Looking for plant ideas to cover wooden screen, and fill a bed with colour

Hello everyone. This year, for the first time, I really want to start doing some actual gardening and getting some plants going but this is very new to me, and I'm not sure which ones might be suitable.

Last year I built this wooden screen across the corner of the garden (to hide an oil tank) and put in a bed using sleepers. It's got a few plants in there currently like rosemary, but recently I've just dreamed of it being crammed full of colour, and lots of plants that are butterfly and bee friendly. I've heard the term herbaceous border mentioned, and I think that's a good inspriation looking at some photos.

Here's a photo of the area, and a really crude sketch of what's in my head. I'm looking for something to clamber all over the wooden fence, and then something large at the back of the bed.



It's a patch that gets sun pretty much all day (the sun sets behind it). The bed itself is filled with compost, but underneath that is clay soil.

I would greatly appreciate any suggestions you have. Thank you.

 

Hello Temmy, you're probably not going to like this, but to save a lot of disappointment later, it would be worth laying out a garden sheet, digging out the plants already in there and keeping them aside, covered, while you dig the bed to incorporate the underlying soil with the compost. As deep as you can! If it needs topping up, go for topsoil rather than compost. That will give your plants a good start in soil that won't dry out in summer.
As for the plants...ask yourself if you want something attractive to look at all year. Evergreen shrubs like Ceanothus, Escallonia, Euonymous or Hebe come in upright varieties and their flowers attract bees and butterflies. Lavender is a bee-magnet Clematis and Jasmine, as far as I know, aren't. Only single and semi-double climbing roses attract insects.
Herbaceous perennials, well that's down to colour preferences but I believe daisy-type flowers are supposed to attract insects.
@Perki...any suggestions?

 

Hi

nice Montana clematis

 

Its a very small space for all the things you want. Yes dig the compost into the clay like noisette has mentioned .

I am a bit stumped for something evergreen ( ideally ) - wildlife friendly and isn't going to bully its neighbours. Ceanothus would work and can be trained up the fence but the clay could be a issue digging in extra compost / grit will help if you like the look . Could try buddleia know wildlife magnet bit ugly for most of the year in my opinion , a more interesting plant would be sambucus black tower or gold tower . You could train a espalier fruit tree across the fence cherry are always a favourite for blackbirds or a obelisk variety .

Lavenders are great for wildlife but it wont take the competition of a full border without dieback so out that comes and the rosemary while you're there might as well take the little palm as well.

You are not going to get much in there with perennials so I'd stick to just 3 variety's for example ( rear )Helenium Waltruat - ( middle )salvia amethyst - ( front )geranium rozannne . All very long flowering and good for the pollinators, its a strong colour contrast which I prefer personally . Its not one of each plant 2's ideally 3's of each plant if possible

Or ( rear )Veronica longifloria marietta - ( Mid )Achillea terracotta - (front) nepeta walkers low all these can be swapped around with other colours of the same plant to get the colour you want.

Or ( rear ) Phlox any you fancy the RHS awarded one a good ones to go for - (Mid) Echinacea Magnus / other variety could change for Rudbeckia goldstrum - ( front ) Sedum any you fancy .

All these perennials I've mentioned would like the clay to be improved phlox probably isn't to bothered though, I do have some pictures of most of these plants if you want .


I'd just put a viticella clematis on the fence because I like them and very easy you are really pushing your luck to fit all these in , for Evergreen tracelospermum .

 

That's a really helpful list there @Perki . I've been wondering about trying Echinacea again, they seem to expire here at the end of the year. Is E. Magnus one that maintains some structure over winter? Do you know E. pallida which often features in Oudolf gardens?

 

Sorry for the late reply Plantminded I've been a bit busy of late . Echinacea magnus I did have for quite some time with double decker about 6years . They did tend to flop over which eventually I last my rag with so I removed them, but I am on rich loam/clay soil so they may be more upright on sandy soil. The birds particular bullfinch liked the seed heads over winter . I have tried rubinstern or fatal attraction can't remember which one it was in another garden which has proved reliable.

I do have E.pallida and it has been returning over the past 3 years , unfortunately my over enthusiasm ( over planting ) and the battle with snails its hasn't really had a proper good year I am surprised its still there, its has flowered though beautifully elegant .

I've been trying some other type over the past 2 years I like coral / apricot fading to pink ones which are proving more difficult to return. I am on rainbow sunseekers at the moment

 

I agree with @Perki's choice of helenium, salvia and geranium. That helenium flowers late summer and autumn. I think I would go for Sahin's Early Flowerer as it starts flowering early and goes on for some time. So does a short helenium "Short and Sassy". Any Salvia nemorosa should be OK if you can't find Amethyst. I had one called Blauhugel which flowered for ages and the bees loved it. Geranium Rozanne flowers for ages.

I have a few clematis viticella. They are easy as you just cut them down to about 8 - 12 inches at the end of winter and they send up new shoots which will have masses of flowers. Etoile Violette and Kermesina are good. They will need some wires across the fence to cling to.
Here they are in my garden.

 

I thought at first glance you were wanting to cover up graffiti on your screen!

Erysimum is lovely for pollinators and easy to grow. It will flower for most of the year in a sunny spot.

 

Thank you @Perki . That's very useful to know. I might give E. pallida a try.