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Do I need more plants?

LatimerLatimer Posts: 1,068
in Plants


Hello all!

So I have taken this photo this morning of one of the main beds in my garden. This was planted up 3 years ago and has a couple of grasses, sedum, echinacea and then a few other bits dotted here and there.

Should this bed have so much bare earth at this time of year? As a novice I'm really struggling to understand if this is normal it not. With so much bare earth on show it's a constant battle against weeds and self seeded plants. 

One thing I'm aware of is a lack of any Spring/summer bulbs. Because I knew if be digging up and constantly changing things as I learned I was reluctant to put in bulbs that I couldn't see and would be damaging by digging. Perhaps I was mistaken in that thought.

Are a load of daffs, tulips and alliums really all I'm missing? Or do I need to fill the gaps with other perennials?

Thank you.
I’ve no idea what I’m doing. 
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  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    What are the grasses? They don't look terribly thrilling. 
    I'd get rid of those and have some better perennials to fill the space and it would be more attractive as you'd have flowers as well. You could then add lots of bulbs. Many will flower from early in the year until now. If you add alliums, you'll get flowers until later in summer, depending on choices. 
    Hardy geraniums are always a good shout - easy as well. Loads of varieties to choose from, and great with spring bulbs.
    Plenty of others if you want height, rather than spread, and depending on the soil and aspect etc.
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    I don't think you have to worry too much. Bear in mind that within a few weeks the sedum etc will be much bigger (even if you "Chelsea chop" them) and the gaps will fill in.

    A common mistake is planting too close together from the start and then having to move things as they're overcrowded. 
    If you want to,  you could buy a few summer bedding plants to fill in gaps nearer to the edges of the bed (l think they'd get swamped if you put them in the middle), or maybe bedding dahlias for more late summer/autumn colours. I would also start to think about planting bulbs in the Autumn for Spring colour, and get your orders in early if you buy online.
    Taking photos through the year is always a good idea, as you forget where gaps are, and then you can plan accordingly  :)
  • JellyfireJellyfire Posts: 1,139
    edited May 2022
    Echinacea and sedum are late flowering and also dont spread particularly wide so I would have some earlier summer flowering ones dotted in between personally. I dont know how big those grasses end up, but spring bulbs would certainly add some early colour and would disappear by summer so there is easily room for them. If you want bulbs you know you wont accidentally dig up then Nerine Bowdenii have their necks above ground so you can see them, but again they are late flowering, so I would want some annuals or perennials to offer colour from during late spring/early summer myself 
  • TheGreenManTheGreenMan Posts: 1,957
    I think you’ve overdone the grass. I can’t tell which it is….looks a bit luzula Nivea like. 

    I would get rid of half of the grasses and replace with flowering perennials, ones with height and dot some spring bulbs throughout the bed. 


  • LatimerLatimer Posts: 1,068
    edited May 2022
    @Fairygirl

    The grasses are Deschampsia Cespitosa Goldtau and Molinia caerulea Moorhexe.

    I have a couple of Geranium Rosanne growing in from bare roots and picked up a White Kashmir at the weekend that I have just planted. 

    I'll usually also plant some verbena bon. from self seeded seedlings.


    This is from August last year
    I’ve no idea what I’m doing. 
  • ButtercupdaysButtercupdays Posts: 4,546
    It is partly because not all of your plants are in full growth yet. I use Deschampsia a lot (it grows wild here!) and it starts off looking all neat and tidy like your grasses, but by autumn it is a big, spreading clump, covering much more space.
    Also at this time of year, as well as bulbs you can have gap fillers like forget-me-nots or Welsh poppies. There is very little bare ground to be seen in my garden with these and they look pretty and suit my style, but they may not suit yours and both are generous self-seeders and could be a curse rather than a pleasure for you!

    Some plants, like phlox or delphiniums maintain roughly the same footprint, but grow taller as the season moves on, though they will gradually expand year on year. Other plants, like some hardy geraniums, have laxer growth and will spread over quite a wide area if allowed, or you can contain them with hoops or canes and twine. You can cut them back and they will regrow and probably flower again, but not all plants will do this.
    My long border is on a slope and it takes hefty stakes and baler twine to prevent Crocosmia Lucifer flopping and smothering everything around it! 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    edited May 2022
    If you like the grasses enough, keep some, but add bulbs around them to give you early colour, and some summer flowering ones [alliums] for later colour. That would give a better succession of flowers and colour.
    If you like V.bon, there are shorter varieties which would be useful - V.hastata or V.rigida. I have a feeling the latter isn't fully hardy, but I don't grow it.
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • LatimerLatimer Posts: 1,068


    Here is one from slightly earlier in the year, mid july.


    I’ve no idea what I’m doing. 
  • LatimerLatimer Posts: 1,068
    OK, so here is what I am taking from you all:

    Bulbs for the spring interest. I knew about this but just hadn't implemented it.

    I've overdone the grasses. I think I could be on board with this. I do like grasses but I think I've over done it. It's probably worrying to think that from this bed I have actually dug up about 10-12 already and moved them to other parts of the garden!

    My perennials are mostly late flowering and I need to get some earlier stuff in. I like geraniums so I'm happy to chuck a load of them in :)

    I'm going to pop a photo on later today of a front garden in the village that I pass daily that has two long front beds that are packed with loads of growth, no bare soil to be seen at all that really got me wondering about what I might be doing wrong. 
    I’ve no idea what I’m doing. 
  • PianoplayerPianoplayer Posts: 624
    I personally don't like loads of perennials for precisely this reason - having an over-abundance at one time of year and a dearth at others - heretical I know! I use a lot of evergreen shrubs, with interesting foliage and/or flowers.

    Spring bulbs are great - but important to remember that their foliage looks messy, so important to position them with this in mind.
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