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Should I wait till next year?

I have just dug up the front border, it was mainly heather.  The grass had taken over and was growing through the bedding and through the heather (grass was twice the height of the heather).  

My concern is that the long grass will come back, should I wait till next year before planting in the border? 

Would you start planting straight away? 

Posts

  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,384

    If you think it might be an invasive grass such as couch grass:

    https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=283

    Then unless you dug out every single piece of root it will come back.  If it is that, let it grow and spray with a glyphosate based weedkiller and let it go completely brown before removing otherwise the roots won't be killed.

    If it was just normal grasses, then you could plant up with lots of summer bedding plants which will shade out any grass growth and just weed out any which appears between them.  Keep it clear over the winter and then you can plant up with more permanent perennials and shrubs next spring.

    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • LupinmacLupinmac Posts: 16

    Thank you  bobthegardiner, 

    I looked at the link, it's not couch grass thankfully  think the lawn had take over. So if I fill it with annuals this summer it should kill off the grass? I have widend the border by double also.  

    my worry was that I would purchase perennials, and find them swamped by grass again. 

  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,384

    Yes, I'd use annuals this year as you will get a display and they will outgrow grass.  Perennials are often slow to establish which might let the grass take hold again.  When the annuals have died off at the end of the year you can just keep hoeing the area over the winter (or cover it with bark etc) which will keep the grass and weeds down until it is time to plant your perennials.  In general, the larger you can grow perennials in pots, the better they will survive when planted out so you could get some going this year and keep them in pots until next spring.

    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • LupinmacLupinmac Posts: 16

    Bobthegardener, that's so helpfull.  I have been buying perennials for pots thinking about next year, so pleased its not a daft idea. 

    One last question, any tips on annuals that would be good  width and height? its a cottage that it live in if that makes a differnece. I put asters in a bedding area and they didn't do anything. 

  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,384

    Here are some that aren't fussy and grow quickly: African daisy (Osteospurmum), Alyssum, Calendula, Candytuft, Coreopsis, Gypsophilia, Impatiens, Marigold, Mimulus, Nasturtium, Phlox. image

    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • LupinmacLupinmac Posts: 16

    Many thanks. I had never considered nasturtiums in a bedding area.  i bought some this afternoon so will put them in. X 

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