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Do I need more plants?

13

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  • bcpathomebcpathome Posts: 1,313
    In my opinion you can never have too many plants ! I buy and grow them all the time ,I have loads ,either grown from seeds or bought when I’m out ,can’t go past a plant sale on a street or at a fete .Fill it up and enjoy !!! 
  • LatimerLatimer Posts: 1,068
    edited May 2022
    I'll take a look at the columbines and the Geums
    I’ve no idea what I’m doing. 
  • BorderlineBorderline Posts: 4,700
    You can also look at shrubs that are evergreen and blend with perennials that don't stick out too much. Teucrium Fruticans, Grevillea Rosmarinifolia and Pittosporum can add form throughout the year. 
  • zugeniezugenie Posts: 831
    You’ve made a gorgeous border but it does look very much like a late summer border. I can’t add anymore than everyone else already has, take out a few grasses and add some bulbs and spring flowering plants!
  • LatimerLatimer Posts: 1,068
    You can also look at shrubs that are evergreen and blend with perennials that don't stick out too much. Teucrium Fruticans, Grevillea Rosmarinifolia and Pittosporum can add form throughout the year. 
    I have actually added some Pittosporum in the adjacent bed, I should probably try to repeat them in this one also

    Thanks @zugenie..... I've got plenty of planning to do before autumn!
    I’ve no idea what I’m doing. 
  • LoxleyLoxley Posts: 5,698
    edited May 2022
    I don't think you've overdone the grasses to be honest, they look neat enough now and look amazing in August. Molinia is a bit of an annoying grass in that it's quite slow to put on growth in spring, Calamagrostis and Sesleria are much better (although the philistines on this forum would probably dismiss them as boring too!) The recent picture looks a bit spartan, but there's plenty of scope for spring bulb planting, and spring perennials (smallish things like Pulmonarias and Omphalodes that won't interfere too much with plants that come later - although your August planting will hide quite a lot by the look of it).

    Katy Merrington's instagram account is worth looking at, as she documents the Hepworth Wakefield planting throughout the year. It's pretty amazing how all the spring planting disappears as the grasses and perennials come up in summer. And then there are things that flower early-ish but carry on contributing something for the rest of the year, e.g. the spent Iris sibirica and Phlomis flowerheads.
    "What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour". 
  • LatimerLatimer Posts: 1,068
    Thanks @Loxley, that Instagram link is great! (Although I'm worried I may need help planting 60,000 tulips!)

    I think I'm going to try plugging a few gaps with earlier perennials and some evergreens just to try to increase the interest through the early part of the year.
    I’ve no idea what I’m doing. 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Try and vary the heights too. It's very easy for everything to look 'blobby' and all the same shape and size   :)
    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
    @Fairygirl what I'd really like to introduce is repeated topiaried balls in the three beds as a way of bringing them together.

    The hard landscaping of my garden is very square, the beds are rectangular, the paths all at 90deg to each other. I've now started to add circular elements into the beds, a round seating area in one and I'm going to add a circular pond this year. My thought is that circular balls will help to soften the hard edges
    I’ve no idea what I’m doing. 
  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    If you decide to go for the topiary, l strongly advise you to avoid box plants  :#
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