New Border - best plants and flowers

[grumpypug]

I've dug a new border in my garden that was previously just grassed up to the fence. Ideally, I would like colour for much of the year (without using bedding plants as I'd never get around to it). It is around half a metre wide, 5/6 metres long and is north east facing. There is a 1.5m wall / fence behind which back onto neighbours. I have an established Virginia creeper about half way along. I want to attract bees and butterflies with minimal fuss from me!

I have a lovely hydrangea that has been in a pot for a few years so think I'll replant that the end nearest the patio. I've also seen (on the picture thread) thistles I'd like as well as making a micro pond towards the other end - that's my job for next week.

So, a couple of questions. Is 1/2 metre wide wide enough? How and when do I plant any bulbs for continuous colour? Which plants would you recommend?

Half a metre isn't really wide enough but you can make it wider as you go along. It'll do as a start. Better to have a fully stocked small bed than a larger one which is only half stocked. It's a good idea to cut the bed a bit wider than you need and put in a boundary between it and the grass, either a proprietary fence edging or a 6 inch "mowing strip" of bricks or stones which saves you having to trim the edges separately and gives you a defensible line against grass runners wanting to take over the bed.

You won't be able to have colour in it for all the year along the whole length - you'll have a mosaic of greenery and flowers at any particular instant.

Bulbs need planting in Sept/Oct to flower next spring. Once planted they can stay in the ground for ever. Daffodils, scillas, snowdrops will bulk up and are long lasting, tulips - especially the big ones - are shorter lasting. (There are attractive species tulips with smaller flowers and only about 6 inches high which seem to last longer)

Consider making use of plants with coloured foliage - Astrantia has quite showy flowers - fluffy tufts in pink, red or white, and some of them have purplish foliage, Heuchera is grown more for its foliage although it does flower.

Sedum spectabile is a good butterfly plant, if you get the plain pink on not the more reddish varieties. Bumble bees like a big flat platform to land on, so any of the daisy type flowers - scabious is particularly good. Avoid double flowers, as the extra petals are the result of sexual parts being turned into petals, so the bees have no reason to visit them.

Don't expect hordes of butterflies and bees - butterflies in particular are more likely to visit flowers in full sun.

A climbing Hydrangea would do well along your wall/ fence, the flowers attract insects. It’s a very forgiving plant and only requires a light prune.
Varieties of hebe flower at different times, again attracting flying insects, bees butterflies.
Smaller varieties of buddleia would be great, they need very little attention and come in yellow, white, pink and shades of purple.
Cranesbill geraniums are another long flowering plant, with early and late flowering varieties.