Front Garden Redesign Project

Discussion in 'Gardening Discussions' started by Perki, Oct 5, 2021.

  1. Perki

    Perki Total Gardener

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    I've been thinking about it most of the year about ripping up the small front lawn and planting the entire bed up . I've been working on a plan mentally for months and over the past few nights on paper ( I've got to much time on my hands with this weather ), the idea I am going for is English garden meets the prairie , I like prairie planting and particular Piet Oudolf work . I don't want to part with some plants you wouldn't see in a prairie like roses / bearded Iris / lavender and various other plants that are more commonly seen in a English cottage garden .

    Garden today in this dismal weather
    DSC0.jpg

    DSC1.jpg

    The garden only viewed from the front window and walking up the path on the left . Its also south facing

    The plan so far .. Probably have far to many varieties of plants I am being far to greedy . I've left the bottom right I am still think about it I'd like to grow some Eremus or I've got some agapanthus or carry on with the stachys / other. I already have most of the plants on the plan
    Front Paint.jpg
    I am still considering on some plants they are kind of in because I haven't got anywhere else to go with them. Some I am still thinking on which variety like Miscanthus want something 5-6ft ideally white / silver flowers but not fussed with good autumn foliage with strong stems for winter interest considering ferner osten - flamingo - Kleine varieties open to suggestions . Can't make my mind up with the salvia either Amethyst or maybe one of the verticillata which I've been very impressed with . Some plants near the window may still get juggled around . Unsure on the eryngium I've seen a river of eryngium before which looked really effective , I've already got Neptune gold but may change to Big blue / other or take them out entirely.

    Lots of Alliums to add ( universe - firmament - purple rain and any other allium I can't resist buying ) and maybe Fritillaria persica / alba .

    Any suggestions / queries welcome :)
     
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    • Nikolaos

      Nikolaos Total Gardener

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      I love the concept and choice of plants! :imphrt: That's similar to what I'm aiming for but I hate grasses and am getting rid of all my roses, so it's sort of prairie planting minus grasses! :biggrin: Agree that eryngium can be awkward to incorporate into a scheme, you either need a few different ones (3-5) or the same number of identical species/cultivar IMO. I think Neptune's Gold is interesting enough in terms of colouring to just go uniform and have more plants, TBH. :dunno: But isn't Big Blue a much longer flowerer?

      For salvias, I've allowed the moths to pick my Holy Trinity by going with what they've fed on (:biggrin:), African Sky, Icing Sugar and Nachtvlinder, Icing Sugar is a new one to me but seems like a good performer and I'm putting Amethyst Lips in a completely different place, I really think the mix of single and bicolour in the same border is rather jarring, doesn't sit right with me at all!

      Nick
       
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        Last edited: Oct 5, 2021
      • Perki

        Perki Total Gardener

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        Yes I am a bit on the fence with eryngiums , NGold does have the added interest of the foliage and I will have to plant quite a lot 7 + maybe . But I do like Big blue it flowers slightly later I think it flowers longer but unsure but it has far better intense blue stems and the flowers are probably big and better to . I have planted some in my mum garden so I have to go and have a nosy how they are doing .

        I visited a garden a while back and I was quite taken with the eryngiums flowing through this bed.
        DSC00010.JPG



        I am looking at Salvia nemorosa Amethyst its very similar to Carrodonna but more pink .

        I used to say that - I hate grasses - no look what happened :heehee: you'll come round to ;)
         
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        • Nikolaos

          Nikolaos Total Gardener

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          Bed? BED? That's not a bloomin' bed, that's a patch of overgrown land that needs a petrol strimmer going over it a few times! :roflol:

          I do agree that eryngiums look incredible in a drift, tho. :)

          That's a much nicer nemorosa than 'Caradonna' Perki, lovely colour but it's a species I find less and less interesting, great in drifts or groups but poor specimen salvias IMO! :dunno:

          Nick
           
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          • Perki

            Perki Total Gardener

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            I do like salvia carrodonna but not as much as I used to do, used to be a crazy about them a while back probably due to Chelsea flower show .
             
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            • Perki

              Perki Total Gardener

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              I've been tinkering over the past week moving plants round etc I've more a less done a full circle and gone back to something similar to my original idea I seem fairly pleased with it for now . I've decided on Salvia Amethyst and Salvia Purple Rain ( tempted with hannays blue ) . I may dot some kniphofia mango through the border to try and break up the pink , I don't particularly like pink yet I've made a border full of it. And I'll probably go with Miscanthus Ferner Osten , I do have Miscanthus Memory in the back garden which hasn't do much yet its the perfect colour but probably to large maybe I'll relent .
              Front Paint 2.jpg

              I've placed pots out to see if it will fit ,quantity of plants needed and it makes it easier to change things. DSC_0550.JPG

              Today while it stop raining for a while I've tidied up the pots before they blow away and removed any remaining plants except for the rose and the odd aquilegia . Got into a bit of a roll no rain yet so got the little rotavator / tiller out and went over the area where the lawn were and spread the soil around to even the surface.
              Look at that black gold soil :wub2:
              DSC02633.JPG

              Best start to look at ordering some plants :) I'll probably go with Claire Austin at the moment but I'll have a look around . Not sure on the bank account balance though :thud: . I desperately want something with winter interest in the top left corner, I did fancy a Daphne Jacqueline postill but I fear it will fail and come at a financial cost with how much daphnes cost .
               
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              • Sheal

                Sheal Total Gardener

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                I'm jealous, don't think I'll ever have soil like that Perki. :thumbsup:
                 
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                • Michael Hewett

                  Michael Hewett Total Gardener

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                  I like the idea of getting rid of the lawn, it would be more interesting and a small lawn like that seems pointless. I wonder though if all those plants wouldn't look a bit too much in one unbroken mass, and was wondering if you had considered a little path going between them to break them up so to speak, and so that you could reach the furthest away from the path if needed, or for weeding, without maybe stepping on some or at least breaking them ...
                  A prairie garden sounds nice, I like grasses, I think they look pleasing especially in the summer and if it is south facing they would probably do well.
                   
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                  • Perki

                    Perki Total Gardener

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                    Thought about a path but I think it will spoil the look I am after, I do want it to be a mass of plants and colour flowing a bit like a oil painting in a way . I plant densely to suppress weeds I hardly weed in the back garden but for the old willow herb which can grow above the canopy, I can reach over from 3 sides with an hoe but will tip toe through the bed if I have to I am light on my feet .

                    I am changing Geranium Dragon heart for Orion just to try and de pink it slightly and orion a longer flowering plant .

                    Hoping to go Garden centre tomorrow or Saturaday and pick up some perovskia , I know they is some salvia amethyst in the sale section they just not at a sale price yet .
                     
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                    • Michael Hewett

                      Michael Hewett Total Gardener

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                      Yes I understand what you mean ...
                       
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                      • Loofah

                        Loofah Admin Staff Member

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                        Gosh you're organised! Could you throw in a statue perhaps as a break from the dense planting?
                         
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                        • Perki

                          Perki Total Gardener

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                          Its the only thing I am organised in everything else is a mess .

                          I 'am not one for statues they just taking up planting space . This is the sort of look I am leaning towards this is Hauser & Wirth in Somerset
                          Hauser.jpg

                          The plants drift and sway through the border, I am just trying it on a much smaller scale with probably more variety's of plants ( for the space ) and with less grasses with some traditional English cottage garden plants like roses / lavender / iris and others.
                           
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                          • Loofah

                            Loofah Admin Staff Member

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                            I'm looking forward to seeing the outcome :)
                             
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                            • Sheal

                              Sheal Total Gardener

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                              I like that Perki. :thumbsup: Will you come and do my garden when you're finished please? :)
                               
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                              • Perki

                                Perki Total Gardener

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                                I've planted nearly all the perennials over the past couple of days, except for the monarda Raspberry Wine which I'll keep under cover over winter and the pennisetum Fairy tails , still need to purchase a miscanthus next spring. I've been shuffling the plants around again, took some out phlox nicky for now but may plant it on the bottom right side and took out the stachys . Swapped Salvia Verticillata purple rain for Salvia.V. smouldering torches which is very similar to purple rain but slight darker and taller .

                                I ended up buying the plants from Swines Meadows Nursery and Bressingham Nursery pleased with both sets of plants

                                I had the ramps out so I didn't trod on the bed to much while moving the plants around for the umpteenth time .
                                DSC_0560.JPG

                                This is the plan I ended up with , the plants are in now so I'll be unlikely be moving any till next autumn ;)
                                Front Paint 3.jpg

                                Bulb planting next still waiting for my order from Farmer Gracy
                                 
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