I do try to stick to blending colours in each bed but sometimes it's a bit difficult to find a space that fits the plant and it ends up a clashing mixture
I have only one of each plant, and as many colours as possible
I tend to buy one or two plants so I have a mix of colour and texture everywhere, then I'll decide what other colours I need to balance I'm any given place. When I say "one or two", it doesn't seem to apply to salvias, fuchsias or penstemons. 😄
I just love plants ,have said one of everything but it’s lots of everything.Every shape ,colour ,grasses ,roses( favourite) daisies ,you name it ,it’s my pleasure and in the short time we have here I don’t give a hoot about clashing colours and fashions ,I do my own thing ……..and spend my pension on gin so that we have no money for butter ( poem).
No one has mentioned one of the options - the Veggie Garden. As well as my sort of cottage garden that I mentioned earlier I have a veggie garden too. Can we vote for 2 sorts of garden? I prefer the flowery one though.
Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
Lots of colours in the garden through the year as I've gone a bit over the top with variety in what I've brought in just to see what works. Its nice to experiment with plants and how they grow so not sure I'd fit in a specific category with the garden growing here. I have veggies growing but don't think that defines the garden and chose cottage garden simply because I try have variety and colour as much as possible.
Promoting wildlife is my main priority in the garden and having more variety in plants and therefore colour will hopefully give a better chance of supporting the more unusual types. Have tried to stick to planting colours I like and sometimes they combine in ways I like but it changes from season to season and it is nice to see how different combinations work. If an area does not look right to me I'll add something else to try make it look better but a lot is random as I encourage wildflowers and self-seeding. Wild foxgloves are just getting going now which is one of my favourite colour changes of the year.
I have only one of each plant, and as many colours as possible
@Busy-Lizzie My neighbour has turned their garden into a veggy garden only. His wife just managed it to get some baskets into the garden and have the shady front part between parked car and hedge. There was no intention to ignore the ones with big gardens and who have choices.
What I notices is a change in plants that are sold in nurseries. I took a lot of pictures from their plants in times before we had our own garden. Garden Centres no longer offer the classical plants that were (most likely) imported from Europe but there is still a certain amount of imported plants. Taste has definitely changed I would say.
My garden and my tastes have changed as well as how I use the space. Having a small garden each plants space is prime real estate and has to justify its position to earn it. I've given away 2 peonies because they took up to much room and performed for too little time.
My colour tastes have changed also. I think I must get bored after a while but I suppose gardening as a job, you see things everyday.... then see new things you like better..... it evolves on a regular basis!
My principal stays to kill nothing, spray nothing and invite the predators in to deal with the pests.
And don't be too tidy!
I have now developed a love of yellow and red which I wasn't fond of before, but there is no plan to it all. Just a few repeated plants to add cohesion such as molis and rozanne and scabious. The rest is a jumbled mix of perennials, annuals, climbers, roses and shrubs with veggies down by the wildlife pond with the guard frogs watching over them.
Claire Austin tells me I have an informal cottage border, because I tend to have a lot of 1s of things rather than planting in groups or drifts
the back garden border is strictly pinks, blues, white, and purples, even the pond!! When I do the front border it’s going to be a complete free for all, I want all of the colours!!
None of the above categories fit my "garden" which is a large, ex-farmhouse plot with different aspects, sun levels and soil types. I have tried to theme new beds and renovated beds but it doesn't help when I buy a pack of corms that claim to be creamy yellow and turn out to be pink.
They were planted at the cream end of an island bed that goes from cream thru yellows and oranges and fiery reds to blues, whites and hot pinks and then deeper reds and purples. Still working on that and still deciding if, and where, to try a white border that can cope with drought. I do try to have something in flower all year for the bees.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
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When I say "one or two", it doesn't seem to apply to salvias, fuchsias or penstemons. 😄
There was no intention to ignore the ones with big gardens and who have choices.
What I notices is a change in plants that are sold in nurseries. I took a lot of pictures from their plants in times before we had our own garden. Garden Centres no longer offer the classical plants that were (most likely) imported from Europe but there is still a certain amount of imported plants. Taste has definitely changed I would say.
I ♥ my garden.
the back garden border is strictly pinks, blues, white, and purples, even the pond!! When I do the front border it’s going to be a complete free for all, I want all of the colours!!
They were planted at the cream end of an island bed that goes from cream thru yellows and oranges and fiery reds to blues, whites and hot pinks and then deeper reds and purples. Still working on that and still deciding if, and where, to try a white border that can cope with drought. I do try to have something in flower all year for the bees.