I'm a garden designer and I do a bit of maintenance as well.
My current client isn't in any way knowledgeable about plants but has a lovely garden which we are restoring after years of neglect.
Most of the heavy work is done now and when I'm not digging out endless bindweed, I'm trying to plant up the borders.
Yesterday the client pointed to a border full of tulips and said "That's what I want this border to look like - all the time".
I am despairing of the single mindedness of this request. I am not allowed to plant for foliage and anything that takes too long to flower will be rejected as well.
Before I bash her over the head with a bunch of plastic tulips, please give me your best ideas.
She don't like shrubs or climbers.
She doesn't like much foliage, expects large flowered plants to grow in the shade and to top it all, is having a birthday garden party on June 8th when the garden needs to be performing at full output.
I'm almost going down the path of using begonias, that's how bad it is. And I really hate them.
The main border is south facing and sunny, we started with a clay soil which is improved but not perfect yet and I have a limited amount of time.
I will be using cosmos, gazanias, pelargoniums, astroemeria and dahlias although I doubt that all of these will deliver for June 8th.