Help with my first garden project?

Antony Hayward · May 2015

I want to do two beds either side of a bay window so they are partly shady and I want to have blue hydrandea's as the centre piece can you help me with what perennials I can plant in front of the hydrandea's so I can have extra coulor through the year, is there any ever greens that flower that would work? I was thinking of gaultheria procumbens and the some low flowering perennials for spring and winter?

Loxley · May 2015

There's a wealth of options really! Thinking of a long season of interest, Geranium Rozanne or one of its sports, such as Orion, would work well with your Hydrangeas and flower from early summer to autumn. Not evergreen but under plant with small bulbs (dwarf narcissi, Iris reticulata) to extend the season. Long flowering Geraniyupm Anne Thomson, with magenta flowers, might look nice planted at the back, scrambling through the other plants and retreating to a compact root stock in winter. Astrantia 'Claret' may look good there. Geranium maccorhizum isn't as floriforous but has evergreen foliage.

I'm a fan of clipped box (balls, pillars, or a low hedge) for year round presence and structure.

True evergreen perennials that would suit the spot would include Epimediums, Liriope muscari, and grasses Luzula nivea and Carex Evergold. Hellebores are evergreen and give late winter interest, my favourites are the green flowered types.

Gaultheria is OK if you have soil that's on the neutral-acid side, with plenty of humus. There are more interesting things to plant in those conditions though, imo. (I'd see it more as a ground cover plant).

punkdoc · May 2015

You will only get blue Hydrangeas if you have an acid soil, so you need to check the soil pH.

Help with my first garden project?

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