Help for a novice please

[ThePerfectDog]

I’ve got a ‘flower bed’ (patch of mud with aspirations) which is in a south facing well drained garden, next to a patio. (If that’s important). This year we are planning to make it into a nice space to sit with garden furniture etc. I want to plant up the ‘flower bed’ with perennials which will give us something nice to look at and be good for the environment between about may and September. It’s on top of a ledge / retaining wall so nothing with very strong / invasive roots because I don’t want it to cause any structural damage to the wall it’s ’sitting on’.

I saw hollyhocks mentioned on another post and really like the look of them, only thing is that it’s quite exposed (on the side of a hill, we will have fences around two sides of the flower bed - about four foot high.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions

If its south facing and well drained you might try some Mediterraneans like thyme, lavender or Rosemary (and great for wildlife as well as smelling gorgeous) - this is a spot that might well bake in mid summer so you need drought tolerant. Sedum also good, as is nepeta. Hollyhocks like full sun and good drainage but do need a bit of shelter and could well need staking.

RatherbeRiding - totally agree with your advice !

My first instinct was rosemary and lavender too. I would intersperse it with nasturtium, marigolds, calendula, nigella and California poppies. These are really cheap seeds which can be sown straight into the ground. They will give you wonderful seeds heads and are low maintenance.

Alternatively, go for prairie planting. Wild grasses will give you year round interest. If you check out Piet Oudolf you will find lots of ideas.

I agree with everyone else!. Rosemary and lavender would be perfect, and all of those lovely colourful annuals in the summer.

As it is full sun and next to your seating I would go with some herbs. Lots of nice fragrances and good for the kitchen too. I would consider Spearmint, Sage Tricolour, Thyme, Hyssop, Rosemary, Viola Tricolour, chives, Lavender, Russian Sage, bay... So many to choose from. GL and enjoy.

Agree with everyone else but would also add Cistus to the list.

ime Hollyhocks always end up with rust which ruins their foliage every year.

Thank you all so much for your suggestions, I’m really excited about them!

I guess the next step is to work out how tall the different plants get and plan it out a little bit with taller ones at the back and smaller ones at the front?

If you put taller ones at the back they become lop-sided and will flop over on top of the small ones at the front anyway. Plant them in the centre of the bed so they have room to spread out all round. Then they won't flop over so much. You can then fill in around them with smaller spreading things like thyme.

Herb-wise, don't go for marjoram/oregano or mint, they have very invasive roots and spread like a bastard.

Other plants that would like your conditions are fleabane and houseleeks.

That’s so helpful, thank you

I love a hollyhock, they are a bit tall though. I have one very sunny (scorching in midsummer!) flower bed that everything previously died in due to dehydration, until I planted perennial wallflowers. They flower all year round, including now and it's below freezing here. Plus they tolerate the heat, don't take much looking after, come in bright colours, and bees love them. I bought 'Bowles mauve' about three years ago and it's still going strong.

I was going to say mix the height too. An informal look will look more natural. For winter interest use things with interesting seed heads and shape. The dogwoods and hazel will give structure

Echo the above; adding Salvias to the mix.