We visited Sussex prairie Garden a few weeks back,they have paths of wood chip/bark stuff going through the beds. You will need to be able to move through to weed. Am going to do a similar thing with our south facing front garden,it's a small border,not as much space as you. Very shallow stoney soil gets very dry. It's got irises, almost black,nepeta. Am leaving the dahlias in there. It's a challenge what I can plant,soil is about 6 inches deep,then concrete which is part of the drive, level with that,so can't add depth. Managed to get some grasses in small pots. It's also windy because of proximity to sea and South Downs,and ***** neighbours, keep their bins they and they crash into our garden!! In the back we have grasses,roses,sea Holly,day lilies,russian sage, flowering in summer.rudbeckia, echinacea, now.
Where is the Sussex Prairie Garden please, we are going down to Sheffield Park and Nymans next week, but your prairie garden sound very good.
Daphne mezereum is bone hardy and has purple/pink flowers in early spring with a sweet perfume. It is deciduous but makes a nice green summer backdrop and has red berries in autumn. Put it where you can enjoy the scent but not where children might be tempted to pick the berries, as they are poisonous.
I've planted nearly all the perennials over the past couple of days, except for the monarda Raspberry Wine which I'll keep under cover over winter and the pennisetum Fairy tails , still need to purchase a miscanthus next spring. I've been shuffling the plants around again, took some out phlox nicky for now but may plant it on the bottom right side and took out the stachys . Swapped Salvia Verticillata purple rain for Salvia.V. smouldering torches which is very similar to purple rain but slight darker and taller , changed Geranium Dragon heart to Orion and Monarda Kardinal to Raspberry wine .
I ended up buying the plants from Swines Meadows Nursery and Bressingham Nursery pleased with both sets of plants
I had the ramps out so I didn't trod on the bed to much while moving the plants around for the umpteenth time .
This is the plan I ended up with , the plants are in now so I'll be unlikely be moving any till next autumn
Bulb planting next still waiting for my order from Farmer Gracy
Well its been just over a year since I redesigned and planted up the front garden , I've been really pleased with it I am not missing the lawn . Not everything has gone to plan lost a few plants - Nepeta Govaniana ( slugs ) - euphorbia black pearl ( damaged ) now replaced , the Clematis on the fence squashed the veronica but now its been tamed and my constant attempts of growing Eremurus and fritillaria Persia ends in failure yet again .
24th April - Tulip Lady jane just opening and Daffodil Ice wings in the background
Mid- May Allium are the main show the perennials are bulking up 1st June Iris Supreme Sultan - Allium Universe at front with Early emperor fading towards the back of the border with various other alliums purple rain - purple sensation - Gladiator and Mount Everest. Rose Golden celebration starting to flower in background
29th June Eryngium Neptune Gold and Salvias got going , Allium firmament to right rear disappointed in that one
Salvias are in full swing , Salvia Amethyst & Smouldering Torches had been marvellous since June till late in the season
1st August done some deadheading of the salvias , late summer perennials starting
Mid August I used Cleome to temporary replace the Euphorbia I lost, they did very well in the hot summer. Dahlia David Howard behind in the empty space that I never did decided on . Mid August 19th September
9th November ( missed October somehow ) next 3 are all same date
Pennisetum Fairy Tails Persicaria fat domino still going strong I planted my Miscanthus Memory in the top left corner , I did go for M.Graziella but couldn't get hold of a decent size one. I am glad I didn't get one M.Memory looks good there with excellent autumn foliage its small now but it will be a giant this year.
And 12th December never did get any frosty covered photos . It looks a mess now the snow flattened everything.
Going to change Salvia smouldering torches to Salvia Verticillata Alba, I like Saliva.ST a lot but the colour was to similar to S. Amethyst it just blended in you could see the individual shape of the flower structure, I am going to slightly move all the salvias so they don't swamp the Echinacea. Adding Rudbeckia Praire glow this spring to where the nepeta vacated and probably something yellow again where I planted Dahlia.DH or the Rose Desdemona which is the terracotta pot .
Added some more bulbs yesterday Tulip Aximensis and Allium Ambassador . I am on the fence whether to get rid of Rose Golden celebration its a beautiful rose when it flowers but it never seems happy, may replace with rose Lark ascending or Heleniums .
Posts
When you don't even know who's in the team
S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
I ended up buying the plants from Swines Meadows Nursery and Bressingham Nursery pleased with both sets of plants
I had the ramps out so I didn't trod on the bed to much while moving the plants around for the umpteenth time .
This is the plan I ended up with , the plants are in now so I'll be unlikely be moving any till next autumn
Got a email today from farmer Gracy saying my bulbs have been dispatched .
Not everything has gone to plan lost a few plants - Nepeta Govaniana ( slugs ) - euphorbia black pearl ( damaged ) now replaced , the Clematis on the fence squashed the veronica but now its been tamed and my constant attempts of growing Eremurus and fritillaria Persia ends in failure yet again
24th April - Tulip Lady jane just opening and Daffodil Ice wings in the background
Mid- May Allium are the main show the perennials are bulking up
1st June Iris Supreme Sultan - Allium Universe at front with Early emperor fading towards the back of the border with various other alliums purple rain - purple sensation - Gladiator and Mount Everest. Rose Golden celebration starting to flower in background
29th June Eryngium Neptune Gold and Salvias got going , Allium firmament to right rear disappointed in that one
Salvias are in full swing , Salvia Amethyst & Smouldering Torches had been marvellous since June till late in the season
1st August done some deadheading of the salvias , late summer perennials starting
Mid August I used Cleome to temporary replace the Euphorbia I lost, they did very well in the hot summer. Dahlia David Howard behind in the empty space that I never did decided on .
Mid August
19th September
9th November ( missed October somehow ) next 3 are all same date
Pennisetum Fairy Tails
Persicaria fat domino still going strong
I planted my Miscanthus Memory in the top left corner , I did go for M.Graziella but couldn't get hold of a decent size one. I am glad I didn't get one M.Memory looks good there with excellent autumn foliage its small now but it will be a giant this year.
And 12th December never did get any frosty covered photos . It looks a mess now the snow flattened everything.
Going to change Salvia smouldering torches to Salvia Verticillata Alba, I like Saliva.ST a lot but the colour was to similar to S. Amethyst it just blended in you could see the individual shape of the flower structure, I am going to slightly move all the salvias so they don't swamp the Echinacea. Adding Rudbeckia Praire glow this spring to where the nepeta vacated and probably something yellow again where I planted Dahlia.DH or the Rose Desdemona which is the terracotta pot .
Added some more bulbs yesterday Tulip Aximensis and Allium Ambassador . I am on the fence whether to get rid of Rose Golden celebration its a beautiful rose when it flowers but it never seems happy, may replace with rose Lark ascending or Heleniums .
Its done really well for the amount of time
It's always nice to see an update.
Thanks for letting us see the pics.