It really doesn’t take long to achieve any borders, we cut down and dug out a 100’ row of conifer hedge. heres some pictures and to show how long it took to get to flowering May 2014..
21st July.
23rd September
So if anyone wants to start a nice border, you can do it. It needn’t cost much, you just need to plan for it the year before so you can get your cuttings done and your seeds bought. Then in March sow your seeds, plant out in May and stand well back, up they’ll come! Problem now is that it’s like a jungle, needs thinning out, all those little plants along the back are shrubs, now grown to full size! This was 2017. Just 3 years later.
Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor.
That’s lovely, it’s so nice to see it all growing well, biennials and perennials will flower next year, but you need to keep up with your cuttings and seed growing because next year the biennials will be dead and need replacing. The Astrantia may self seed, but collect some seeds just in case. You will always have gaps that’s the way of it, things die off and you cut them down but you need to have plants ready in pots to fill the gaps.
Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor.
Beautiful job on the borders, Lyn. I get tired just thinking about how much back-breaking work that represents. You must be so very proud, and you should be!
Looks fantastic Lyn. Re G. Rozanne, it does have the benefit of quickly coming back all fresh looking and flowering again if you chop it back hard. There are more attractive blue geraniums but not many that will flower for quite so long. It's more of a scrambler than a tidy clump so you might have better luck sticking it where it can wind through other taller plants.
"What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour".
Posts
May 2014..
21st July.
23rd September
So if anyone wants to start a nice border, you can do it. It needn’t cost much, you just need to plan for it the year before so you can get your cuttings done and your seeds bought. Then in March sow your seeds, plant out in May and stand well back, up they’ll come!
Problem now is that it’s like a jungle, needs thinning out, all those little plants along the back are shrubs, now grown to full size!
This was 2017. Just 3 years later.
6 July
The Astrantia may self seed, but collect some seeds just in case.
You will always have gaps that’s the way of it, things die off and you cut them down but you need to have plants ready in pots to fill the gaps.
i have foxgloves and hesperis growing for next year and some things in pots that can go out next year too.
I have thoroughly enjoyed doing this and am learning all the time with the help of this forum and it’s fantastic gardeners like yourself.
... and your energy astounds me 😊
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.