Suggestion for plants

Hi folks,

I'm finally getting round to sorting out my back garden this year (the first may have to wait till next year depending on whats left of the budget after I get the back sorted). I'm planning on growing a jasmine against the west facing wall and a honeysuckle against the east and south facing wall.

I've got a fairly large bed which is roughly 18 foot by 2 foot and is pretty much a blank canvas apart from a plum and apple tree and peony roses. I don't want to be shelling out money for lots of plants every year so I'd like to plant it with some flowering shrubs with space for annuals. I'd like plants which attract wildlife to the garden (birds, butterflies, bee's). The tree's are both at one end of the bed with an east facing wall behind them. This wall is pretty shaded but I'd like to grow a climber up it as well but something other that jasmine and honeysuckle since I'll have those elsewhere in the garden.

Lastly there is a small bed at the side of the grass and I have no idea what to plant in it as it looks a bit of a mess as it has my neighbours grass growing through the fence (its just the basic wire fencing that the council put up) and I'm forever cutting the grass from his side back to the fence. I think probably some small plants so that I can easily get in to cut back the grass.

Do any off you have any suggestions for plants I could use for the different areas?

Cheers,
Mitch

 

If the wall is shaded, a climbing hydrangea would good there - takes a while to get going, but covers well. I'd love one, but nowhere here to plant it.

Could you make the small bed somewhere for ornamental grasses or the like? Maybe cover over with colourful gravel as well?

 

If you don't want to be planting plants each year go for perennials, which will come up each year, and flower, and once cut back after flowering in the autumn/winter, then you just need to wait for them to re-appear in the spring.

If the area is shaded, you can go for things like perennial geraniums, heuchera, alchemilla (ladies mantle). These are just a few of many, but I find that these are relatively easy to grow, and you are able to divide into many plants after a year or so, giving more plants for free!

Sunnier spots, and again there are several things you can go for. Summer flowering bulbs of gladioli, iris, alliums, which you are a bit late for planting now, but you can bare in mind for next year.

Other perennials, like ornimental thistles, acanthus mollis, (bears breaches), once purchased one you can grow others from seeds that develop, as well as division. Japanese Anenomes, great for a shady spot, and has flowers later in the season.
I look for a plant stall/nursery where they sell small pots of perennials, and then you can buy more different varieties for the same price as buying a bigger plant from a garden centre, but it may take longer to get flowers or the ability to devide.
For an even cheaper way of giving instant colour for a year, sow a packet of seeds in bare patches.

Hope this Helps!