Just a view in my garden

I have just had a very nice PM from Louise, admiring the picture above that was shown on another thread, and asking for some more details of what I had done and what plants I had used. So I thought I would reply via this thread and make it open to general discussion.

The picture was lucky in that it caught my front garden at a good moment. But some flowers don't last long. However, I have been interested in the principle of trying to keep the garden looking good for as long as possible, and taken inspiration from Christopher Lloyd, who used to write on this subject.

The principles that I have tried to apply are :-

1) Lots of colour. I am only aiming for colour over the summer months, when I am in the garden. And not for the winter when I am inside.

2) Have a colour theme. In my case I have tried to stick to pinks, purple and blue omitting yellows and sharp reds. However it gets boring and a bit sickly if its all the same, so occasionally I like a bit of hot colour for contrast.

3) Big and bold. I like to have decent sized clumps to make an impact. Small individual plants tend to get lost. In fact there is a lot to be said for going over the top at every opportunity. Too many plants (you always want spares), and planted too close. And I over feed my pots - but only when I remember. :D

3) Good long flowering plants. I feel this is the single most important aspect - value for money. I have a few Irises. They are lovely, but only flower for 2 weeks. By contrast Centranthus ruber can flower for 20 weeks or more. If you can fill your garden with lots of long flowering plants you are guaranteed a lot of colour. I tend to keep a record of when plants are in flower, so get a fair idea of what flowers for a long time. I have learnt a lot about what is good and what is not from here http://www.cgf.net/plants.php . Bob Brown is a Chelsea gold medalist, who knows his plants. As an ex school master he rates them on a scale of 1 to 10. I would always go for a variety he marks highly.

4) Biennial/tender perennial shift system. This is a Christopher Lloyd suggestion. He would grow lots of biennials including Lupins, which he treated as a a biennial. They can be grown in pots and then bedded out in late autumn. They will flower early the next year after which they can be lifted and replaced by plants that flower late. Plants such as tender annuals - Cosmos, Cleome and Tithonia, or tender perennials such as Dahlias, Cannas and different Salvias.



I don't bother with winter. The garden starts in spring. The picture above was taken in April with mostly Primula, bulbs, Arabis and Bellis - though the last two have not been very perennial for me. At Christopher Lloyd's suggestion I use few Tulips and no Daffodils as their foliage takes too long to die down. All the plants above get smothered by the later foliage, but they don't seem to mind.

The picture at the top shows purple Hesperis at the back (a biennial - my own seed) with red Centhranthus ruber (long flowering perennial - cut it back when it has finished flowering and it will be flowering again after about 3 weeks). There are Lupins (from my own seed and treated as a biennial) and a pink perennial Poppy ('Coral Reef' from seed). When the Hesperis and lupins are over they will be replaced by late flowering things.



This picture, taken today, shows two 'good plants'. They are the red Centranthus and the pink mound of hardy geranium 'Patricia'. I got the name Patricia from Bob Brown's site. It has been voted the best Geranium along with 'Rozanne' another superb one in blue by an American specialist geranium forum and both will flower from now until September or even October. The blue one at the front is Campanula poscharskyana, another very long flowering plant. At the back, in the middle, is a catmint Nepeta transcaucasica 'Blue Infinity' also very long flowering. The joy of this one is that it doesn't flop like most catmints. You can just see some white campanula perscifolia and Allium 'Mt Everest'.



Another view of the Geranium, Nepeta and Centranthus.



The little blue Campanula, with the remnants of yellow wallflowers, and couple of half hidden Heuchera. Their foliage will come into play later as the Campanula dies back.



This side show some of the plants that haven't started to flower yet. Back left to right Eupatorium purpureum (5 to 6 feet), Helenium 'Moerheim Beauty', and Sidalcea (one of the few plants that is not long flowering - but it is lovely). Next row Lychnis coronaria (another biennial), Erigeron, a floppy catmint and Francoa sonchifolia with tall spikes that will flower later.



A biennial favorite Salvia sclarea. Again its long flowering as the colour comes from the bracts rather than the flowers. In the same way as the Euphorbia griffithi 'Fireglow' behind.



When the plants in the border are looking good, you shouldn't be thinking about them but about what's ready to flower next. Here we have Salvia leucantha (bottom left). This is a most beautiful plant and once it has started to flower, which will be soon, it will continue until after the first frosts. In the centre there is Atriplex hortensis, an annual that will grow to six feet. Its a tall and thin foliage plant. And on the right Verbena 'Homestead Purple', which will weave its way through other plants.

A final thought. At the end of the year you should interview each plant and ask it if it has pulled its weight and deserves a place in the team. If not - 'you're fired'.

 

Just wonderful, PeterS. Just wonderful. Be proud and enjoy. Love it, love it, love it !

 

That looks superb Peter. A lot of work has gone into, that I bet.

Appraisals for plants.

That sounds like a good idea.

I've given a few "The Gypsy's Warning" already.

 

Wonderful, just wonderful Peter. You should be beaming every day. Great Job.

 

You must have some good quality Yorkshire Dirt there Peter.
Looking really grand.

 

Peter that's really inspiring, and very useful!

I have the two hardy geraniums you mention - but they're now starting to go to seed. How do you keep it flowering?

I have just got an old Christopher Lloyd book about flowers at Great Dixter, on your recommendation! It is inspiring.

 

You should be very proud of your garden. It looks great.

I particularly like your last comment...one I might adopt here!

 

Simply amazing Peter ....Well done.
I have always enjoyed your gardening philosophy,and the way you have researched your subject.
It a lesson to us all and thank you for sharing your work with us. :thku:

 

Thank you very much, Peter. I like your cranesbill 'Patricia'. Might have a go with that one myself. Maybe we should have a thread which names and shames the Wayne Rooneys of the plant world - under-performing, over-priced and pug-ugly.

 

:D What a great line Clare,It mad me chuckle :cl-p:

 

That looks just perfect peterS So well planned but it looks so natural. Gorgeous :luv:

 

That's a good idea Clara! I am fed up with under performers in the garden.

Peter, you've given me some inspiration - my borders can look a bit too 'green' at times and I think it's because instead of going for overplanting with only a few plants, I've bought lots and lots of different plants, so most of them get lost in the general planting. Good for the cottage garden scheme, not so good for the 'wow' effect. With this in mind, I've already made a list of those plants that need lifting and planting together so they can be appreciated 'en masse'.