Border plants, geranium companion plants

KarolinaW · 25 February

Hello!

I'm planning a new, very small border. It's going to be a little wall triangle. It's east facing, has maybe 3-4h of sun in summer. Clay soil. I was thinking about Geranium psilostemon, Hostas and grasses. I would like two more plants, but no idea what to choose. My plant knowledge is very little! Ideally good for wildlife, a bit taller than the rest I mentioned, easy to look after. Could you please help me with some ideas?

Fairygirl · 25 February

Hi @KarolinaW - what sort of size is the area? Your rough location and general climate are also factors.
Verticals would work well in among your other choices. There are different varieties of that geranium, and also hostas and grasses, but if you choose smaller, lower growing ones, some more upright plants will break that up.

Kaymay · 25 February

Astrantias are good for all sorts of areas including light shade.

KarolinaW · 25 February

I live in Bristol. Size would be very roughly 180x160x120cm. Thank you:)

Fairygirl · 25 February

Foxgloves will be fine, but most of them aren't reliable perennials as such, due to their growth habit, but they'll self seed too. Easy to pull out if in the wrong place. Aquilegias will also work - there are lots of types and colours, from whites and yellows through to pink purples and reds, doubles and singles. They'll also self seed, or you can collect seed and sow them yourself for any spaces.
If the soil stays reasonably moist all year round [the planting will affect that] then you might want to try some of sibirica or ensata Irises. They're different from the usual bearded Irises, which need quite different conditions.
I grow Japanese anemones in that kind of site. Some people find them invasive, but it seems that it's more the pinks that are troublesome, and if in lighter soil. I only grow the whites, and there's several varieties - singles, semi doubles and doubles. They vary in height, but are generally around 3 to 4 feet. They flower late summer into autumn.
Polemoniums [Jacob's Ladder] will also be fine. Blues and whites for the flowers, and there's a variegated one too.
I grow Camassias in that aspect. They're mid to late spring flowering, but they need soil that doesn't dry out, so you may need to experiment a bit if your soil isn't reliably moist. Blues and whites again, and the flowers are similar to hyacinths, but bigger.
Lots of bulbs will be good - daffs in particular, and lilies for summer if there's adequate sun to prevent them leaning. The main problem with those is lily beetle, so you may have to experiment with those too.
Hope that's of some use. I grow all of those in clay soil and all are fine with that. Just make sure it's had enough organic matter added so that it's more friable and has decent enough drainage, as that will help get plants off to a good start

Plantminded · 25 February

Lythrum will give you some height, it has bright pink flowers and is a magnet for bees. I have one in a similar position. An evergreen will also give your bed some height and winter interest. Try Euphorbia characias which has lime green flowers in spring. The milky sap can be a skin irritant for some but it has never caused me a problem.

Plantminded · 25 February

This is Lythrum ‘Dropmore Purple’ it prefers moist soil like clay but grows quite happily in my sandy soil, with afternoon sun.

Plantminded · 25 February

Euphorbia in late winter with flowers forming.

KarolinaW · 25 February

Thank you @Plantminded, @Fairygirl and @Kaymay so much, this is all very helpful

Fairygirl · 26 February

I'm sure there are plenty of other plants too @KarolinaW . Any other planting or things like walls/fences will also affect choices, as that can cause shade, and rain shadows, but other planting also takes up moisture, so it's just a case of checking how dry or wet the soil is on a regular basis, and making sure the plants have the right care on planting, and then through summer in particular. You'll have gaps, but you can add a few annuals etc until the main plants get to their full size. Alternatively, some evergreen ground cover like Ajuga etc, will help keep weeds down and can easily be pulled if necessary.

It's always worth adding that organic matter as it helps enormously with clay, whether it stays wet most of the time, or dries out in summer

Border plants, geranium companion plants

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