Border or no border

Hello

We are having turf put on our new small garden. I would like a border down the right hand side and the back. My husband wants the grass to reach the fench on the right hand to have as much grass as possible.

What is best? what looks best and is still cool? are borders old fashioned now?

Thanks

 

Best is whatever is best for you. There are no rules on how you have your garden. Borders don't have to be straight either.

 

Von

Who does what in the garden you or your hubby as it sounds like it is left to him if he wants all grass .:wallbang:

Borders are back big style and mixed especialy ie shrubs , perenials , grasses etc you can make it easy or hard its all in the right plant right place .

Youre in the best place to ask for advice on here , like catztail mentioned dont have to be straight up and down and across couple of lovely curves


Spruce

 

Another man (like mine) who wants to live in a field! Put your foot down, Von. How can flowers and colour be old fashioned? And anyway, who wants to follow fashion in gardening? Your garden should be something you love.

 

I had a border and covered it in grass a few years ago, now I've reclaimed the border with some lovely shrubs which I think looks so much better.

How about a compromise - have a 90 degree border in one corner so he can have his wide lawn and you have somewhere to grow nice stuff.

 

I'd go for borders every time. I've got them on 3 sides of my lawn but every one of them consists of slow 'in and out' curves for interest.

If you want a 'coup de grass' argument (sorry couldn't resist that one!) just point out to your dearly beloved that whilst fence-to-fence grass is fine - few, if any, mowers will cut right up to a fence so he'll have to get the shears out everytime he mows, and do that last 3" to 4" by hand. If that doesn't persuade him, nothing will!

 

We probably had about 60% of our garden grass, but I made a new flower bed last week using quite a lot of the grass, and the garden looks so much bigger now... so yeah, I wouldn't go for all grass.

 

It depends how keen YOU are. Borders can certainly look great, colourful , adds dimension and structure to the garden and brings a patch of grass to life. However a neglected border can look awful as well, once its full of weeds, so if you're keen and happy to spend a couple of hours a week looking after your border then for me a garden isn't a garden unless it's got flowers in it.

Mrs Chopper

 

Talking of lawns, I ought to bring this thread to your attention.

http://gardenerscorner.co.uk/forum/muppet-show/35574-joke-us-gardeners.html