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Starting flower beds - complete beginner!
Hello,
Lots of questions! I'm very new to gardening and have never really planted flowers! But I'm really keen to get my garden looking cheery and colourful next spring/summer
I like the more wild, cottage garden look.
I've bought some small flowering plants and want to start a flower bed or two. I am planning for a no dig approach - thinking laying cardboard and then loam based compost soon, for planting next year. Any tips on this appreciated!
What I'm mostly wondering though, is how to arrange my flower beds and what to plant where. I have two areas I plan to eventually have beds - one in front of my porch, the other further back in the garden, both south facing. The second spot is level with the top of a low stone wall, if that makes sense.. I have a mixture of plants, some labeled as alpine and some not. I'm wondering whether I should keep one space for alpine type plants and one for others? Also, is it better to keep annuals and perennials separate or okay to mix them in the same bed? I wondered about putting only perennials in the beds and annuals in pots on my doorstep?
I also have some wild flower seeds (cornfield mix), and I would love to create a wildflower border around the pine trees at one end of my garden. So if anyone knows where to begin with this, I'm all ears!
I live in the Northern Isles so climate is a big consideration I guess.
I'm really pretty clueless so any wisdom you want to share please do! Thanks!!
I'll add a list of the plants I've bought below -
Lithodora diffusa 'Heavenly Blue'
Erigeron 'sea of blossom'
Erysimum 'golden jubilee'
Eriodium x variable 'Bishops form'
Gaillardia burgundy
Iberis 'Absolutely Amethyst'
Lots of questions! I'm very new to gardening and have never really planted flowers! But I'm really keen to get my garden looking cheery and colourful next spring/summer
I like the more wild, cottage garden look.I've bought some small flowering plants and want to start a flower bed or two. I am planning for a no dig approach - thinking laying cardboard and then loam based compost soon, for planting next year. Any tips on this appreciated!
What I'm mostly wondering though, is how to arrange my flower beds and what to plant where. I have two areas I plan to eventually have beds - one in front of my porch, the other further back in the garden, both south facing. The second spot is level with the top of a low stone wall, if that makes sense.. I have a mixture of plants, some labeled as alpine and some not. I'm wondering whether I should keep one space for alpine type plants and one for others? Also, is it better to keep annuals and perennials separate or okay to mix them in the same bed? I wondered about putting only perennials in the beds and annuals in pots on my doorstep?
I also have some wild flower seeds (cornfield mix), and I would love to create a wildflower border around the pine trees at one end of my garden. So if anyone knows where to begin with this, I'm all ears!
I live in the Northern Isles so climate is a big consideration I guess.
I'm really pretty clueless so any wisdom you want to share please do!
Thanks!!I'll add a list of the plants I've bought below -
Lithodora diffusa 'Heavenly Blue'
Erigeron 'sea of blossom'
Erysimum 'golden jubilee'
Eriodium x variable 'Bishops form'
Gaillardia burgundy
Iberis 'Absolutely Amethyst'
1
Posts
https://www.breezyknees.co.uk/
https://eastrustonoldvicarage.co.uk/
Alpines need well drained soil. I would keep them separate and add a lot of grit to the soil and mulch with grit after planting.
You can plant annuals with perennials. Annuals, such as Cosmos and Salvia Farinacia look good with perennials, fill in gaps and add colour. Other annuals are pretty in pots. For perennials I prepare the ground first by removing the grass and weeds then I dig in lots of compost. Shrubs that resist wind can be used for protection too.
I found a few links
https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/gardening-growing-shetland-wind-1541640
https://shetlandcommunitywildlife.org/2020/04/29/gardening-for-bumblebees-and-butterflies/
https://www.shetland.org/blog/gardens-of-shetland
It seems as though planting / building shelter from the wind is the first step, but once that is sorted, the short but long-daylight season means you can grow an awful lot? I suppose I'd start with making a list of the plants I liked and seeing if those were growable there, e.g. roses https://myshetland.co.uk/the-roses/