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Plant Ideas Please

welshcakewelshcake Posts: 118
in Plants
I have a patch of garden which was lawn with a large border that has been somewhat decimated because of building works.  I'm planning to empty most of the existing border but will keep a beech tree at one end and a bay tree at the other.   I'm not going to replace the grass so will have plenty of room to bring the border out a bit deeper, to create some extra beds where the grass was and/or to add some pots.  

It's a very sunny spot and although I'm not sure of soil quality yet, everything grows like wildfire in my garden even when it's been neglected while I've been concentrating on house renovations!  We get bees, butterflies and bats in our garden so I've been researching flowers that they like.  We also get hedgehogs visiting so I'm thinking about incorporating a bit of an area that's particularly friendly for them.

It will be a little while before the building works finish so I'm really at the research stage but wondered if you lovely and knowledgeable people can help me with planting ideas?  I am a novice gardener and the rest of the garden is pretty large so I'd prefer plants that are a bit easier on the maintenance side.  I don't have a particular colour scheme in mind but I would like to plant in such a way that I get colour all year around.  

Posts

  • josusa47josusa47 Posts: 3,530
    Cheap and cheerful annuals such as antirrhinums, marigolds, nasturtiums and poppies only need to be sown once, because they will self-seed ever after.  They need no attention other than a drop of water in a prolonged dry spell, though they will look better if you deadhead them.  At the end of the summer you pull up the spent plants which can be composted. With antirrhinums and marigolds, you can cut back the younger and least scruffy ones to overwinter for earlier flowers next year.

    Have a look at the tulips sold as "species" or "perennial".  Most tulips only last a year or two, but these can be left in the ground and will flower almost indefinitely.  The flowers are a bit smaller and less showy, but I think they are much better value and less effort.
  • welshcakewelshcake Posts: 118
    josusa47 said:
    Cheap and cheerful annuals such as antirrhinums, marigolds, nasturtiums and poppies only need to be sown once, because they will self-seed ever after.  They need no attention other than a drop of water in a prolonged dry spell, though they will look better if you deadhead them.  At the end of the summer you pull up the spent plants which can be composted. With antirrhinums and marigolds, you can cut back the younger and least scruffy ones to overwinter for earlier flowers next year.

    Have a look at the tulips sold as "species" or "perennial".  Most tulips only last a year or two, but these can be left in the ground and will flower almost indefinitely.  The flowers are a bit smaller and less showy, but I think they are much better value and less effort.
    Thanks very much for these suggestions.  Happy to do deadheading and a bit of watering when needed
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