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New border - what to plant
emsy.angel.22
Posts: 27
in Plants
Hello
I will be getting a new border, similar to the picture about 60cm X 4m.
I will be getting a new border, similar to the picture about 60cm X 4m.
I have some peony bushes, a flamingo tree, some crocosmia, nandia gulf stream, echinaecia, pestemon in pots that I could use, but I am a bit lost!
I would like all year interest and some height, maybe a climbing rose in an obelisk?
Any ideas appreciated. 
0
Posts
Re your plants, things like that willow will need quite different requirements from something like Echinaceas or Peonies, as it needs copious amounts of water. They will also prefer a good, sunny site.
Did you mean Nandina?
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
This article is a good start and gives links to ther sites that can help with planning a border - https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/jun/11/herbaceous-borders-cheats-guide-gardens-lia-leendertz
Climbing roses are rarely suitable for growing on an obelisk as they flower better when their stems are trained horizontally or diagonally but you could easily train one along the fence by attaching trellis panels or tensioned wires.
As @Obelixx says, it's always good to just research a bit about the eventual size your plants might reach, although they're really a guide only. Your own climate and conditions can make a big difference, but it will give you a hint as to what to expect.
1.2 m will give you a nice depth to plant into, and having your rose on the fence is a much better idea. It [the fence] looks in good nick too, which helps. You'll have room for something else too, depending on the eventual size of your rose. Lots of clematis will suit, if you like those, and an early one [March/April/May]would be good to give you a succession of flowering. Avoid montanas though, as they'll be too overpowering for the space if you want a climbing rose too.
Placing the pots out once you have your bed in place is a good way of working out the arrangement, and you can do repeat planting to give a uniform look. That just means using a few plants together [ideally a group of plants you really like the look of ] and then putting more of those same plants again further along the bed. That allow you to have other specimens for various times of the year in and around them. A couple of evergreens can be useful so that you don't have a lot of empty ground over winter. There are lots which will suit - Hebes will like the aspect. You'll have your Nandina too, which will be evergreen or semi evergreen. Adding some later flowering perennials like Asters will help prolong the colour.
You can also plant loads of spring bulbs with any perennials, and that gives you a succession of colour. Lots of those to choose from, and it won't be long before they're available for ordering, so you can do a bit of research into them by looking at some of the bulb specialists online. It's always risky though, unless you have a large bank balance
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...