Hahahaha! Oh AnniD, you certainly know how to make me chuckle, more so because I was thinking of doing the same; not telling him but cunningly cutting away at the grass. I wonder why that is! I will try both strategies of looking innocent and pulling out the cost card.
Hello @MrsDeeGarden, You are definitely going to have to make your borders much wider as most of the shrubs on your list could get to 4-5 ft wide within a few years. (been there, done that). You need to check the height and spread of your plants, as already suggested and find out whether your soil alkaline or acid. You may be able to tell which if you look at your surrounding area. If there are azaleas or camellias nearby in the ground, then it's more likely to be acid. Then check what your plants prefer. You will not be able to make a good border with only 2ft of space, that's barely wide enough for most perennials. What you could do if OH objects, is to cut a bigger border on one side (preferably the sunnier one), or think about a circular or oval lawn which would give you a more pleasing layout and also give you more space in the corners. What is the overall width of your garden?
First off, let me say that 2 or even 3' borders are minging and narrow for any self-respecting shrub and straight lines will make your garden boring. Also, before you plant anything you need to dig over the new beds to a decent depth and work in plenty of well-rotted manure and/or garden compost/cheap multi-purpose compost to improve the structure and allow in air and water and provide nutrients.
I think you need to have fun with pen and paper and crayons first. On a large A3 sheet of paper, draw your garden to scale with thick black lines and mark north facing, south facing, etc. Then, on another sheet, draw circles to scale for each shrub according to its eventual width, colour it with the crayon that most closely matches any flowers and/or foliage and write on the name and preferred aspect. You can find this info by googling "RHS+plant name+cultivation".
Then you can slide these around on your garden plan so you can see where they should be planted for best composition of colour and form and how wide the borders need to be. If it were mine, I would mark off the entire width at the north facing end of the garden to about 6' wide or more and put a shed in there and compost heaps and a potting bench. Hide all that behind trellis panels which can be covered in rambling roses, clematis, honeysuckle or whatever takes your fancy. I would also make deeper borders that curve round to give you a deeper triangular-ish bed in at least one corner or two opposing diagonal corners and use that bigger space for shrubs grouped together with enough space to grow.
Clothe the side fences with climbing or rambling roses and/or clematis trained on tensioned wires held with vine eyes screwed into the fence posts at 12"/30cms horizontal intervals. Plant shrub roses and perennials at the base. Use annuals to fill in gaps while the bigger plants get to size. Don't forget to plant bulbs in autumn to extend the seasons of interest.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
Hello again, re your question will the acid lovers be ok in pots, well yes if your soil is alkaline, but make sure they are big enough for the plants, sorry thats a bit vague! You mentioned you have rosmary, thyme etc., those plants like a gritty well-drained soil and not too rich, so don’t manure them. For the rest, dig in lots of compost, grit and manure to loosen the soil up (especially if its clay).
Good luck with persuading DH (dear heart, dear husband?) re the width of the borders, you really do need the extra width. Also, this will allow you to underplant the shrubs with some perennials/annuals for a colour boost in summer. I started off with shrubs, now I’m a perennial addict...and yes my borders keep getting wider
Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
Lawns are boring You need wider borders, 2 foot will look a bit silly, I think 3 foot is too narrow, but that is just my opinion. Curves could make it all more interesting.
How can you lie there and think of England When you don't even know who's in the team
I agree, my husband loves his lawn, all that space for flower beds *sigh*. But hey, l love him really. Let's face it, he could have worse obsessions than fescues.......
I agree with others. To show how borders look with plants, this is from my garden (when we moved in last year, so it's not my work and it was in need of some deadheading, weeding etc. but a good picture for illustration, I think).
The border is 2 feet in its narrowest point (on the left), you can see it's nothing, good for one row of perennials but not for shrubs.
On the right side, where the big grass is, it is between 4.5 and 5 feet (slightly more in the corner). This allows a row of shrubs and perennials in front of them. Or there could be three rows of perennials. Or one row of bigger shrubs and one row of small shrubs.
The raised bed is slightly over two feet (approx. 70cm), there are some climbers, annuals, small flowers and bulbs.
I’m with everyone on the wider border - another mistake I made last time that I need to correct this time
Another point is to sort out edging or something so that whoever is doing the mowing can do it without damaging the plants, easily. It’s a real pain lifting straggly leaves and limbs with one hand and pushing the mower with the other!
Oh thank you all so much. I must say I am completely overwhelmed by all the advice I have received and I am beyond thrilled. So much detailed information. Thank you all.
Well, looks like the vote goes to widening the borders. Obelixx, I have made a sketch tonight. I will tidy it up tomorrow and post it for ratification.
Edhelka..your garden is simply beautiful. Thank you for sharing this with me.
DampGardenMan, thank you for that soil pH tool. Here's the result:
Soilscape 7: Freely draining slightly acid but base-rich soilsTexture: LoamyCoverage: England: 3.1% Wales: 3.1% England & Wales: 3.1%Selected area: 147km2Drainage: Freely draining Fertility: High Habitats: Base-rich pastures and deciduous woodlandsLandcover: Arable and grasslandCarbon: LowDrains to: GroundwaterWater protection: Groundwater contamination with nitrate; siltation and nutrient enrichment of streams from soil erosion on certain of these soilsGeneral cropping: Suitable for spring and autumn sown crops and grassland. Shortage of soil moisture most likely limiting factor to yields especially where stony or shallow
Posts
Thank you as always!
I think you need to have fun with pen and paper and crayons first. On a large A3 sheet of paper, draw your garden to scale with thick black lines and mark north facing, south facing, etc. Then, on another sheet, draw circles to scale for each shrub according to its eventual width, colour it with the crayon that most closely matches any flowers and/or foliage and write on the name and preferred aspect. You can find this info by googling "RHS+plant name+cultivation".
Then you can slide these around on your garden plan so you can see where they should be planted for best composition of colour and form and how wide the borders need to be. If it were mine, I would mark off the entire width at the north facing end of the garden to about 6' wide or more and put a shed in there and compost heaps and a potting bench. Hide all that behind trellis panels which can be covered in rambling roses, clematis, honeysuckle or whatever takes your fancy. I would also make deeper borders that curve round to give you a deeper triangular-ish bed in at least one corner or two opposing diagonal corners and use that bigger space for shrubs grouped together with enough space to grow.
Clothe the side fences with climbing or rambling roses and/or clematis trained on tensioned wires held with vine eyes screwed into the fence posts at 12"/30cms horizontal intervals. Plant shrub roses and perennials at the base. Use annuals to fill in gaps while the bigger plants get to size. Don't forget to plant bulbs in autumn to extend the seasons of interest.
Good luck with persuading DH (dear heart, dear husband?) re the width of the borders, you really do need the extra width. Also, this will allow you to underplant the shrubs with some perennials/annuals for a colour boost in summer. I started off with shrubs, now I’m a perennial addict...and yes my borders keep getting wider
You need wider borders, 2 foot will look a bit silly, I think 3 foot is too narrow, but that is just my opinion.
Curves could make it all more interesting.
When you don't even know who's in the team
S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
Another point is to sort out edging or something so that whoever is doing the mowing can do it without damaging the plants, easily. It’s a real pain lifting straggly leaves and limbs with one hand and pushing the mower with the other!
Well, looks like the vote goes to widening the borders. Obelixx, I have made a sketch tonight. I will tidy it up tomorrow and post it for ratification.
Edhelka..your garden is simply beautiful. Thank you for sharing this with me.
DampGardenMan, thank you for that soil pH tool. Here's the result:
Freely draining slightly acid but base-rich soils
Loamy
Coverage:
England: 3.1% Wales: 3.1%
England & Wales: 3.1%
Selected area:
147km2
Freely draining
High
Base-rich pastures and deciduous woodlands
Arable and grassland
Carbon:
Low
Drains to:
Groundwater
Water protection:
Groundwater contamination with nitrate; siltation and nutrient enrichment of streams from soil erosion on certain of these soils
General cropping:
Suitable for spring and autumn sown crops and grassland. Shortage of soil moisture most likely limiting factor to yields especially where stony or shallow