Advice about gardening with seasons

[lasttimeround]

Im an enthusiatic gardener but struggle to understand how to deal with seasons. Im from the tropics.
Im currently stripping out annuals that look leggy in the hope the perennials can get some growing done before its properly cold. (Scotland so its getting autumny already)
Im also not used to how long things take to grow. My 2 peonies have managed about 10 cm this year. I was hoping for 2 peony bushes in my bed next year - I guess not. So 2 years for a small bush?
Then i have some plants that are finally established after 3 years. But as perennials will they start to die in a few years? So i should start growing replacements?
And winter beds how?? Everything just looks sad and soggy in winter.
Can you have a nice but smsll garden in the UK without buying lots of plants all the time? Im tryinf to go beyond buying and stripping out plants but its very hit and miss. I've lost seedlings to frost a lot and often plants takes far longer than the instrctions say to grow.
Where i am from the main battle is thungs getting too big and too dry. Now everything is too wet or just wont grow!
Help me

Nip down to your nearest Oxfam bookshop and buy the following ....
(a) Geoff Hamilton's ornamental Kitchen garden
(b) The Growers Guide
(c) any of the "expert" books by Dr D G Hessayon
They will let you better understand what works where.
Also, see if there are any gardens near you open on the Yellow Book scheme
www.ngs.org.uk/find-a-garden/
and chat to the owners about what works in your area

The climate in Scotland is great for some plants, not so good for others.
If you’re on the West coast you may benefit from the Gulf Stream which brings mild, but wetting weather.
In my west coast garden, we grow Hydrangeas, Japanese Acers, rhododendrons and Azaleas very well.
Have a look at what grows well in your neighbourhood, those will survive.
Elizabeth Macgregor is a plantswoman who’s nursery specialises in plants that grow well in Scotland.

Well peonies need plenty of sun! I planted mine in a shadyish (not deep shade though) part of the garden 7 years ago (in mid France) I was about to destroy move them and they 've really taken off since we've had a huge leylandiii removed!

You may not have quite enough light for all the year.

I find the Dr. Hessayon books so annoying with his reliance on spraying poisons about!

I wouldn't bother with annuals for now just get some shrubs and bulbs that are happy in your soil.

The sunlight probably affects my peonies. Theres peonies in nearby gardens that look good but maybe mine get too much shade from the fence.
I do well with bulbs but am limited in needing non toxic plants due to disabled childs plant munching habits.
I have an rhs book but maybe a few more will help my puzzlement. Its also annoyibg lots of what i plant doesnt thrive despite thjnking ive done my research. Looking at the passiflora creeper that was supposed to be fast growing. We have a high solid fence to prevent child escaping etc but i think it creates deep shade and really cold patches. Our garden lags weeks behind gardens nearby.

Maybe herbs would be ok, they taste nice! They do need quite a bit of light and warmth though.

What Plants Where by Roy Lancaster is a good book

A passiflora, Passion flower, would struggle in Scotland, they need long warm sunny days.
Have you tried Honeysuckle or climbing Hydrangea?
Have a look at The Beechgrove Garden on BBC Scotland I player. It a gardening programme specifically for Scotland and takes into account the climate.

Yes I agree JTO5, hydrangeas are brilliant are they poisonous ?

They might be. At the Tatton Hall flower show they had an exhibit of toxic plants. Most plants were there!
It would seem that you’d have to eat a lot of some plants to become ill.

Climbinh hydrangea sounds nice. I didn't know they came as climbers. Sounds like youd need to eat a fair bit before its toxic which is ok I have honeysuckle. Id love clematis but mant are very toxic and i font trust myself or garden centres to reliably get me one that isnt.
Herbs are great.most of my beds are herbs but the Mediterranean ones sulk in the winter. Although i think they acclimatise over time as ive seen some very hardy rosemary about elsewhere. But parsley abd chives make surprisingly cute bedding plants

A very good book is The Creative Shrub Border by Andy McIndoe. In it he recommends shrubs that work well in combination in different situations - sun, shade, wet, dry etc. His advice about eventual size and spacing is very good.

I started a garden from scratch a couple of years ago and whilst it looks great in summer with flowers and perennials, it is definitely lacking the year round structure that shrubs provide and if I were to do things again this would be my starting point.

Also Dream Plants for the Natural Garden by Piet Oudolf is excellent for choosing perennials.

Try and visit some gardens around you (even private gardens if any are open for the National Garden Scheme), you may be surprised at what can grow well in your area and climate.