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South-East flowerbed with all year perennial colour suggestions

fizzylizfizzyliz Posts: 398
in Plants
Hi all 😊

I will be creating another flower bed border next to a south-east facing wall.

Could I please have some suggestions of good perennial plants (preferably the majority evergreen but not a major issue if not) that will provide us with a range of colour and interest throughout the year? 

I admire gardens that I walk past and there is always an abundance of colour every month 😊

Also any tips on mixture of soil, compost, nutrients to be used and recommended would be highly appreciated!

Thank you so much 😀 from a very very novice gardener! 

Posts

  • ButtercupdaysButtercupdays Posts: 4,546
    Are you digging a border or making a raised bed?
    If the first, do you know your soil type?
    Roughly whereabouts do you live?
    Is the wall yours?
    Answers will help you get more appropriate suggestions :)
  • fizzylizfizzyliz Posts: 398
    edited September 2021
    Hi @Buttercupdays thanks for your reply! 

    We are digging the flowerbed. We got rid of a horrible concrete path and putting a nice path round house but leaving space by two walls under the windows to add some colour and interest 😊

    The wall is ours.

    The soil type is overall more sand-based. We’re on sandstone rock. 

    Worcestershire.

    Thank you! 😀

  • ButtercupdaysButtercupdays Posts: 4,546
    Make your border as generous as you can. It will give you more choice in what you can grow and help you get the layers you need for continuity through the year.

    Sandy soil means it will be free draining, but that might make it rather dry sometimes as it faces SE. The most important thing to add is lots of organic matter: manure, soil improver, leaf mould or home made compost when you have some, as this will help it retain more moisture and increase fertility so you can grow a wider range of plants.
    The majority of perennials are herbaceous, which means they die back over winter to conserve energy.
    There are more evergreen shrubs, but many might be too big for your needs. .
    I can't grow Hebes or Pittosporum reliably here, but they should be all right for you and would provide both foliage and flowers, so worth a look.
    Smaller shrubs include herbs like lavenders, rosemary and sage, you can get silver, green and purple foliage, plus flowers, just with them, and your conditions will suit them to a T :)
    Evergreen Japanese azaleas might also work for you as your soil is likely to be acid. They flower in the spring, but they do need enough water, especially in late summer, as that is when the flower buds are formed/
    Shrubby potentillas lose their leaves in winter but their twiggy branches retain a presence and they flower continuously all summer, in a range of colours.
    You needn't rule out small conifers either, providing you choose them very carefully for eventual size. Some I planted on my rockery 30 years ago are still very small, but I no longer have any idea what they are!
    You can get evergreen clematis too and they tend to flower early in the year so I would start with them. You will need to attach vine eyes and wires or a trellis or 2 to the wall and then you could have  an evergreen early one and a later flowering one that will die back and even a climbing rose as well if you have room.  Check flowering times and  growth sizes carefully to fit the space and then you have a rainbow of colours to choose from :)
    Evergreen perennials include Hellebores and Heucheras. The Hellebores are good for early flowers, but prefer some shade - that could be provided by another plant. Heucheras are mainly for foliage but come in many colours and are good for the front of the border.
    My border stalwarts are Phlox, Campanulas, Hemerocallis, Hardy Geraniums and Heleniums, for back or middle, along with Nepetas, perennial Iberis, herbaceous Potentillas and Alchemilla mollis for the front line. These are the things I know I can rely on here, given my soil, usual weather and winter temperatures, but your choices will be wider and possibly different. Have a browse through the catalogue of some reputable nurseries like Woottens and Bressingham, Dorset Perennials or Burncoose and see what takes your fancy and matches your soil and conditions. Happy hunting :)
  • BorderlineBorderline Posts: 4,700
    Look for plants that provide long interest through the year, which means dying gracefully, holding on to their shape in average winters. Russian Sage, Perovskia 'Blue Spire' are great from spring through to winter, often still able to hold up through winter if not cut down. Sedums are also another plant that is interesting throughout the year. Rosemary , trailing or upright forms are also good and evergreen too.

    If you can get your soil quite free draining, Dianthus Knappii and Achellia x Lewisii 'King Edward' are good long flowering low growing plants that help lift sunny areas with their bright pale yellows.

    I also agree, plants like Alchemilla Mollis, Geraniums, Hemerocallis, are hard working plants. It's important to have plants that take well and reward with fresh new leaves after being cut back, and Alchemilla Mollis and Geraniums are very good for that.
  • fizzylizfizzyliz Posts: 398
    Wow 🤩 @Buttercupdays and @Borderline honestly thank you so so very much for taking the time to respond and help me with this. So kind, and so helpful 😊 I’ve written a big list and will look them up online and get this border sorted 😀👍 really thanks again!
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