You have to look at the eventual sizes of the plants, and that can vary a bit, depending on the site and your climate, but it'll give you an idea for spacing them. Fewer plants and repeated, is always better visually than a load of single specimens. In a bigger border that's easier, because you have the room to have tiered planting - highest at the back, lowest at the front. You don't have the space for that though, so you'll have to decide if you want it to look good most of the year, and use a fair number of evergreens and plants with a long season of interest. If you're not bothered by that, you can just have perennials and bulbs, with nothing much there over winter. Once you've made that decision, then choose a mix of plants that work with that.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
@Fairygirl thank you, I was looking at repeating the following, hakonechloa macra, saxifrages, polemonium, perennial candytuft (maybe aquilegia vulgaris) with Heuchera dotted in between plants, sound good?
This is my cottage border as you can see it’s width is narrow roughly 47cm. All these plants seem to thrive but we are south facing so plenty of sunshine.
@Willson.S You could also go for Geranium Macrorhizzum White Ness. White is good in shade and this plant is semi evergreen. I have worked in a garden where it was used in a long border. Cut back with shearers after flowering, Watered well if necessary, it will be back in weeks neat and tidy through until Autumn. The pieces that are cut off can be used as cuttings to increase stock.It will root easily from a stem cutting. Another thought might be to choose evergreens as a back bone along the border, this will give some repeation ,it won't look dotty, or you could use these plants together.
Epimediums are good in dry shade E Domino is lovely and E Spine tingler Avoid the Japanese forms as they can be slightly tender.
Spacing plants is a skill even the experts get wrong. Soil and growing conditions affect things too. You must accept that you won't get it all right. You will need to water well to the Autumn, if you plant now so you will be able to keep an eye on progress. You will almost certainly have to move some plants that's gardening.
I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
Yours is a completely different aspect from the OP though @alexryzawlskiqBU-X4OF. Many of those would struggle in the site being discussed
I think you could add some of the evergreens mentioned @Willson.S, especially to give a vertical here and there, or placed as a regular focal point, but it depends on whether you want that. The Polemonium and the Aquilegias will give some vertical height. How well everything does will depend on how well you keep it watered to get everything established. Those neighbouring trees/shrubs will have an effect on the moisture available to you plants, and it's a small border, so that's the biggest challenge. As @GardenerSuze says, you may find things do very well and get too big, and will need moved/replaced, or some may not thrive at all. That's just how it is unfortunately
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
@alexwildliferescue What a beautiful border I an not a big fan of Lupins but I love the dark purple ones. @Willson.S Although this is a sunny border you can see how the foxgloves and lupins have been used to bring the planting together. This is also achievable using some of the shade loving plants mentioned in this thread.
I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
@Willson.S I grow Kniphofia in a hot sunny part of my garden, salvia hot lips also needs full sun to do well. I often get distracted when visiting the garden centres. You always have to be firm and remember the site you are planting in. All the others mentioned should be fine.
I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
If that was my space I'd have alternating varieties of heuchera. Assuming it was shady or part-sun. Darker foliage varieties can cope with more sun. Appreciate that we all have our personal preferences but I've been thinking about how much I love my heuchera right now because they make an otherwise very boring bit of mostly-shade/part-sun a delight. Especially the 'lime marmalade' mixed with deep red/magenta flowers of 'coral bells' varieties.
Also loving the @alexwildliferescue border! I have a very similar variety of lupin in the shade and they aren't anywhere near as floriferous as those!
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Fewer plants and repeated, is always better visually than a load of single specimens.
In a bigger border that's easier, because you have the room to have tiered planting - highest at the back, lowest at the front. You don't have the space for that though, so you'll have to decide if you want it to look good most of the year, and use a fair number of evergreens and plants with a long season of interest. If you're not bothered by that, you can just have perennials and bulbs, with nothing much there over winter.
Once you've made that decision, then choose a mix of plants that work with that.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Another thought might be to choose evergreens as a back bone along the border, this will give some repeation ,it won't look dotty, or you could use these plants together.
Epimediums are good in dry shade E Domino is lovely and E Spine tingler Avoid the Japanese forms as they can be slightly tender.
Spacing plants is a skill even the experts get wrong. Soil and growing conditions affect things too. You must accept that you won't get it all right. You will need to water well to the Autumn, if you plant now so you will be able to keep an eye on progress. You will almost certainly have to move some plants that's gardening.
I think you could add some of the evergreens mentioned @Willson.S, especially to give a vertical here and there, or placed as a regular focal point, but it depends on whether you want that. The Polemonium and the Aquilegias will give some vertical height.
How well everything does will depend on how well you keep it watered to get everything established. Those neighbouring trees/shrubs will have an effect on the moisture available to you plants, and it's a small border, so that's the biggest challenge.
As @GardenerSuze says, you may find things do very well and get too big, and will need moved/replaced, or some may not thrive at all. That's just how it is unfortunately
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
@Willson.S Although this is a sunny border you can see how the foxgloves and lupins have been used to bring the planting together. This is also achievable using some of the shade loving plants mentioned in this thread.