Border Design Advice

Posts

• punkdoc Posts: 15,039

  May 2023

  I would agree that your border currently lacks structure, and that 1 or 2 evergreen shrubs may be the way to go.

  How can you lie there and think of England
  When you don't even know who's in the team
  
  S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border

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• Butterfly66 Posts: 970

  May 2023

  Astrantia are also ok with shade. Allium sphaerocephalon are very happy in a shady part of my north facing border.
  Other cottage style plants happy with some shade include Alchemilla mollis, Aster diveraticus, Thalictrums, Tellima grandiflora, Dicentra, campanula persicifolia, Heuchera, Saxifraga urbinum
  
  Heuchera and the Saxifraga are evergreens.
  
  Hebes give good evergreen structure, you’d probably get more flowers from the one with more sun but they should be happy in both spots. Do check mature size though as they vary quite a lot. One of my favourites is Hebe rakaiensis which has lovely bright green foliage and a natural mound shape.
  
  You could also use some of the evergreen herbs such as Thyme, rosemary and sage. I’ve got some rosemary in a shady spot and it’s quite happy, not as big as one in sun but otherwise fine.
  
  

   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

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• Plantminded Posts: 3,580

  May 2023

  I think that side of your border needs a vertical addition @Alfie_ , narrow enough to let your rose get some direct sun but also something that will be interesting in winter.  Would you consider an ornamental grass?  Although not traditionally a cottage garden plant, I find they go well with many of the plants in your border. The one that I think would work is Panicum northwind, a narrow, columnar grass with interesting flowerheads which are retained over winter.  It does prefer full sun but I have a group of three growing happily in a border which gets mainly morning sun.  Alternatively, a flowering shrub would add more substance, perhaps Hydrangea paniculata limelight which would be happy in those conditions. This shows the grass about to flower in midsummer:
  
  
  

  Wirral. Sandy, free draining soil.
  
  
  

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• Alfie_ Posts: 456

  May 2023

  Thanks all for your suggestions. I was thinking to the left end of putting a box hedge but as one large plant as there is one in the border opposite. 

  
  

  @Plantminded I do like grasses so that’s a good idea, thanks. Your grass looks nice. I do have a Miscanthus malepartus which you actually ID for me last September! That is currently at the front of a border from previous owners so would that work on the right side if I transferred it there?
  
  @Buttercupdays some great detailed advice - thank you. I like hebes so will check those out thanks. So a box on the left and a grass, hebe and hydrangea on the right. Will that be enough for the structural shrubby elements? 

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• GardenerSuze Posts: 5,692

  May 2023 edited May 2023

  @Alfie_ I was going to suggest a grass too but you want a cottagey look, so I wasn't sure grasses were for you. I do wonder if M malepartus will be too big not easy to lift and split. . Both P Northwind and P Squaw will add leaf colour. An evergreen grass for shade is Deschampsia cespitosa [Monty planted some yesterday]  it will seed. 
  You have lots of different shaped leaves which is good but no sword shaped leaves for the summer months grasses will do this for you. There are lots of grasses for sun, some stand well through the winter.
  
  The one question that I would like to ask is do you like to look at this border in the winter?  If you feel like you are changing your mind and getting no where it is often the lack of structure that is the problem. Your Obelisk looks great it gives height and structure, a great idea for a new border which I am sure you will agree adds interest.

  I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.

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• Alfie_ Posts: 456

  May 2023 edited May 2023

  @GardenerSuze thank you. I’m not too fussed how it looks in winter. There is a smaller border opposite that always has interest because it has a large box shrub and a cherry tree:
  
  
  Currently redoing the front of this smaller border. The cherry is great as it flowers nicely then has leaves on it for quite a long while:
  
  
  
  Looking at both together you can see the larger one just looks very flat in my opinion. 
  
  

  
  

  
  

  A classic cottage garden border was what I'm after but wasn’t sure of the shrub/structural element. All the perennials and biennials I want, I’ve sorted or have planned for. Do you think a small ornamental tree would look good in the larger border?

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• Slow-worm Posts: 1,630

  May 2023

  How about an evergreen climber up the fence? Honeysuckle or clematis maybe?
  I was going to suggest a grass too, I love that grass @Plantminded, just the sort of thing I was after to fill a gap - before I got some camassias, last week! 😄
  A tall phlox would look good there, and would bush out nicely.
  Foxgloves are also an option, they're biennial so need to be mixed to come up every year - I don't know if the hybrid ones are perennial. 
  Campanula would seed itself well there too, and toadflax - both need thinning out if necessary as they'll grow though other plants, but great for the pollinators!
  How about some poppies?
  
  
  

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• GardenerSuze Posts: 5,692

  May 2023

  @Alfie_ I think you have a strong list of possible plants. You could add two more of the obelisks that will give your border height until other plants grow.  

  I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.

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