Starting out plants

Time to get started with my front garden!

The plot is about 20' wide and 8' deep, with 2 beds - front one about 6' deep, back one raised about 2'deep. I removed several mature shrubs, daisy things and daffs last autumn and have dug and raked out most of the stones.

I've planted a couple each of pseudopanax lessonii and euphobia in the corners of the front bed to provide a 'backdrop' and I also have put 2 tree poenies alongside.

I'm now looking to 'flower up' the front of the bed and wondered whether to get the DIY shop trays with flowers already in bloom, or look a little harder in the garden centres for something that will flower later. Of course I want instant results but that's not what gardening's about, is it? :confused:

Can anyone suggest something colourful and pleasing to the eye? It seems easy to just go to B&Q and load up - but will I get the satisfaction I need???

 

Hi there and welcome. There's two ways you can go with this and a combination of both.

1. Get the trays and plant annuals in cycles - so that you have colour for 9 months of the year.

2. Invest in perrennials and carefully chose them for their flowering season - bulbs for the early spring - then carefully selected others including roses and fuchsias and lavender for a long flowering season

3. A combination of 1 and 2 - i.e. a mixture of perrenials, and annuals, replacing the annuals as they go past their best.

If you do a search on the beginners section of the forum under the month followed by Garden Colour, you'll find some suggestions for each month of the year - which was set up at the start of the forum.

 

Thanks Fran. That monthly guide is a great help - you've put a lot of work in!