Help me redo my front border - with pics !!

Hi All

Had same plants in my border since i moved in and never pruned/shaped them as i have not got a clue how to !!!

I end up re-edging my lawn thus making it smaller instead of cuting plants back..lol

They have grown a lot and some are very 'woody' and not very nice for the majority of the year.

I have seen people using electric trimmers to cut them, could i do this ?

Or shall i plant something new as i would like to do.







Cheers :gnthb:

 

Mmm, looks like you have things in the border that don't mind a good hair cut. You could do this with a hedge cutter, but I would prefer to do it with loppers and secateurs, to give a clean cut. Especially when you are going into the more woody parts of the plants.

From the house, it looks like you have a spirea (pink flowers), then some calla lilys (white flower, v.nice in my opinion), then a couple of hebe's, (one purple & one white) Then at the end a spotted laurel. Behind, it looks like you have a pyracantha perhaps, and a potentilla, and some rosemary I think.

The things at the front of the border can be taken back to where you want them within reason, and in the gaps that open up, I would plant perennials that give more interest/colour. I would to start with go for things like heuchera, ladys mantle, bergenias, and perennial gerainums, which will all give decent ground cover and some colour, without being too invasive.

Hope this Helps!

 

My sort of gardening. Grass is a pain and has to be cut all the time. From a full lawn measuring 15 x 42foot, I've reduced it to a square big enough to cut with a strimmer.

As for your border, I'd get rid of most of them and replace with perennials...but I'm biased and prefer a herbaceous border to anything else.

 

Have you got any pics of perennial border, i would rather just plant new. or a herbaceous border whatever that is lol. I basically need to know what to dig out and what to put in.

All a learning curve i suppose. Just googled all the terms so got an idea, but i see loads of different strains of the plants mentioned...

Cheers

 

Not a traditional herbaceous border as it's too narrow (the Victorians had them up to 12 foot deep) but what I have might suit your location.



This pic was taken over a month ago so it's got even bigger.

Herbaceous perennials mostly die away over winter and re-emerge in Spring, so you need a few "winter interest" plants and interspersing Spring flowering bulbs throughout always works.

 

I find this very interesting. If I was driving past the border as it is I would still think it looks rather nice, especially the beautiful lillies (jealous as hell!) but I also like Aaron's border, which is much more in line with what I have.

Personally, I would keep some of the shrubs in place at the rear, to give height and structure, and give them a good trim back. Then I would plant perennials in the front for colour and to make it your own. But I would certainly leave the lilly :wink:

Would love to know what you decide to do and how you get on.

 

The plants that I mentioned are the basic genus of plants, there are many different varieties, some that have different colour flowers, some which flower later in the year etc etc. Just select the one that either suits your conditions the most, or the one that you like the most, or the one that you find for the cheapest price (my decision maker!)


Other ideas for you could be sedum, japanese anemone, acanthus mollis, hellebore and lots and lots of summer flowering bulbs, like gladioli & aliums (like in SG photos).

Hope this Helps!

 

Little update. I have drastically cut back most of my border (and so has my neighbour). I have virtually killed off the bamboo, the hebe are cut right back to virtually nothing, just wood stems.

Do i do anything to the lilys ? Shall i cut back to the base the flower stems which are not flowering now ?

I only ask as it looks as if someone else in my street has ??

Cheers

 

I would say, just take the dead heads off, so that the leaves can produce food for next year, a bit like daffodils, as the lilies are bulbs, and need to build up energy.

The advice with peony is to give a feed of Blood Fish & Bone after it has finished flowering. Perhaps you could do the same. You may even get a second bloom, depending on the weather we get over the next month or so.

Hope this Helps!