Flower beds

[EssexMamisoa]

We have a lovely garden but the flowers beds are impossible to maintain. Prior owner had everything under the sun planted, half of which is fast growing.

I am tempted to turn the flower bed back to grass, or put in low maintenance shrubs.

Any experience for either?

I would go with shrubs. If you turn everything to grass, there will be nowhere to rest the eye, no vertical interest. Your garden will look smaller. I’m currently redoing borders in my garden, I’ve planted heavenly bamboo, Japanese willow, cordylines, Fatsia, aucuba, and I’m about to add mahonias, sambucus, cotinus, and various ornamental grasses and ferns. I like foliage, so I’m going for lots of different shapes, sizes and colours. Also consider small Japanese acers and dwarf pines.

Thank you I’ll look up your suggestions. Do you lay anything under/around shrubs for weed prevention (ie bark) or not? I’m a beginner!

Yes lots of mulch (bark). About 5-10cm deep, but not touching the plant stems/trunks. I’ve got a huge pallet of mulch in my front garden - I may have over ordered ☺️. It’s the most satisfying job, easy, quick and instantly the garden looks better and more finished. It helps prevent the soil drying. I’m hoping it will also help get me rid of the dreaded bindweed that my neighbour seems to lovingly tend…

Thank you. We have issues from overspill from our neighbours garden too 🙂

Shrubs are definitely the way to go for you. I'd check out final sizes in the textbooks or online (shrubs are often bigger than labels say) and space your plantings to allow for that. Until they fill out and join up, pop in annuals, small temporary plants, or bulbs, to fill the gaps.

Also check when the shrubs are in flower/leaf and chose things that do their jobs at different times, so you have something decent to look at all year. We have a rule, with shrubs, everything has to do 2 things. e.g., nice flowers + scent, or flowers + foliage that turns lovely colours later on, attractive to bees and pretty flowers, or evergreen + attractive variegated leaves. A variety of leaf shape is good, and of bush shape- like arching buddleia vs a more compact st John's Wort.

Chippings are okay for weed suppression until ( and after) the shrubs do it themselves whn they 'join up'. You can also (or instead) grow lowish ground cover plants, and then just yank them out as the shrubs grow (if the shrubs don't rid you of them first). But don't choose anything at all invasive.