Feeling daunted with my empty border

[bunny27]

You all kindly helped me with some gardening advice a year or so ago. See photo, we had some landscaping done and now I’m ready to plant but I’m feeling very daunted.

I don’t know where to begin. You can see I have three borders that I would like to plant. The back border is a two step border, but I don’t know where to start.

I would like a lot of colour but how do I arrange to have year round (as much as possible anyway) colour?

I would like climbers up the trellis and then some small flowering shrubs interspersed with perennials. I have so many questions.

Do I buy ALL the plants at once or just what is flowering now and then as I go through the year add to the border? But surely I’d have to plant the climbers first as they’d be at the back of the border?

I would love some climbing roses and have looked at David Austin website.

If I like a small shrub do I buy one or a few as I have read you should plant in threes or have I misunderstood? I understand a lot is trial and error and that’s part of the fun but it’s where to begin. It’s a bit like staring at a blank piece of paper when writing an essay at school!!

Thanks in advance 💐

Bump

Because I am no expert I discovered you can buy plants all in one go with a guide of where to plant so in time you get a nice mature border www.gardenonaroll.com/

Across the back what don’t you put a climbing rose in one corner have a look at ‘new dawn’ it’s a very easy rose to grow and if you plant a jackmani clematis in it you will get some good colour mix. Then the other side go for a Montana clematis which will give early summer colour and is robust.

The planting in 3’s thing is good but more for gardens with lots of space. It might get too overcrowded if you do that.

The RHS website is good for ideas and planting lists.

With the other borders I’d maybe find one or 2 shrubs for this year and then fill out with bedding plants.

I think you need some vertical interest with a small tree, perhaps a crab apple or maybe a thin flowering cherry such as Amanogawa

I'd include some tall grasses for height and texture ( and low maintenance)

How much have you got to spend? I’d fancy a mature magnolia for the back corner for a bit of height but they’re really expensive. Otherwise some hydrangeas would fill some space?

David Austin have a 15% off offer now, I think for the end of the bare root season. The code is MOSS. For your climbers you could grow a winter flowering jasmine to give you interest at a different time of year. You might also want to think about some evergreen plants as well so you don’t end up with nothing in winter. If you have acid soil I would recommend an azalea for spring (also can be evergreen) a japonica which has nice red berries in winter, a ceonothus which has blue flowers and leaving some space for dahlias for late summer.

This company have a fairly fool proof way of doing borders: www.gardenonaroll.com/

They send you a sheet the size of your border with the location to plant the plant. The sheet is biodegradable.

I'd think about a colour scheme, first.

The thing about planting in 3s is very good for smaller plants. For the larger ones, single specimens are fine.

Think about colours and shapes of foliage, it's nice to contrast these.

If you're unsure, I would second the idea of a few shrubs you really like, and cheaper annuals for the rest, so you have more time to think.

Also, really take on board the info about ultimate size of your shrubs!

A couple of standout suggestions:

Hebe midnight sky. It has gorgeous glossy leaves that go a really dark purple brown in winter, and pretty purple flowers in summer.

Aliums : tough as boots, plant the bulbs in early winter for gorgeous purple/blue/white globes in summer. Lots of varieties.

Helianthemums to droop over the front : lovely tough evergreen plants with a huge choice of colour flowers. Also aubretia for earlier colour.

Thanks everyone. Some great suggestions. Just what I need to get started x

How lovely to have a blank canvas. Your garden looks quite sunny for part of the day. I’d draw a simple plan first, to scale if possible. Then I’d plot the direction of the sun from about 7 am through 12 to 6 pm. You will then know the sunniest and shadiest parts and can plant accordingly. Some plants such as hydrangeas, ferns and Crainsbill geraniums thrive in partial shade. Others love the sunniest spots. A little research will tell you which and you can then plot them on your plan. Have a look on Pinterest at pictures of small gardens to give you an idea of the overall style that you’d like to achieve. You can then hunt out the plants, to me this is the fun bit!
As the beds are quite new, have you put in new top soil that’s fertile? If not you might want to give them a boost with well composted manure/ soil improver, bought in bags from the garden centre.
Gardens do take a while to mature, think about how high and spreading the eventual plant will be and don’t plant too closely.
Summer bedding fills the gaps while waiting for plants to settle and take off.
Remember plants are living things that often don’t do what we want, we all have mistakes and gardeners are learning all the time.
Have fun!

Thanks Beebumble x. Yes I am excited as well as daunted but Mumsnetters always come up trumps with good advice. I added topsoil last summer but will be adding compost this/next week topped of with bark so some kind.
I need to realise the garden is ever hanging and not something I plant up and then do nothing.
I like the idea of planting colourful bedding in the gaps while we see how a few shrubs and climbers pan out.

Thanks again x

When I lived in Europe it was common to buy border packets where you gave the garden centre the measurements and shade, soil type and the colour scheme you'd like and they suggested a 'borderpakket' that fitted. Since then I've used Google to find ones I like as the planting scheme and details is usually on the website and then just ordered the plants myself.

If you want some scent, you could try some sweet peas to climb those fences. If you get seeds now, you can get them started on a sunny windowsill, Sarah Raven has some helpful tips. Or you can buy in pots later on, but there's never such a range of varieties.

Thunbergia (Black eyed Susan) is another very jolly annual climber.

The crocus website has several borders that you can buy or just look at for inspiration. With trees or shrubs or climbers they are focal point, special plants so you can just buy one of a kind. If you want a really polished designed look then I would just buy a few fancy shrubs that you really like and a tree (have a look at amelanchier ballerina) and then fill the rest with loads of 3 or 4 types of herbaceous perennials which you really love and which go together. What colours do you like?

I’m very envious! I would say three main tips:

1. Leave enough space in your borders. They will look happy to start with but otherwise they get overcrowded

1. Look at what your neighbours grow successfully for an idea of what will work

1. Plants in drifts / groups of the same plants. Don’t be tempted (like I was!) to have one of everything

Also have you considered something more drought resistant? Depends where you are in the country but worth considering that, and also bee / insect friendly plants. Lavender and some herbs tick those boxes

Please keep updating and sharing photos

gappy not happy!

I’d be planting trees along the back so you don’t feel so overlooked x