There’s a lot more to designing a border than just picking out a selection of your favourite plants and organising them roughly by size. This is the mistake I made when I was twenty one and bought my first house with a new garden. Although I planted the garden full of lovely plants, I wasn’t happy with the overall effect, and it took a few years of constant tweaking to get it to where I wanted it. If I wasn’t working in the trade (and having access to lots of lovely plants), this could well have cost me a significant amount of money in constant new purchases. Therefore, if you’re able to have your border properly designed, you will find that this will actually save you money in the long run.
You may wonder how to go about designing a border and in fact, when I stop and think about it, there’s so much to consider and so much to say, it’s difficult to know where to begin. Firstly though, it does rely on having a good knowledge of plants. The bigger your internal encyclopedia of different genus, species and varieties, the quicker and easier it is to set about the process of putting a design together.
A blend of different foliage shapes and colours, including Rosa glauca, Briza maxima, Geranium endressii and Dipsacus fullonum (teasel)
Step one must always be fact gathering. I would always need to know the factors that are going to determine the plants I will ultimately choose. Just some of the information needed includes, the size of the border, the soil type, the aspect (whether it’s sunny or shaded), whether it is sheltered or exposed, any existing trees or shrubs that may impact growth of new plants etc. etc. From this information, my internal plant list will be reduced down quite significantly to the plants that in theory should actually grow and do well in this position.
Assuming the border is of a good size with the aim being a mixed border full of seasonal interest, then step two involves beginning to make a list of potential contenders, dividing these plants into varying categories. These will include:
Key Trees & Shrubs – Considering ultimate size and shape, along with whether they are deciduous or evergreen and their flowering period. Contrasting different shapes is important too (e.g. tall and narrow or low and domed). These plants often provide the skeleton for a border, with other herbaceous plants helping to flesh it out.
The lovely bright red hips of Rosa glauca, providing a valuable food source for wildlife
Grasses & Ferns – Key foliage plants that are bold and of a decent size that will offer interest for a large part of the year, again considering whether it is evergreen and their flowering period.
Perennials (tall and mid-height) – With the key structure and bold foliage plants chosen, its then choosing the bigger of the herbaceous plants next. Most of these would sit towards the back and middle of a border. Choices will depend on different foliage colours and shapes, flower colour and flowering season, to try and ensure interest for as long as possible throughout the year.
Perennials (lower height and groundcover) – More perennial plants that will fill the front of the border, with some being dense groundcover that will form swathes of planting to help knit the border together. Again, choices will depend on foliage colours, shapes, textures and flower colour and flowering season.
Amelanchier lamarckii coming into blossom in spring with an array of different perennials starting to put on rapid growth.
Now with a list likely far longer than needed, step three is a case of going through it, eliminating what might not be needed and working out rough quantities. The key trees and shrubs, due to their size are likely to be needed in lower numbers, as are the bigger bold grasses and ferns. Although maybe planted singularly, sometimes it’s good to repeat them down a border to help it feel cohesive. The tall and mid-height perennials will more likely be in threes or fives creating impactful blocks, with lower height and groundcover perennials potentially being grouped in numbers larger than that, again maybe repeating in places down the border. Whilst doing this it’s necessary to look at the different plant’s eventual sizes, as overcrowding and planting too close together could result in a lot of plants being removed at a later date.
And finally, with the majority of the design done, it is a good idea to then look at the spaces where maybe there could be a period of time with not a lot happening (when herbaceous plants may be dormant for example). These tight areas can then be filled with varying bulbs and/or hardy annuals. Bright, bold colour is normally the order of the day with these, with some acting as nice verticals earlier on in the year.
With a lot of perennials not to their full size for the year, Myosotis sylvatica (forget-me-not) fills a lot of spaces with their vibrant blue flowers
From that brief monologue you can probably see that there is actually quite a lot to consider and think about, especially when throwing in that all plants change and can look very different in the various seasons. As I mentioned at the beginning, having a good plant knowledge is the foundation of good design. When you know and understand the props you have, it makes building the set a lot easier. So, no matter how big or small your own border or borders may be, get the most from them by having them properly designed. You will save money, as well as having a heart-warming result.
Thanks for reading,
Jacob
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