Silly me,@Marlorena - I forgot to answer your buying question.
I try to buy locally, but I do not mind online. Used the usual suspects: Parkers, Raven, Thomson & Morgan etc.
I do like buying the plants smaller - re cost and seeing them settle in. As a canny Scot I'd rather get value than size. I'm not going anywhere and like to see them get bigger.
That’s looking great @PeterAberdeen. Two practical things I would consider..
First, that’s a significant depth of bed in the middle so how are you going to access plants for watering and maintenance? Some bark paths or at least stepping stones incorporated into the design would help stop you tramping and compacting the soil. If you had climbers on the back wall you need fairly close access to train and prune.
Secondly, are some of those curves a bit tight for sweeping the mower around the lawn, do they need softening a bit? You can always get the mower out and try trundling it around. Some sort of edging between soil and grass can help to delineate the two.
Just an idea, but I would allow about 50cm of planting space for the climbers then a sweeping path in front, with perhaps a few offshoots or stepping stones to get to main chunk. Something like this:
Then I would look at placing any structural plants and evergreen shrubs and work roses and perennials of varying heights around those. A tall, narrow shrub or perennial near the front sounds counterintuitive but can add dynamism to a planting scheme so don’t be afraid to play around with arrangements of plants. It’s always a good idea to set things out in their pots first and then when you think you are happy, leave it a while and come back. If you are still happy, you’ve nailed it, of not, play around again.
Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
That looks gorgeous, @PeterAberdeen. Are the winters harsh there? I think your mum is beyond lucky to have you putting in the grunt work like this as well as planning it
@PeterAberdeen What a selection of great plants you have already, plenty to work with I would have thought... I have a few Iris, and I love your Lily collection. Mine had to go due to Lily beetle but I'd like to get some back again.
I've had loads of Miscanthus but not the one you mention. Kleine Fontaine is shorter and very graceful, I thought it went well with later flowering roses when I had it. It even looks nice in the rain as the flowers cascade over just like a fountain..
I've had dwarf Pampas before - pumila. The leaves are very sharp to the touch.
Tulips I love with roses, as their foliage soon disappears. I used to grow in pots for preference. Daffodils not so much, I think they are messy and I keep them away from the base of roses.
I do think you're a bit short of evergreens for more permanent effect. See if anyone else can offer suggestions.. you're going to have fun with placements..
I sometimes use Macplants for online.. they are in East Lothian and very good.
Oh I see Nollie has offered some great advice, he's a good man to have on your side..
Having just read one of your earlier replies, the one with all your plants, I see you’ve already thought about an access path @PeterAberdeen, great minds and all that! I assume cannas and maybe dahlias aren’t fully hardy in your area? You can always lift and store dahlias or protect them in-situ but maybe consider sinking the canna pot in the ground so you can lift and store easily. I do that with a couple of tender grasses and keep an empty pot the same size to hand to slip in the vacated hole - stops the soil caving in over winter.
I’m on everyone’s side Marlorena! 😇
Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
Yes, @Nollie, great minds think alike, and all that. I was hard pruning three decades old lilacs at the back of the garden and had so much pruning and branches, that I invested in a shredder. So plenty clippings to make a path. I was going to follow the curve of the wall and also do a perpendicular to just behind the Hydrangea, all for access. But I like your idea of taking the new path 50cm in from the wall to allow for climbers. @Marlorena had the same idea too, I think. I have also kept a few old broken paving stones that I can dot about as stepping stones.
The decision has been made to remove the cut back Pieris (which was going to be used as a climbing frame for a Rose/Clematis mix. If I need to do that I can always get an obelisk in.
@Nollie, Loving the idea of the Cannas sunk in pots - makes life a lot easier. My current ones are already in pots, but nice green glazed ones, so I will transplant them in April into big terracotta ones (once the bulbs in them have finished). It will make feeding them easier too. The Dahlias I can just lift and store when the time comes.
The previous border picture is a before pic and the curve still needed to be done. I have spent all morning getting it done and picture attached (showing the Cherry tree to the left & the removal of that horrid green Dalek bin and the Goat's Beard).
@WhereAreMySecateurs, yes the winters can be very harsh, -10 degrees is quite common, but it has been known to drop to -15 to -20. What I do is cover the perennials in molehills of mulch to protect them. Although this area is a heat trap in summer if we get to -10 then it can be a bit of a frost sump if the sky is overcast.
@Marlorena, you are correct and thanks for pointing out that I Need to consider some evergreens for structural effect. Anybody got any suggestions? The Kleine Fontaine looks lovely and sounds much better than the Pampas.
BTW I forgot to mention that on the far right where the raised bed is I have planted a Hydrangea Petiolaris (on the other side of the wall - so West Facing and shaded by a garage), so that will peep over the wall and then be allowed to slightly cascade over for a bit of drama on the right.
@PeterAberdeen ... Peter.. re the cut turf, it's your best top soil, fabulous stuff, weeds and all.. out in the open it will soon soften up and can be chopped gradually, however what I recommend is, when you dig a hole place one piece of turf upside down, just like they are now, in the base, lightly chop it, then place your new rose/plant on top and back fill.
I can tell you it works wonders for roses especially. I planted up a whole new rose garden that way. Any left overs, and you'll have quite a few I expect, can be left to rot.. I also used to apply 2 pieces as a mulch around the rose - doesn't look very nice initially but with a bit of chopping it soon forms a nutrient rich mulch.. weeds are resilient but over time they will die off..
Still, do what's best for you.. I just think it's a waste not to make use of it..
Posts
First, that’s a significant depth of bed in the middle so how are you going to access plants for watering and maintenance? Some bark paths or at least stepping stones incorporated into the design would help stop you tramping and compacting the soil. If you had climbers on the back wall you need fairly close access to train and prune.
Secondly, are some of those curves a bit tight for sweeping the mower around the lawn, do they need softening a bit? You can always get the mower out and try trundling it around. Some sort of edging between soil and grass can help to delineate the two.
Just an idea, but I would allow about 50cm of planting space for the climbers then a sweeping path in front, with perhaps a few offshoots or stepping stones to get to main chunk. Something like this:
Then I would look at placing any structural plants and evergreen shrubs and work roses and perennials of varying heights around those. A tall, narrow shrub or perennial near the front sounds counterintuitive but can add dynamism to a planting scheme so don’t be afraid to play around with arrangements of plants. It’s always a good idea to set things out in their pots first and then when you think you are happy, leave it a while and come back. If you are still happy, you’ve nailed it, of not, play around again.
What a selection of great plants you have already, plenty to work with I would have thought... I have a few Iris, and I love your Lily collection. Mine had to go due to Lily beetle but I'd like to get some back again.
I've had loads of Miscanthus but not the one you mention. Kleine Fontaine is shorter and very graceful, I thought it went well with later flowering roses when I had it. It even looks nice in the rain as the flowers cascade over just like a fountain..
I've had dwarf Pampas before - pumila. The leaves are very sharp to the touch.
Tulips I love with roses, as their foliage soon disappears. I used to grow in pots for preference. Daffodils not so much, I think they are messy and I keep them away from the base of roses.
I do think you're a bit short of evergreens for more permanent effect. See if anyone else can offer suggestions.. you're going to have fun with placements..
I sometimes use Macplants for online.. they are in East Lothian and very good.
Oh I see Nollie has offered some great advice, he's a good man to have on your side..
I’m on everyone’s side Marlorena! 😇
The decision has been made to remove the cut back Pieris (which was going to be used as a climbing frame for a Rose/Clematis mix. If I need to do that I can always get an obelisk in.
@Nollie, Loving the idea of the Cannas sunk in pots - makes life a lot easier. My current ones are already in pots, but nice green glazed ones, so I will transplant them in April into big terracotta ones (once the bulbs in them have finished). It will make feeding them easier too. The Dahlias I can just lift and store when the time comes.
The previous border picture is a before pic and the curve still needed to be done. I have spent all morning getting it done and picture attached (showing the Cherry tree to the left & the removal of that horrid green Dalek bin and the Goat's Beard).
@WhereAreMySecateurs, yes the winters can be very harsh, -10 degrees is quite common, but it has been known to drop to -15 to -20. What I do is cover the perennials in molehills of mulch to protect them. Although this area is a heat trap in summer if we get to -10 then it can be a bit of a frost sump if the sky is overcast.
@Marlorena, you are correct and thanks for pointing out that I Need to consider some evergreens for structural effect. Anybody got any suggestions? The Kleine Fontaine looks lovely and sounds much better than the Pampas.
... Peter.. re the cut turf, it's your best top soil, fabulous stuff, weeds and all.. out in the open it will soon soften up and can be chopped gradually, however what I recommend is, when you dig a hole place one piece of turf upside down, just like they are now, in the base, lightly chop it, then place your new rose/plant on top and back fill.
I can tell you it works wonders for roses especially. I planted up a whole new rose garden that way. Any left overs, and you'll have quite a few I expect, can be left to rot.. I also used to apply 2 pieces as a mulch around the rose - doesn't look very nice initially but with a bit of chopping it soon forms a nutrient rich mulch.. weeds are resilient but over time they will die off..
Still, do what's best for you.. I just think it's a waste not to make use of it..