I think you're missing out if you don't plan for some winter interest, grasses are good for this as they provide interest through the summer and autumn too! I think initially select plants with a long flowering season to carry the border through the year. Then more fleeting plants like Oriental lilies, Turks Cap Lilies, which only really flower for a few weeks at best, are slotted in as little moments of interest throughout the season. There are also plants that fit between the two, e.g. Iris sibirica, which has a brief flowering period but then looks handsome enough for the rest of the season when flowering is over.
"What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour".
I want to add a bearded Iris collection to my garden but think I’ll keep these in a smaller separate bed and possibly slot annuals around for when they pass over. Maybe nicotiana and snapdragons.
Good idea. Bearded irises need their rhizomes on the surface baking in the sun. They don't do so well with other plants shading them, so make sure the annuals are far enough away.
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
Shasta daisies make good solid clumps with several varieties in white and pale yellow. Sanguisorbas are nice mixers and good fun amongst other plants or grasses. Crocosmias provide good colour and their leaves fill the space both before and after flowering while still looking good. 'Lucifer' is the tallest and earliest for me, but I prefer 'Emberglow' and 'Carmin Brillant, as Lucifer always flops over its neighbours here, unless tied so tight that it looks awful. Growing on a slope doesn't help!
Rudbeckias come in many varieties and give some solid colour but not all are hardy/perennial, so check first; some flower well into autumn like the very tall one I have, R,Laciniata. Helianthus 'Lemon Queen is another good one for later flowers. Some Heleniums flower before others so you can stretch the show and they make good blocks of colour.
Dahlias are good for autumn flowers too and come in every shade except pure blue. I use them in my borders to blend or contrast with other plants and like to mix the sizes and types like spiky or pompom too.
Veronicastrum 'Apollo' would be a great addition, tall, diaphanous and lavender blue (OK, mauve...)
Persicaria amplexicaulis should be in there somewhere, as it flowers for so long and is so easy to grow. There are white, red, orange, pink, and plum coloured versions.
I wouldn't be without Eupatorium either, it flowers fairly late but looks statuesque as it reaches its flowering stage. Eupatorium 'Little Joe' is a medium size version up to about 4ft, with good purple flushed stems; most other varieties are really big, over 6ft.
Thalictrum 'Elin' should be on your shortlist if you want height, it's very see through so doesn't need to be placed at the back. Another tall plant that can be seen through is Verbena bonariensis - and it's one of the longest flowering and most pollinator friendly plants in the garden.
"What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour".
Arley Hall in Cheshire has two stunning herbaceous borders. There's some photos and plant identities here. I'd recommend adding Lythrum and Echinops to your plan.
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not sure on crocosmia but get some smaller varieties.
Persicaria amplexicaulis should be in there somewhere, as it flowers for so long and is so easy to grow. There are white, red, orange, pink, and plum coloured versions.
I wouldn't be without Eupatorium either, it flowers fairly late but looks statuesque as it reaches its flowering stage. Eupatorium 'Little Joe' is a medium size version up to about 4ft, with good purple flushed stems; most other varieties are really big, over 6ft.
Thalictrum 'Elin' should be on your shortlist if you want height, it's very see through so doesn't need to be placed at the back. Another tall plant that can be seen through is Verbena bonariensis - and it's one of the longest flowering and most pollinator friendly plants in the garden.
Arley Hall’s Double Herbaceous Borders In Their Summer Glory – Susan Rushton