I always assumed creating an attractive garden was simple enough as long as you had plants and the space to grow them. But I find it a bit more complicated.
As gardening is a constant learning process, the more you are willing to experiment, the more you will learn. When it comes to creating beautiful borders, I think affective results come from a balancing act between plants that look good together aesthetically, but also work together harmoniously. Growing habits, flowering timing and all manner of other aspects come into the fold. Here is a list of what I have learnt to consider when developing my ornamental borders.
1. Find the right plant for right place:
It can sound like a broken record, but in my experience, planting the right plants in the right space is sound advice and saves a lot of time and effort. I reckon that my mum, a far more experienced gardener than me, thinks I’m a bit of a nerd for following this rule quite so vehemently, and she’s probably right, especially as I have a real tendency to move plants to different growing spots every year anyway! But I like to do my research.
So what kind of research am I doing? Well, I want to know if a plant has any specific care instructions; so I look into how much direct sunlight it likes to receive, the soil type, how hardy it is and its eventual size. I can go into detail about this in another post, but to sum it up, I want to know if I can accommodate a plant before I buy it.
2. Do the plants work well together?
To me, the most challenging aspect of gardening is finding planting combinations that work harmoniously. Ultimately, I don’t just want my borders to look aesthetically beautiful, I want the plants within them to thrive, so that later down the line, I don't have as much work to do.
It is helpful to look up the growing habit of a particular plant, and how it might compliment, or hinder other plants around it. For example, some perennials and annuals can become invasive as ground cover and quickly smother other plants around them.
Other times, I might find a plant can suddenly dwarf its smaller neighbour and throw the balance off, or cast unwanted shade that may stunt another plant’s growth.
I believe the best way to find winning planting combinations is to just keep experimenting and I enjoy doing this. But if you are hoping for a quick fix, just look to the experts. Go to a public garden and see how they do it. Take note of the planting combinations you like and then see if you can replicate them at home.
3. The role of height and structure
When I first started gardening, I found myself drawn to herbaceous perennials and showy annuals. Then came the winter, and suddenly the garden suddenly looked very flat in parts, because the plants that had previously grown there in the summer had died back, leaving nothing in their place. This is just one reason why shrubs and trees are so useful.
I can understand peoples’ reluctance to invest in shrubs and trees. They are usually more expensive than perennials and there is always the concern that they will outgrow their spot and become a pain to deal with. However, a well-placed shrub or tree will work hard in your garden. They provide height, visual interest, and year-round structure. Even those that shed their leaves can look magical in the winter, especially when dusted with snow.
If you don’t have a much space, then look up shrubs and trees with a compact growing habit, or dwarf cultivars that will only grow to a certain height. Or just select a few and position them strategically so they don’t encroach on each other.
4. Check out what is coming in from next door
I’m very lucky, because my neighbour grows all sorts of gorgeous plants, which, because we share a low fence, usually spill over into my garden. Sometimes I have to cut them back, but most of the time I don’t because I want to enjoy them too.
I realise not everyone is blessed with green-thumbed neighbours, or share the same taste in plants. However, before you grab your loppers, consider next door’s offerings, and how they might work with your own borders.
5. Texture, Texture, Texture
Texture is a big word in garden design. This is probably because there are so many ways to provide it from your garden plants; from fluffy grass seeheads to smooth Hosta leaves to the flaking bark on birch trees. Texture doesn’t just have to be about the physical feel of a plant; we can also enjoy texture as a visual element. Consider how delicate and intricate the leaves of ferns appear, especially against the broader leaves of a Heuchera.
Typically, gardeners like to contrast different textures for added interest. This is especially important if you are planning to a stick to a very limited colour palette, but contrasting textures will add depth to any garden border. So, don’t be afraid to experiment with texture in the garden, as it’s always an interesting element to consider.
7 The values of evergreens and ground cover
I have to admit, I often find the prettiest plants (at least to me) are deciduous or herbaceous. But as I developed my garden, I've realised just how valuable an evergreen can be.
I now consider evergreens a reliable backdrop for other more dramatic plants. Hellebores are particularly useful. They put on a standout flowering show in late winter and early spring, when everything else looks a bit drab, and then turn themselves into quiet and unassuming greenery for summer perennials and annuals to shine against. I love the holly bush growing halfway up my garden. In winter the leaves sparkle in the frost, and this established shrub provides a solid green anchor in the garden all year round.
Evergreen ground-cover plants are fantastic value for money, as they offer visual interest all year round and cover the soil surface. By keeping the soil covered with their leaves, they prevent nutrient and moisture loss through wind and exposure. They also keep plant roots warm in the winter, and cool in the summer.
Two of my favourites include creeping Ajuga reptans' Atropurpurea' (Bugle), which discreetly fills borders and produces deep purple leaves that glow in a low, winter light. I have also just discovered the versatile Epimedium. The flowers, which appear in spring, are exquisite, but the evergreen leaves are also just as beguiling.
8. Plant for every season
Gardening is often seen as a summer pastime, when we all want to be out in our gardens more than usual. This often means we select plants that flower in the spring and summer, rather than the cooler second half of the year. But the truth is, every season has numerous star-performing plants for adding beauty and interest in the garden.
I'm always on the lookout for an intriguing winter plant. The way I see it, just because I don't spend as much time gardening in the winter as I do in the summer, doesn’t mean I can’t treat my senses when I do venture out. And how uplifting to open a curtain and enjoy a cuppa while looking out onto a garden rich in colour and texture in January, as well as in June.
If you are looking for inspiration outside the traditional May to September gardening window, why not spend the rest of the year regularly visiting garden centres and public gardens and look out for plants that speak to you? Beauty doesn’t just have to come in the form of flowers. It might be the vibrant bare stems of a Cornus (dogwood) that attracts you, or simply the variegated pattern on the leaves of an evergreen shrub.
9. Colour
I have left this aspect last on purpose. Colour is usually the first thing that people think about when choosing plants for their garden, and I am no exception. But in my opinion, focussing solely on colour and in particular, colour combinations, can get people stuck, and prevent them choosing plants they are genuinely attracted to.
Don't get me wrong, colour is an important and fun aspect to gardening. However, I had preconceived ideas of colours that went well together in the garden. There were the warm colours: reds, yellows and oranges; the cool colours: purples, pinks and blues; and then neutrals: greens and whites, perhaps with a touch of blush pink. I found that I started selecting plants based on the colour of their flowers rather than their general suitability to each other and how they performed in my garden.
Then I went to Hampton Court Flower Show and bought a bunch of herbaceous perennials that I couldn’t resist. I got home and planted them together in a border. From this I started to pick up on colours I was naturally drawn to, which turned out to work well together: reds, from the brightest scarlet to the deepest sultry burgundy, oranges and lime-greens, plummy-purples, browns, pale yellows and the occasional deep raspberry pink. Overall quite a warm colour palette, but definitely not a traditional combination.
So, I guess what I am saying is experiment first. Don’t tie yourself to a particular colour cheme – buy the plants you like and then go from there.
I hope this was informative, especially if you are planting new borders now. I have to say, I am still very much learning, and I constantly change my mind about what to plant where. It is all part of the fun and experimentation though. So keep trying combinations and see how they work for you.
Thank you for reading.
Have a great week.
Comments