New Herbaceous Border

Hi Everyone,

This is the year I am finally going to get around to creating a large herbaceous border. I have an area that is currently lawn that I am going to turn into this border. The area in question is approx. 8m long and I am going to make the border about 2m deep. The border will face south and is in sun most of the day, there is a young hedge behind it, and the soil is drained peat. I will be removing the turf and digging in some organic matter.
I would love to see some pics from anyone who has a similar border. and would love suggestions of your favourite plants that you couldn't be without.

Also I have read that people put maintenance paths through a deep border like this, Has anyone done this and how did you go about it, How big is the path, how far bac, what surface etc.

I am hoping to keep a journal of sorts on this thread.

Thank you,

Tommy

 

The last time I had a wide border I made a path with pebbles just slightly wider than me. (The path, not the pebbles!) Once the plants had grown, it couldn't be seen.

 

Thanks @LauraRoslin

 

I was in homestore today and they had some summer bulbs and perrinials. Got them all potted up in the greenhouse. Tree Lily’s, asiatic Lily’s, red hot pokers, nerines, and dahlias. Should be a good start. Have 4 thujias too for a backbone and plenty of divisions from last year. Now hopefully the weather will improve so I can start digging.

 

I've mostly herbaceous borders, bulbs are normally the plants what go in last otherwise you tend to chop them up like me . I would mix the shrubs ( thuja ) up if it were me, 4 plants the extact same will look quite formal especially if they are pruned the same, unless that's the look you are going for, look nice in winter , I think plants with more texture / shape / colour like cotinus - phycarpous - ilex - berbies - yew - grasses - sambucus - mahonia plus many more . I wish I had more structure for my borders but place is lacking ( I need a bigger garden )

I never come across a garden on peat before , are you sure it all peat like a old peat bog ?

Some of my favourite herbaceous perennials - Heleniums - Rudbeckia - Veronicastrum - Delphiniums - Lupins - Ligularia - Geraniums - Phlox - Lobelia - Nepeta - sedum - papaver - thalthrums - monarda - kniphofia - hellebores - primula - geum - actea and many many more. I adore alliums so wouldn't be without them, I use snowdrops / crocus and other spring bulbs for a bit of colour late winter before the perennials get going. I like to add sharp sand when planting expensive bulbs ( nerines need extremely good drainage and they make take a year to settled in ) I do add dahlia's and hard annuals like ammi to fill gaps. I like crown imperial fritillaria as well trying some persica one this year.

I don't have much luck with bare root plants they tend to take a while to settle in, I don't think they aare worth the money to be honest. Depending on budget 2-3 litre plants are best but plants bought in 9cm pot potted on can get quite large quick during spring or you can split larger plants, if you want spring/late spring colour from like lupins - delphiniums you want the larger plants to nearly guarantee flowers unless the slugs get them .

some pictures of my borders last year Spring - Autumn dates are on pic. . If you need some plants ID and exact variety's just ask. long border about 1.5m wide

Spring - Boring not much going on but for some daffs - tulips and other bits and bobs, Hence my reason earlier about wanting more structure. It were a slow start last year it were still snowing in april


Crown Imperial Fritillaria


Allium Globemaster what a beauty huge flower heads


Spring / late spring flowers are more a less finished now , early summer - summer plants time to shine
Continued

 

Ignore the lawn I was redoing it .








Couldn't get anymore pictures I ripped the lawn up which prevented me taking later ones.

 

Some gorgeous plants there, Perki. And it's amazing how much difference those 2 - 3 weeks from the end of April to the middle of May can make.

 

Wow Perki, Wow is all I can say, You have an absolutely Beautiful Garden,
You have really inspired me. And some great advice. I love the changes through the seasons, I really must start taking pictures of my Garden throughout the year, It is a great reminder of what works and where everything is planted during the Winter Months.
As for the Peat Garden yes its pure Peat, I live in the West of Ireland and the area is an old Peat bog, with grey gleys approximately 1 foot down, I drained the area for this border early last year and it has worked well to dry the area out, I have to start digging soon, and add some soil amendments.
Thank you again for your brilliant posts.

 

Just had some seeds delivered today.
Coleus
Sunflowers
nasturtiums
African Marigolds
French Marigolds
Nigella
scabious
Rudbeckia Goldilocks
castor oil red, and green
miss willmots ghost
Cosmos
Callendula

and some Cannas,

Just thinking that the annuals would be handy this year for filling in some gaps while the perennials are growing in

next few weeks will be busy sowing

 

Hi @TMAK thanks for the nice comments some of the seeds you have pricked are excellent choices, I give up to planting A/french marigolds in the garden they soon disappear with slugs. Eryngium Miss Willmots Ghost is a Biennial so no flowers this year, I believe they prefer / need cold stratify ( cold spell ) the rest are good picks try not to sow Cosmos to early late march at the earliest they tend to get leggy.

How are you going to amend the peat ? add top soil . I use peat based compost and when that drys out it very difficult to wet again it that the same as your garden ?

 

fortunately it never gets the chance to fully dry out, it hold the moisture brilliantly in its current state we had over a month with no rain last summer and the lawn stayed perfectly green, I plan on adding some grit and rotted manure ,just to open the soil up a little, The way it is now is very compact, it should be Ok with that. I have done it on some smaller borders so heres hoping

 

This is the only pic I could find on my phone taken in late may 2018 I think I plan on putting the border at the end where the brown fence is

 

Well the border id dug, So the hard work is done, Just said I would put up a few pics of the progress so far . The little helper wasn't long abandoning me !!!

 

I am looking forward to this @TMAK

 

Share your love of those plants Perki Excellent looking planting