Forum home Garden design
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Suggestions for filling a small south facing border

Would love some direction 

I've got a small border which is against a low red brick wall (about 70cm high). The dimensions of border are 3 metres wide by about 60cm deep. 

I'm a total novice and early this year decided to fill the empty border with lovely spring and early summer bulbs...which looked fabulous for a few weeks.

My problem is that now it's full of dying leaves and nothing filling it out. I'm due to have my first baby at the end of August & so will have little time to maintain and will have lots (I hope) visitors So would like it to look pretty August September October. 

Mum has agreed to help me dig it over and replant....but what to buy?!

South facing garden. Love purples, whites, blues flowers.

Any suggestions of combinations you've found effective? I promise to out a before and after picture on 

Thanks 

«1

Posts

  • Dave MorganDave Morgan Posts: 3,123

    If it's well drained try Cistus, pink's whites even a yellow, lovely colour for full sun and covered in papery blooms that only last a few days, but they repeat flower and go on to the first frosts, an under rated small shrub in my opinion.

  • The user and all related content has been deleted.
  • hogweedhogweed Posts: 4,053

    With a baby due at the end of August you are going to have little or no time for the next few years so you need something that has little or no maintenance. . How about a row of lavender plants. Plant them up, cover the soil with chipped bark - job done. After the initial few waterings, you won't even have to bother too much about keeping it well watered.  A bit of a haircut in the spring and you are good to go. Your spring bulbs should come up again.

    'Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement' - Helen Keller
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,139

    Firstly, congratulations on baby - so exciting image

    Agree, cistus are lovely, trouble free and will come back year after year.  Hardy geraniums too will give you lots of colour for very little work.

    If you love purples, what about some asters (we used to call them Michaelmas Daisies).  Go for a few of the more compact shorter growing ones and they'll fill the autumn with colour 

    All of these will be perfectly happy with the bulbs growing up through them in the spring image


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • Thanks for suggestions. Really no time at all?!! Oh heck I'm in for a shock aren't it.

    next door did the lavender plants & looks neat but I envy the woman (grown up kids) across who has the cram packed border all arranged beautifully!

  • I'll look at the cistus & asters though (suppose I can start a plan of what I can do when baby is at it's grans next year!) 

     

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,139

    Well, you'll probably have more actual time while baby is very small than when he or she starts crawling and stays awake more in the daytime, but you might not have much energy if you're not getting much sleep when baby is small.

     Just make sure you don't wear yourself out - you need to save some energy for when it reaches its teens image image


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • LilyanneLilyanne Posts: 21

    Maybe you could get really friendly with your neighbours and acquire some established plants from their gardens? Most gardeners would be happy to help out and eager to pass on root cuttings of their favourite plants. 

  • The user and all related content has been deleted.
  • bekkie hughesbekkie hughes Posts: 5,294
    What about herbs? They can be so pretty and will love that spot, they need very little care and as a bonus, you wont have to worry when the little one is big enough to start puting things in his/ her mouth.

    Rosemary- bule flowers, chives- pink flowers, thyme, oregano, all are really tough and dont have much trouble from pests, if you live anywhere near me, i would be happy to divde some herbs for you.

    Best wishes with the baby, you probably wont care about the garden very soon! image
Sign In or Register to comment.