[Help] Gardeners Question Time.

[Stat Brother]

Just concrete over the whole area.


Bish bosh job done - PROPER maintenance free

 

[FamilyGuy]

Drifts of perennials and bulbs.

Agastache Blue Fortune
Echinacea purpurea
Echinacea purpurea White Swan
Persicaria bistorta Superba
Trifolium rubens
Verbena bonariensis
Monarda
Alliums

Giving loads of colour and brilliant for pollinators.

If you want a couple of shrubs, Cornus alba sibirica will give height and stunning red stems in winter.

I planted 24 small Alliums a few years ago and I now have thousands of the buggers (no exaggeration) all over my garden, they're the bane of my (gardening) life.
Nice flowers but gawd they're a pain, and they've already started coming through.

 

[Weststander]

I planted 24 small Alliums a few years ago and I now have thousands of the buggers (no exaggeration) all over my garden, they're the bane of my (gardening) life.
Nice flowers but gawd they're a pain, and they've already started coming through.

Typical of bulbs, tubers etc. The former owners of our property allowed the front garden to be taken over by Cyclamen.

 

[LamieRobertson]

Just concrete over the whole area.


Bish bosh job done - PROPER maintenance free

Would it take longer than five minutes?

 

[LamieRobertson]

I’d take the lawn back to the edge

 

[Moshe Gariani]

I wonder how much you would have to pay for that quality of advice elsewhere

Yes, incredibly well informed and generous. I hope thread followers can benefit from the concepts and detail - Premier League quality advice. Unfortunately I have once again demonstrated my own ability to do gardening at more like East Sussex Division 12(S) levels...

As the photo demonstrates I went ahead yesterday morning with what became a well intentioned but flawed “plan” of my own.

It started with my arrival at the garden centre (Hilliers in Hailsham). For future reference would I be better buying online? They didn’t seem to have ANY of the plants on my quite long list of those suggested by Jevs and Weststander...!! In the end I managed to find Cornus Sanguinea which I got two of and I think are the best things I got. Apart from that I had to choose from what they had.

A bloke there (“Jim”) was very helpful and explained which were perennial and annual plants. I ended up with 2 x Dianthus, 2 x Garden Mums, 18 x Violas, 6 x Pansies, 40 x red tulip bulbs and 5 x bulbs I’ve forgotten the name of but they are red and produce a plant with purple flowers.

To be fair to myself I am under a bit of pressure from Mrs G to deliver colour - eg inc. retaining “her” roses - but I don’t think I’ve got it at all right...

I guess I can have another go in the Spring? [emoji3]

(p.s. the label on the Dianthus says “biennial”... is that common? Seems a bit of a shame...)

 

[Jack Straw]

Yes, incredibly well informed and generous. I hope thread followers can benefit from the concepts and detail - Premier League quality advice. Unfortunately I have once again demonstrated my own ability to do gardening at more like East Sussex Division 12(S) levels...

As the photo demonstrates I went ahead yesterday morning with what became a well intentioned but flawed “plan” of my own.

It started with my arrival at the garden centre (Hilliers in Hailsham). For future reference would I be better buying online? They didn’t seem to have ANY of the plants on my quite long list of those suggested by Jevs and Weststander...!! In the end I managed to find Cornus Sanguinea which I got two of and I think are the best things I got. Apart from that I had to choose from what they had.

A bloke there (“Jim”) was very helpful and explained which were perennial and annual plants. I ended up with 2 x Dianthus, 2 x Garden Mums, 18 x Violas, 6 x Pansies, 40 x red tulip bulbs and 5 x bulbs I’ve forgotten the name of but they are red and produce a plant with purple flowers.

To be fair to myself I am under a bit of pressure from Mrs G to deliver colour - eg inc. retaining “her” roses - but I don’t think I’ve got it at all right...

I guess I can have another go in the Spring? [emoji3]

(p.s. the label on the Dianthus says “biennial”... is that common? Seems a bit of a shame...)

A biennial plant is a flowering plant that takes two seasons to complete its biological life cycle. In the first season, the plant undergoes primary growth, in which its leaves, stems, and roots develop. The second season, it flowers - then it snuffs it!
Nothing wrong with what you've done there. There's no rights or wrongs really in gardening, accept to us "Gardeners"! It's like art critics. The people who think they know what they're talking about will find things wrong with paintings which you and I would consider brilliant. Your style of planting is "Like a plant, buy it, plant it - looks lovely." Absolutely fine.
You will have some nice colour there, although some of it short-lived. No problem. For any gaps, just buy anything you like the look of, checking how big it will grow, and you will end up with a lovely border.
Please update us with photos of progress every now and then. Ta.

 

[Moshe Gariani]

Thanks again. Yes, hopefully in the Spring I can buy some nice plants to replace and improve bits.

How would you approach the “edging”? Insert something or just do it with a tool?

 

[WATFORD zero]

Typical of bulbs, tubers etc. The former owners of our property allowed the front garden to be taken over by Cyclamen.

You should have said. I've just bought a load of Cyclamen when I could have popped round the corner and nicked them from your front Garden

 

[Coldeanseagull]

The dianthus you've planted look like barbatus...sweet william, could be wrong though, they smell fantastic but alas they're done in the second year. I've had them self sow(it goes well with the 'drift' effect) but a tad unreliable.
The dark coloured mini mums have also come back year on year for me, but do need a haircut to keep them bushy.
The edging I would move the soil away from the grass, just a little bit to give the look of the grass being higher than the flower bed and use edging shears to give a neat edge. This is quite therapeutic on a nice day.
I've also been instructed to have more flowers. I've planted up begonia and pelargonium to appease swmbo, with pansies for winter colour. With more plants and less soil showing, you'll find cats will not use it as a toilet as well.

 

[Weststander]

You should have said. I've just bought a load of Cyclamen when I could have popped round the corner and nicked them from your front Garden

Should've sent your Head Gardener round.

 

[WATFORD zero]

Should've sent your Head Gardener round.

She would have taken a look and instructed her labourer to do it, so I still wouldn't have got out of it

 

[Stat Brother]

You twitchin freaks and geeks would love a piece of what Stat's got cookin.


With the exception of some mini daff bulbs, I have a whole clean border of seemingly decent top soil and absolutely no plans (beyond Chris' poppy patch)

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Weststander and Jevs' schemes and ideas are very nice.
Another option would be to go with low growing evergreen shrubs. This would be virtually maintenance free and look good all year round.
The first job is to transplant elsewhere or just get rid of the few existing plants. Leaving them in would detract from the new planting. A blank canvass in this case will give a better end result.
Going by the photo, it looks like the area is about 6 x 1 meter? On that basis, my suggested plant list is;
3 Phormium "Jester". Plant one right in the middle of the bed and one either end 2 m from the ends.
Then groups of 3 of the following, planted randomly, i.e. informally, not like a chessboard.
Berberis × stenophylla 'Corallina Compacta'
Convulvulus x cneorum
Bergenia cordifolia
Euonymous fortunei "Emerald 'n Gold"
Sarcococca hookeriana "Humilis"
Lavandula angustifolia "Munstead"
Nandina domestica "Seika"
This collection will give you ground cover, hence very little maintenance once established, with different leaf forms and colour all year round.
After you've planted your preferred choice of plants, water them in and cover the bed with a 50mm layer of bark mulch - NOT woodchips.
I have bought from here before. Not cheap, not dear, but good quality. https://www.crocus.co.uk/plants/
When you get round to buying whatever plants you need, you may not get all the varieties you want. It is very important that if you need a different variety of a plant, you check its growing height. Eg, some Phormiums grow to 1 m like the one I have listed, but other varieties will grow at least double that, which in your case would be too big for the area and scheme.
On the Crocus website above, they have a diagram for each plant with the eventual height and spread measurements which are invaluable.
Please update progress reports on here with this project (we like photos), and we're all here to answer any more questions.

I have some blackcurrant plants that refuse to produce fruit whatever I do with them - prune them, not prune them, mulch, water..... nothing.
Therefore I am thinking of getting rid and replacing with something more attractive.
When is the best time to buy on line, as I assume winter is not the best time to plant. I am thinking of hardy perennials, up to 1m high (could be a lot lower), colourful, bee and bird friendly, deciduous as I have spring bulbs in there somewhere, south facing, about 3x2 metre patch, sunny but have to compete with small plum tree so maybe light shade, and it can snow in winter.
Problem with your favourite website is too much potential choice.

 

[Jack Straw]

I have some blackcurrant plants that refuse to produce fruit whatever I do with them - prune them, not prune them, mulch, water..... nothing.
Therefore I am thinking of getting rid and replacing with something more attractive.
When is the best time to buy on line, as I assume winter is not the best time to plant. I am thinking of hardy perennials, up to 1m high (could be a lot lower), colourful, bee and bird friendly, deciduous as I have spring bulbs in there somewhere, south facing, about 3x2 metre patch, sunny but have to compete with small plum tree so maybe light shade, and it can snow in winter.
Problem with your favourite website is too much potential choice.

March is the best time to order and plant herbaceous perennials. Below is a list of plants I planted last March for a butterfly/bee friendly garden I've built for a friend. Plants with HP on my list are what you want. The others are S for shrubs and G for grass.
I wouldn't bother with Agapanthus or Begenias on my list. I would suggest you get 6 lots of 3 different types of herbaceous perennials making 18 plants in total. They will look a bit sparce after planting, but if you water like buggery in the first year, they'll romp.
If you go for the Erysimum (Everlasting Wallflower), you would only need one, as they do get quite big, albeit not very long lived, but fantastic for insects.
A photo of the area you intend to plant would be useful. I don't think the Plum tree will be give too much shade?

 

[Stat Brother]

With the exception of some mini daff bulbs, I have a whole clean border of seemingly decent top soil and absolutely no plans (beyond Chris' poppy patch)

View attachment 130238

I've just completed my first shop for this border.
Since that photo I've had to change phones, so fingers crossed for better quality this year.



Our gardening experts created this collection for those who want maximum effect for minimum effort - no brainer.
Heliopsis, Chrysanthemum Max, Echinacea purpurea, Linum perenne, Achillea cerise, Nepeta, Heuchera Mixed and Sedum kamtschaticum


Weigela Unusual Collection


Backdrop to Chris' poppy patch.


Buddleia weyeriana 'Sungold'


Plus some free Lupins' as I unknowingly spent 41p over the £50 threshold.

 

[albionalbino]

I've just completed my first shop for this border.
Since that photo I've had to change phones, so fingers crossed for better quality this year.

Will that provide enough height?

I had a similar border when I moved into my house 4 years ago, planted a "flowery" assortment but not satisfied with what's going on 20" above ground level.
I went to the garden centre yesterday and bought 6 hedge/bush evergreens to plump up the expanse of exposed fence I still had on show.
Planning to widen the beds and plant shorter and brighter in front.

 

[vegster]

I've just completed my first shop for this border.
Since that photo I've had to change phones, so fingers crossed for better quality this year.


View attachment 134434
Our gardening experts created this collection for those who want maximum effect for minimum effort - no brainer.
Heliopsis, Chrysanthemum Max, Echinacea purpurea, Linum perenne, Achillea cerise, Nepeta, Heuchera Mixed and Sedum kamtschaticum

View attachment 134435
Weigela Unusual Collection

View attachment 134436
Backdrop to Chris' poppy patch.

View attachment 134438
Buddleia weyeriana 'Sungold'

View attachment 134439
Plus some free Lupins' as I unknowingly spent 41p over the £50 threshold.

Which way does the border face? If its South or West I would deffo bung a couple of Tomato plants in there. You won't regret it.

 

[WATFORD zero]

Which way does the border face? If its South or West I would deffo bung a couple of Tomato plants in there. You won't regret it.

Certainly living up to your username. I always thought of Stat as being more bright and flash bloomers

 

[Weststander]

I've just completed my first shop for this border.
Since that photo I've had to change phones, so fingers crossed for better quality this year.


View attachment 134434
Our gardening experts created this collection for those who want maximum effect for minimum effort - no brainer.
Heliopsis, Chrysanthemum Max, Echinacea purpurea, Linum perenne, Achillea cerise, Nepeta, Heuchera Mixed and Sedum kamtschaticum

View attachment 134435
Weigela Unusual Collection

View attachment 134436
Backdrop to Chris' poppy patch.

View attachment 134438
Buddleia weyeriana 'Sungold'

View attachment 134439
Plus some free Lupins' as I unknowingly spent 41p over the £50 threshold.

Great choices with the Echinacea, Nepeta and Achillea - pollinator magnets.

If you gave space elsewhere, through trial and error I’ve also found that Agastache blue fortune and Lavendula x intermedia gros bleu are both incredible for attracting wildlife as well as giving colour.