Help please with garden

2 years ago

Hi can anyone guide me please, I am in process of widening borders , I have bought plants but when it comes to what should go where I havnt got a clue.
I am trying to have garden that has all year interest at the moment much I have are perennials.
I have posted pic of this corner which will be extended. Any ideas please xx

Featured Answer

Sonia

2 years ago

There is a saying by a marvellous garden expert Beth Chatto “Right plant, right place”. So firstly test your soil to see if it’s acid or alkaline then you need plants that like that soil. Next you need to know the aspect so it looks like a sunny spot. Check the plants final height and roughly plant tall at the back and shorter at the front. All this info should be on the labels of your plants.

i would add some evergreen shrubs as perennials will not flower all year long. Check their size before you buy. Small evergreen shrubs like Hebe, and Cistus will flower in the summer but will leave green mounds for winter interest. Bulbs are great for spring colour and they are planted in the autumn.

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Comments (39)

Sharon Fender
Original Author
2 years ago
This corner gets the sun from 11am until 3pm in summer xx
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Jen
2 years ago
Wow, Sonia, that’s everything you ever need to know about gardening compressed into two paragraphs. Brilliant!
Sharon Fender
Original Author
2 years ago
Thank you so much it’s so helpful, I will get soil testing kit before I plant
I will also get the evergreens as you suggested .
I haven’t planted yet so labels are on ones I have bought.
Do you think a Salix would be ok at back depending on outcome of soil ? Xx
CWD
2 years ago
Fab advice from Sonia. I'd add - consider the shape of the overall plant and also the shape and texture of the leaves - and then plant different ones next to each other so that there's a bit of variety and they are not all the same. I also heard Monty Don say (on one of the very few gardening programmes I've seen!) that a border should only have five types of plant - so choose five plants and then plant multiples of each one, rather than having loads of plants that are all different. More impact.
Sharon Fender
Original Author
2 years ago
Thank you that’s very good advice and I think that’s
where I am going wrong. I have all different ones and nothing is grouped as you have suggested.
I am determined this time to think about overall look as advised .
Thank you so much xx
CWD
2 years ago
I planted a Juneberry tree as I read that it’s got something going on all year, and doesn’t get too big, perfect tree for a small garden. It’s amelanchier Lamarkii robin hill I think in Latin.
Sharon Fender
Original Author
2 years ago
Thank you will check it out xx
nancyorford
2 years ago
Soil will be prob be a little tired, so add stuff to soil such as manure/homemade or mushroom compost to enrich soil - this will also raise the level of soil (which looks sunken). I would be wary of most salix -which are willow family- as not good near buildings. Perennials (herbaceous not shrubs) can be moved in spring or autumn, so if you get it wrong it doesn't matter- half the fun is trial &error!
Sharon Fender
Original Author
2 years ago
That’s good to know re Salix will look at Juneberry as colourwisedesign.com mentioned.
I have always been wary of moving plants so again thank you , I have so much to learn 😊
I’ve never had the time before but with home working and no commute I now can enjoy with help from you guys xx
glendevon
2 years ago
You do't say how big your garden is, but, in my experience, it is difficult to cater for year round interest in a small plot because you can end up with just a very few things that look good at any one time. Better to go all out for spring/summer, or summer/autumn. Spring you can cover with bulbs in pots - don't put bulbs in the beds as their dying foliage lasts for months, and you have to leave all those yellowing stems to die naturally, which is just very noticeable and annoying if your beds are small.

Our garden is on the small side, and I have a lot of varieties of grasses and strappy leaved plants like phormiums and cordylines. Also hostas, which I adore (and so do the slugs). I have aimed for a backdrop of multiple shades of green, and to that I add, in the gaps, things like foxgloves, cosmos and nicotiana in the summer. Plants look better if planted in groups of 3 or 5 too.

Perhaps tip a couple of bags of John Innes number 2 into that bed before you start planting as well.
pollyfleck
2 years ago
For any garden the secret is in the soil. Any compost you use should compliment the existing soil. It is bad practice in horticulture to use anything containing peat now so please do not use spent mushroom compost or John Innes. Also, unless you soil is already acidic, the peat in these will affect the acidity. Instead look at products like dalefoot composts. They are made from renewable resources that dont harm the environment in their production. They have composts that will suit an acid or alkaline soil. If your soil is acid you are looking for Ericaceous compost. The advice to find evergreen plants to form an all year structure for your perennials is a good one, but also go with the mood you want in the garden- is it formal and well structured, soft and flowing, mainly floral and also ask yourself how much work you want to do. Bulbs can be lifted after flowering - you don’t need to live with just the foliage in a border. They can be transferred to pots to grow on to give them the nutrition they need and then planted back in autumn for another year. Also as you plan remember to think in three dimensions - height is often under utilised in a garden and growing something up a structure in the middle of a border can add a lot of interest. In a small garden less is more. Go for a few big plants rather than lots of different small ones as this looks fussy and can distract the eye. In terms of plants heights think about taking the eye on a journey where you are creating an undulating flow with a few punctuation marks! Finally remember that the sky won’t fall in if you get it wrong. Gardening is a journey and a good garden constantly evolves.
cecileparfitt
2 years ago
Draw a plan to scale and check against the eventual size of the plants you have bought. It might look sparse to start with but the gaps can be filled with bulbs (planted in the Autumn) or annuals until the perennials and evergreens grow to their full size. Take photos at regular intervals to remind yourself what you have planted where!
Sharon Fender
Original Author
2 years ago
Thank you all so much for all your help.
I have just ordered a soil tester as advised.
I think where I have gone wrong is lots of different plants as mentioned.
I have put pics on so can see my gardening dilemma, we are in process of widening borders and having curves .
I have bought hostas as mentioned and ferns for shaded area on right of picture.
I need to learn to be patient and make mistakes 😂
Sharon Fender
Original Author
2 years ago
And this is what I am trying to achieve sort of ..
I have not planned it as suggested and just bought
Lots of plants aaagghh x
pollyfleck
2 years ago
You have a lovely drawing there which would work really well in your space. Stick the plants you have got in and see how they do. You will learn from them! Next step is to learn how to take cuttings and propagate them and then you will have multiples of the same plant from the ones you like and have grown well. Don’t panic. 🙂
Pat Auld
2 years ago
You’ve got a very good base to work on. I think it looks very nice already. You seem to have lots of shrubs already, so probably just need some plants to fill the gaps. Happy gardening
Sharon Fender
Original Author
2 years ago
pollyfleck cuttings , propagate I would love to do that
I will look forward to that prospect one day 😊
and your right stop panicking, gardening is meant to be relaxing not stressful!!
Can’t thank you all enough for your guidance it’s helped so much x. X
Alison Nicholson
2 years ago
One thing I’m not sure anybody mentioned, is how wide some plants and shrubs grow. Hebe, for instance, can be very wide, and over a metre tall. Lovely when in flower, though, and lasts some weeks. And might I suggest changing the edge of your long lawn run to incorporate a curve along the length. It would also give you more planting room, and look more interesting and organic in shape, although your corner curves look very good already. Another suggestion is that you use packets of seeds scattered beneath your trees/shrubs, while they’re still young and small. Especially good is Limnanthes douglasii, or poached egg flower, which can be sown successively now, and will therefore keep flowering well into autumn, and reseed itself as well. It’s the prettiest leaf and flower, although you might have to buy it online, unless local nurseries have it. The reseeding of itself is not a problem, as if you feel it’s too much, both young and old plants are very easily pulled up. Virginia stocks are another lovely little plants, ideal scattered on bare patches of soil in springtime, and looking like dolly mixtures. Allysum, likewise, and honey scented too. And might I suggest catmint (nepeta) at intervals along the left of the path, to soften hard edges? Lovely smell, great for picking, and bees love it, as well as the others I’ve suggested. Catmint is long lived, too, unlike lavender, and catmint (which isn’t the same as catnip) can be cut back really hard in autumn to tidy up, whereas lavender can only have the spent flowers and very little else trimmed.
I think your garden is going to look really lovely once established, and hope you’ll let us see it in a year or two.
Michele Malone
2 years ago
I'm no expert but just learning about Permaculture which focuses on Forest Gardens, the basic principle being to use every inch to grow complimentary plants together for mutual benefit. You can gets lists of good companion plants online. The idea is that you use each plant for protection and canopies and to keep nasties away ( nature is amazing!) and you also grow food among your other plants. You would always avoid chemical weedkiller to allow these interactions to take place and you feed organically by having your own compost heap and by using comfrey feed to help plants along. There are great groups on social media. Your garden already looks great. Last thing I would say is I wish I'd known when I started my garden to leave a big space around shrubs as mine have all crowded each other out, I also think I went overboard with flowering shrubs which make my garden look great for one season only.
Sharon Fender
Original Author
2 years ago
Thank you everyone for all your help and advice which has all been taken on board.
I am in process of curving lawn and I have made a list of plants I have bought by height and width.
Got a soil testing kit and with all info I will start planting.
Looked at info on companion plants so now have more of an idea what’s going where.
I have ordered seeds as suggested and will purchase catmint.
I’m sure there will be mistakes along the way but I’m excited to watch how it will end up.
Honestly can’t thank you all enough , I was totally clueless and now have so many ideas xx 😘
Sonia
2 years ago
Enjoy it. We all have to start somewhere and I made endless mistakes. I know hard to believe isn’t it? 😂
Mary Ketchley
2 years ago
Your garden looks lovely and I’m sure it will give you a lot of joy. I think even the experts like to change things around from time to time as some plants just don’t perform in the expected way. Don’t feel bad if it’s a bit of a work in progress...
Alison Nicholson
2 years ago
Forgot to mention that catmint can be cut back when you think the flowers are past their best, or if it’s a bit untidy, by simply shearing it off just below the flowers, and in a week or so, many more flowers will appear. It’s a plant that keeps giving. And it’s quick growing, which is useful, and the larger types cover roughly 60-90 sq cm, if you let them. But it can easily be clipped back if you want it covering a smaller area. Dividing it is easy, too, and ripe seed heads provide extra plants as well, if you wish, though it doesn’t usually scatter babies around indiscriminately. Simply chopping off a bit of root, replanting, and watering for a few evenings, should give a bit of root a good start. It also looks wonderful beneath roses, covering the ugly bare stems, and enhancing the roses whatever their colour. Have fun with your garden!
Alison Nicholson
2 years ago
Just realised that none of us have mentioned plants to avoid. Nurseries rarely give warning about the ones that are invasive, and/or hard to get rid of. Here are a few: ladies’ mantle...pretty leaf, fairly insignificant yellow flower, but seeds itself somewhat, and each root is a fiend to dig out. Agapanthus...lovely tall long lasting flowers, with attractive seed heads, except I’ve found that after a few years it seeds itself, and also the roots spread out widely, crowding other plants out, and again, it’s hard work to dig out. Comes in gorgeous blues, white blues, and white, so probably worth it. Most lysimachias, but particularly L. punctata, and L. nummularia (creeping Jenny). The flowers, golden yellow, are pretty, and creeping Jenny covers the soil really well, but both are not only invasive, but almost impossible to get rid of, as they pop up in the most unexpected places. In the right place, I love creeping Jenny, but in small gardens it can be a real nuisance. It does have lovely leaves, and there’s a yellow leaved variety, too, so it might suit some people, depending on the garden. It also likes creeping over the edge of a pond, and looks v attractive there.
Avoid Spanish bluebells like the plague! Gorgeous deep blue flowers in Spring, but seeds madly, and the leaves are vigorous, crowding out other plants. Before you know it, it’s all over the garden, and is a species that’s a danger to our native bluebell, as it cross breeds, and is more vigorous. Yellow flag, or Iris pseudacorus, is one to avoid as well. The flowers are ok en masse, though not very big, but don’t last long, and it’s invasive. Proper iris are better value, and don’t seem to seed themselves either, though the rhizomes spread somewhat. And while Japanese anenomes have pretty flowers, but they spread, after a few years establishing themselves, and it’s almost impossible to get the roots out, so they pop up elsewhere. As they have generous leaves, they cover smaller plants.
There are lots more that need ‘spread’ warnings, but those are the ones I’ve had trouble with here. Most others are easily pulled up when small, if you keep a sharp eye on the soil. I’ve lived in 16 different houses, by the way, all, no doubt with different soil quality. Despite never testing the soil, I’ve not had problems growing most things, because I’ve noted what was growing well locally, in others’ gardens. It’s always worth asking your neighbours which plants to avoid, too. And don’t worry about getting the perfect conditions for every plant. I’ve found most grow where you put them perfectly well, especially if you give them the required sunlight, or shade, that they need to prosper. Unless they’re bog plants, most will do just fine in ordinary soil, watered in the evenings during hot spells. Gardens should be enjoyable, not a chore.
Sharon Fender
Original Author
2 years ago
Thank you so much for all the information and guidance.
It is really good to know what to avoid , I actually have bluebells don’t know the type but they had blue flowers and I’m spending a lot of time getting rid, your right they seem to strangle other plants.
I have ordered cat mint and look forward to planting it , I have quite a bit of empty spaces.
I can’t believe how many plants I’ve found that I didn’t even know I had !
Then there is one large one that’s mainly all wood I think it’s come to end of it’s life so will need to replace.
Working from home has just been fab I look every day and got to know my plants 😊
I have an app that I take pic of plant and it names it and how to care for it.
I have a rhododendron that I didn’t know existed 😂
I have roses too which I will put catmint under
Honestly can’t thank you enough 😘
Sharon Fender
Original Author
2 years ago
A lovely surprise hiding behind an Acer xx
Sonia
2 years ago
Lovely Rhododendron! I’m a bit jealous as my soil is alkaline so they don’t fare well. 🌸
Alison Nicholson
2 years ago
Pleasure to be able to help, Sharon. We’ve all been there at some time. It’s such fun learning, and one gets a huge amount of satisfaction from planting, growing, and learning. All the best with it.
Sharon Fender
Original Author
2 years ago
I will put some progress pics on as I go along showing how you have all helped and my new found greenish fingers 😊xx
Sharon Fender
Original Author
2 years ago
Thought I would post progress pictures , it’s still a work in progress but I have taken a lot of your advice on board.
What to and what not to plant and where to put plants , I just want to thank you all for your advice it really was invaluable.
Anyway here’s some pics and feel free to give any suggestions or criticisms 😊
I am enjoying gardening so much thank you 🙏
Sonia
2 years ago
Wow what a fab effort! Well done.
Sharon Fender
Original Author
2 years ago
Thank you xx
Alison Nicholson
2 years ago
Sharon, you’ve done a spectacular job! It looks wonderful. You’ve really excelled at turning the garden from an uninteresting rectangle, to something that will be a constant source of pleasure and satisfaction. Perhaps you’ve missed your calling? My own garden is a really decent size, not too huge, and yet not small, and is L-shaped. It’s also surrounded by fields, and has huge trees around the edges. But despite the attention it needs to keep down weeds, moss, and control the plants that like to spread, there’re few things more satisfying than walking around and simply enjoying its abundance.
lspendl 828
2 years ago
It looks gorgeous, love the curves. Well done.
pollyfleck
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
What a brilliant job you have done! Best bit though is that you are getting pleasure out of doing it. i reckon gardening is definitely good for the soul! Hope you continue to enjoy developing your garden over the seasons.
Pat Auld
2 years ago
Great job. some lovely, interesting plants in there. Also good to hear how much youre enjoying it. Gardening should never be a chore
Sharon Fender
Original Author
2 years ago
Thank you everyone, I am enjoying gardening so much.
On my to do list are stepping stones , a small bench behind the cut out in middle of lawn.
I can’t thank you all enough helping me xx
lspendl 828
2 years ago
A bench behind that cut out will be ideal and a lovely position to gaze at the results of all your hard work. Enjoy.