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hot border plants

treehugger80treehugger80 Posts: 1,923
in Plants
i'm putting a hot border in for my dementia gardening group, I decided on a hot border as some members have macular degeneration, so bright contrasting colours show best for them.

the plant list i have at the moment is:
delphiniums
rudbeckia's
heleniums
verbena bonariensis
echinacea
echinops
bergamot
achillia
crocosmia lucifer
hemerocalis
kniphofia
helianthus
iris
astilbe
hosta's
scabious
candelabra primula
asters
lupins

the site is in full sun and on clay soil that's has been worked as an allotment for about 80 years, so very rich and also next to a river (which doesn't flood) so damp all the time.

Are there any plants i've missed or are there any plants you wouldn't use?

if i had to limit to maybe 7 or 8 species which would you pick?

Posts

  • plant pauperplant pauper Posts: 6,904
    What about some tactile stuff round the edges? Wafty grasses or something like that? Are any of those smelly apart from the bergamot and the lupins? Just a thought as the sense of smell is most closely related to memory.
  • NollieNollie Posts: 7,529
    A great list but maybe add dinnerplate Dahlias for colour and visual impact. Plants that the group members used to plant if they were gardeners or may be more familiar with? There are a couple on your list that are familiar garden plants now, but maybe not necessarily resonate or evoke memories within the group. Good point about scent and touch, pp.
    Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
  • karen paulkaren paul Posts: 230
    I would definitely use the crocosmia lucifer, hemerocalis, delphiniums and candelabra primulas. I have a hot bed which also has callistemon bottle brushes (red and yellow ones), tree lillies and stargazer lillies which smell lovely, agapanthus, zingy coloured dahlias, and pelargoniums. I have eucomis, creeping jenny and heuchera marmalade that are a bright lime green to contrast. I think it's lovely what you are doing, I'm sure you will create something that your group will love and enjoy. It would be great to see a picture when it's complete :)
  • ButtercupdaysButtercupdays Posts: 4,546
    Achilleas need poorer, drier soils so wouldn't be very happy there.
    How much time/money will you have for maintenance care? Delphiniums, Hostas and Echinaceas are all slug favourites, so would need careful watching or nematode treatment.
    I would add phlox as they are easy to care for, in a good colour range and fairly long lasting. Some are well scented too.
    Dahlias might be good if you have a way to overwinter them - great colours and shapes and  a plant that might be more familiar than some modern favourites like Verbena B!
  • treehugger80treehugger80 Posts: 1,923
    we're already growing gladioli and dahlia's that's what's given me the idea for the hot border, we don't have a huge amount of money and any maintenance will be me twice a week during the summer.

    thanks for the ideas, i can start planning and begging divisions of peoples plants now.
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