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Help and advice on plants for white border

juliehawley1967fhSAvUKdjuliehawley1967fhSAvUKd Posts: 10
in Garden design
Hi
im new here I have a border 10 m x1.2 m
i want to create a nice cottage border mainly white with pops of deep purple but I’m really struggling at what to place where
i was wondering if there is anywhere that do a planting scheme?

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Posts

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Hi @juliehawley1967fhSAvUKd - unless you have the plants already, and a good idea of what you're aiming for, you may need to seek professional help. Looking at pix in magazines or tv shows etc can sometimes be helpful. 
    However, you will get help here with it if you can give an idea of your rough location, the general climate, the aspect of the border, the soil type, and a few more bits of info. Repetition of planting is always the way to succeed too, and it's quite important to have a bit of structure or it can be very boring over winter, although that's less of a problem if, for example, you don't see it from your house, or aren't walking past it regularly.  :)

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    @juliehawley1967fhSAvUKd I am not sure I can offer alot of help  but before you go ahead ,white is a difficult colour to work with. There are pure whites/ creamy whites/ blue whites etc. A visit to a local GC might help with this, you can group together lots of whites and see what you think. Not at all impossible but needs thought to work.
    White looks lovely in shade but can sometimes look washed out in full sun. Good Luck and Welcome.
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • Butterfly66Butterfly66 Posts: 970
    Some online nurseries have planting plans such as Crocus and Hardys Cottage Plants. Obviously they are trying to sell you something but the basic detail is there to view. Even if not the “right” colours they should give you something to use as a starting point.

    Also some Garden Designers will provide planting plans. There may also be some gardening books in your local library or charity shops, which include planting plans

    Another way is to find images online of white gardens/borders you like and take time to look at how they have combined and positioned plants. The main challenge here is finding ones that reflect the size of your space. Many of the borders we might lust after are much deeper than those in our own gardens.
     If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.”—Marcus Tullius Cicero
    East facing, top of a hill clay-loam, cultivated for centuries (7 years by me). Birmingham
  • punkdocpunkdoc Posts: 15,039
    As mentioned, white is a really difficult colour to use well, can often look really stark. The best white gardens I have seen use lots of green foliage to balance everything.
    Try searching for pictures of the white garden at Sissinghurst to get ideas.
    How can you lie there and think of England
    When you don't even know who's in the team

    S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I have lots of white in my garden - it's especially good for shade, but the background is just as important - especially foliage, as the others have said.  :)
    I don't do 'cottage garden' either, which makes it much easier.
    Cottage gardens need a lot of ongoing work with staking, dividing etc. You have to have the time to attend to them, and that's also where the climate is an important factor.
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Balgay.HillBalgay.Hill Posts: 1,089
    Some ideas in this link.
    https://glendoick.com/Blue-amp-White-Garden
    Sunny Dundee
  • juliehawley1967fhSAvUKdjuliehawley1967fhSAvUKd Posts: 10
    Thankyou for your comments and help 
    I didn’t realise that white might have some difficulty so I’ll add in some purple I think 
    thankyou
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    The foliage is just as important as the flowers too  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    @juliehawley1967fhSAvUKd I agree with @Fairygirl try placing a white flowering plant in front of a shrub with dark green leaves. Purples are much easier to work with if again you group a few together that will help you.

    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • juliehawley1967fhSAvUKdjuliehawley1967fhSAvUKd Posts: 10
    Thankyou 
    it’s the placing of plants I’m struggling with trying to find a plan is hard 
    if I know a rough design then I can get plants to fit
    my border is 10 metres by 1.2 it’s quite narrow  but want it to look ok in winter too 🤦‍♀️
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