How to tame my border? (Pics)

[Unopenedpackofmenssocks]

We had our garden redone by a company about 5 years ago. They built these raised borders and added plants. Some died, some flourished, but I have been useless at things like pruning and it’s all gone a bit mad, with clumps and bald patches. Any suggestions for how I can get it back under control? I feel like a lot of the plants are healthy but just in the wrong place, but scared I’d kill them if I moved them.

Also, can you recommend any good specialist garden forums where I could ask a question like this?

Thanks!

As a rule of thumb, prune just after the plant has finished flowering, that ensures you won’t miss a year’s flowering. Start by cutting out any dead branches. Then shape the rest.

More drastic pruning is best done in the winter. You can cut out old branches completely, or take everything down to low level, spreading it out over three years, doing a third of the branches each year.

https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/beginners-guide/pruning-plants

Exactly what I was going to say. Don’t cut anything flowering until the flowers have gone. If all else fails, you can take most shrubs almost down to the ground and they’ll regrow so you can have another go, though you’ll lose a year’s flowering. And Monty Don’s mantra is “always cut back to something” so prune your branches either back to a bud or a side shoot. If you want any advice on a particular plant, use the PictureThis app to find out what it is then google what you’re meant to do with it.

Fundamentally, unless there’s a plant you adore you’re fairly safe doing anything - worst case scenario you kill something, just take it out and plant something else!

I would personally get the big stuff under control, work out what you like and what you don’t then decide how to fill your gaps. If you want a bit of colour for this year stick some summer flowering bulbs in while you decide, they’re cheap and easy to plant.

Also - yes, you’ll probably kill the plants if you try to move them at this time of year while they’re actively growing. If you are certain that any need to move, do it over winter and remember that the root network likely expands below to be as big as the top.

Thanks both. If I understand correctly, basically don’t prune or move anything till autumn? What about the ones that don’t flower? Like the pittosporum in the middle?

Not quite - prune your flowering stuff as soon as it’s finished, that way it will carry on growing through the summer on the remaining shoots and then flower on that growth next year.

And it might be a bit later than autumn to move things: this is probably not the “official” answer but I’d wait until the grass stops growing and assume if the grass is dormant everything else is too.

If you want any advice on a particular plant, use the PictureThis app to find out what it is and then double check by googling. We had a thread the other day where the app "identified" a tree seedling as mint.

What about the ones that don’t flower? Like the pittosporum in the middle? Pittosporum flowers. It's just we don't grow it for its flowers/it may not produce flowers in this country. Gentle pruning whenever you like - you're not going to worry about missing a year's flowering, severe pruning in dormant season only.

I think your border looks phenomenal - really abundant with healthy plants. It's all tumbling and full of life.

If you want it neater then you can just give the plants without flowers a light clip now with shears and do the others when they've finished flowering.

Then fill the gaps with plants you'll enjoy.

I worked as a gardener before I retired and had several jobs where people phoned up asking if I could go round once to show them how to take care of gardens they had moved to. I'd tell them what the plants were and how to look after them. Could you get someone round for an hour or two on that basis?

p.s. I clicked on this thread thinking it would be about training border terriers.

Not quite - prune your flowering stuff as soon as it’s finished, that way it will carry on growing through the summer on the remaining shoots and then flower on that growth next year. OP, shrubs flower at different times of the year. Pruning after flowering will mean autumn for those flowering in late summer, but for others it will mean summer or even late spring pruning. That’s why I said “As a rule of thumb, prune just after the plant has finished flowering” rather than “prune in the autumn”

Thank you! Understood.

I’ve definitely never seen a flower on that pittosporum and it’s the healthiest plant in my garden. It has an equally healthy sister on the other side.

@Churchview I agree that it’s good that those plants in the middle are healthy. But it’s a small garden and the size is out of proportion now I think. But I’m quite excited about the recommendation to fill in gaps with summer flowering bulbs, that is not something I knew existed. Off to garden centre now.

When garden designers and landscapers plant a border, they put in short-lived 'fillers' in between the ones that will eventually get bigger. They do this so it looks good in the short term. As the larger ones grow, the fillers die off, and that is what is happening to your garden. You can fill the blank spaces with summer bedding or bulbs.

As other pp's say, different shrubs need pruning at different times of year. If they flower in the spring, you prune them immediately after flowering. If they flower in mid-late summer, you prune them late winter / early spring. If you do it the wrong way round you get no flowers.

Evergreens that don't flower can be trimmed whenever you want, and if anything drastic needs doing, then look up the individual plant on the RHS website and check the pruning information on there.

My pittosporum is in flower now but I would never notice by looking at it as the flowers are completely inconspicuous. They seem to be beloved by bees however, so I can hear that it's in flower.