Extended my border - what to fill it with? See picture

[Towcester]

I extended my border to try to soften the wooden cabin. The red line in pic is where i will also remove turf soon. It gets sun most of the day.

Option 1 - Rose Carpet (two in the left border and one in the right?). Hoping for reds or pinks and maybe a white one. Then behind the roses maybe verbena Boriensis on the left side going back to where that newly planted Amelanchier is. Not sure if there would be room for much else on the right side. Also, would want the Roses to be kept low.

Option 2 - front of border mix of phlox, Achillea Terracotta together with
Salvia nemorosa ‘Caradonna. Maybe some lavender too. Further back coneflower or Echinacea and Some tall grass - probably C Overdam. May still have some Verbena Boriensis too at the back.

Option 1 appeals since it would be really low maintenance and would provide a long season of blooms and would look pretty tidy i think.

Option 2 sounds like more work and risk but potentially more interesting and would be a real learning curve.

I probably prefer a tidy garden. Perhaps option 2 would be more likely to look untidy when plants are not in season. Also, i really want a long season of flowering but not sure if option 2 will deliver that where as the rose carpet seemingly would.

Which would you choose?

I would suggest option 1, as it seems to suit your preferred style. Buy a few pots for the cabin's small patio for the perennials you like. Put a couple out on the patio as each plant comes into flower then move the pots out of sight when flowering has finished. Best of both ideas, and keeps it tidy and very easy to manage.

I'd go for option 2. I have a similar conundrum balancing my desire for low maintenance but being a complete plantaholic. Definitely like the verbena idea but I'd worry I may get bored of roses alone. Additional pots like @brambleberries suggestion might be the way to go. Either way, always exciting to put a plan into execution! 🙂

I think Option 1 sounds like it suits your style and preferences. I'm similar in that my borders are filled with plants that give me structure and look tidy (mainly evergreens for year round interest and roses which I can prune to look decent.) I put lots of bulbs throughout it to add some spring colour and extend the interest.

There are so many herbaceous perennials that I love but I think they can look very untidy so I use them in pots as a PP said so I can have them out on the patio and then hide them away when I want to.

I find carpets of roses a bit soulless, so would go for the second.

You can make it tidier by adding some structure with one or two evergreen shrubs (rosemary would do) and by having a small hedge (could be of lavender) at the front, with the blousier plants in between.

I'd combine the two and underplant the roses with the salvia. Salvia caradonna is very hard working and will flower for a long time, especially if you cut back spent spikes of flowers. The deep purple works well with both pale pink, cream and apricot roses, plus salvia are reputed to help prevent blackspot. At the front I'd have geranium Rozanne (again, flowers for ages once it gets going, easily into November) and some verbena Bonariensis at the back for height. If you can try to get over your need for a tidy garden and let the perennials just sit over the winter you'll be doing both the plants and your local wildlife a favour - the old growth protects the new plant from frost and provides shelter for insects over the winter.

I’d go for roses, but not carpet. I’d place a standard at the two front corners of the decking, to give some height interest. And then shrub roses to fill the rest of the space - you can get “hedging” bundles on David Austin which makes it a bit more cost effective. It means that you have just one type of care to give to that area, much easier way to maintain things (but I’m a lazy gardener!)

Option 2.

1 for the longer blooming season alone, plus less stress is a boon. (2 does sound pretty, though short-lived. Also, while salvia is pretty it stinks.)

Thanks all. Dug out the patch on tge right side now (see pic) so time to order plants.

Probably going to go with what @MairzyDoats suggested and have the rose carpets (one pink, one white in left border and one red lancashire on the right border). Will plant them a bit central in the patch so that i can add a Salvia at front of right border and geranium Rozana at front of left border. Then some Verbana Boriensis at back towards newly planted amelanchier.

Come back with updates in the summer!! PS I love amelanchier 😁