Most salvias and eryngiums will be happy in those conditions. They like well-drained soil so you could probably improve the sandy bed enough for them. I would investigate to see what's under the sand, and if it's soil underneath, dig it over to mix the sand in, maybe with some new topsoil. Asters tend to get a bit leggy with flowers on the top (for me anyway, on sandy soil) so they might not be the best choice if the borders aren't deep enough to plant something else in front of them. A few other things that might work are perennial wallflowers (erysmium), lavenders, mediterranean-type herbs.
Maybe rethink the acers though, and choose something that will enjoy full sun to go in the pots.
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
I often use this company as they're comparatively cheap - the plants have been fine so far. Along the lines of Carol's bee-friendly planting they have Agastache 'Blue Fortune', Aster 'Little Carlow', Eryngiums, Perovskia, and several Salvias (go for Caradonna and Amistad I reckon).
Buying online is fine if going in person is not a feasible option. My favourite is Longacres as they are very affordable and plants have always arrived in good condition. Their stock varies from time to time so always worth checking back if currently they don’t have much in stock. Another superb nursery but on the expensive side is Crocus, I would only order there when they’re running a sale (still £££) and if you have deeper pockets, but everything I’ve received from them has always been great.
Very exciting that you have discovered gardening, it’s a wonderful and enjoyable journey.
Yes, l agree about the acers, l think they would just suffer.l tried one once in the shadiest part of the garden l could find (which isn't shady at all for most of the year), and it just shrivelled and died. Salvias, (the shrubby types such as "Royal Bumble") lavenders, heleniums, agastache are all loved by bees. You say you are thinking about putting trees and shrubs in pots, obviously the bigger the pot the better, but again you can get more advice on here in due course.
Hi Sean. If your garden is too sunny for an acer, I'm wondering if a sambucus "black lace" would be a suitable alternative. It has stunning purple foliage which I think looks quite similar to the dissected leaves of an acer and it loves a sunny position 🌞.
I have one in the south facing side of the front garden which I keep in check (size wise) by pruning back hard each year. How small is your "small border"?
Good Morning. A Massive Thank you to all of you who have replied to my questions and for all your help and suggestions, I have a list about a mile long (smile) of plants, shrubs etc for my back garden. A friend has mentioned there is a very good Nursery in Enderby (Leicestershire) which is a distance from where I live but not my Brother who has a car so my plan is to visit with him, when it is possible. In regards to the sandy border, it appears to be just sand and large stones and my proper soil border is less than a metre by 3 metres so I am aiming for 3/4 plants in there and then 2/3 in large pots. If I buy a shrub in a 3L Pot and put in into a larger pot what size pot would you recommend. Once again Thank you very much for all your help. Sean
Perhaps a pot about 12 inches across? I'm trying to visualise the size of the pots in my garden and the size of a 3 litre pot but I think around about that would be ok.
'Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement' - Helen Keller
I think the biggest pots l have in my garden are around a foot in diameter and about 2 feet deep, maybe slightly more. I would go out with a tape measure but it is raining pretty heavily at the moment!
Good Afternoon and once again a massive Thank You to all who have been kind enough to reply to my posts/questions. I now believe (hopefully) that I am in a good position to start to plan my garden, I have a list of plants, ideas for shrubs and now know what size pots to buy. All I need is to get to a Nursery or order online, to which I have contacted my Brother. I will keep you informed as to how things are going but it may be a week or so before I get started on buying, planting etc. Once again Thank you very much. Sean
Posts
https://www.longacres.co.uk/plants/perennials/9cm-pot-perennials/?showall=1
Very exciting that you have discovered gardening, it’s a wonderful and enjoyable journey.
Salvias, (the shrubby types such as "Royal Bumble") lavenders, heleniums, agastache are all loved by bees.
You say you are thinking about putting trees and shrubs in pots, obviously the bigger the pot the better, but again you can get more advice on here in due course.
I have one in the south facing side of the front garden which I keep in check (size wise) by pruning back hard each year.
How small is your "small border"?