.

Further back, against border (fence? wall?), what about cotoneaster (berries and flowers) or ceanothus (blue flowers) which can be as tall or short as you like? Or perhaps honeysuckle, or flowering quince (gorgeous colours in spring)?

You want things squat and tough!!! The woodier mediterranean plants are good... lavender, rosemary etc. Hebes and Sedums are pretty chunky and provide nice autumn colour. Dense, bushy perennials like Aster, Scabious, the various Cranesbills, Oriental poppies are quite colourful yet bomb-proof. Roses are a lot tougher than they look. Back of bed you could risk a few taller things like Red Hot Pokers, Dahlias or Lupins. Stake them well and they may end up shaken but not snapped.

Also- I like lonicera, but it's really spiky/thorny... so maybe put one where you don't want him to play?

THanks for suggestions - after posting this horsed off to garden centre for some plants to fill in gaps that have just weeded and lost my heart to ostespermums and some cute nemesia (dark purple with yellow centres) - totally unsuitable and sure to be flattened within hours but great to add some colour in time for PIL visit (CES has seen my thread in chat about vegetarian food!).

Agree medittaranean toughy plants are prob the way to go although they always seem to end up a bit woody and leggy looking. Still beggars can't be choosers - the garden is great and has lots of really nice established shrubs but the beds are totally overgrown with nettles and such so a big clear out is needed. Luckily there are some big perrenials in there that are big enough and old enough to stand up to football batterings - bears breeches & hoards of japaneses anemones that I have always wanted to grow but never could in our old garden.