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FREE ONLINE HOME GARDEN DESIGN COURSE |
PART ONE: DRAWING UP A WISHLIST
BORDERS AND PLANTING
In small urban gardens, you can often do without borders in favour of containers but, a garden really isn't a garden without borders to soften it. You can create a style for your garden by your choice of plants. Deep borders are best and you should introduce curves if possible.
Mixed borders
This is the most common type of border and includes shrubs, herbaceous perennials, bulbs, annuals and even small trees. Mixed borders are designed so that they accomodate all seasons and there should be interest somewhere in the border at any time of the year.
A well-designed mixed border will have varying heights, foliage colours, flower colours and leaf shapes. It requires a certain amount of planning to get it right the first time but you can always remove or move any mistakes you make.
Herbaceous border
As the name suggests, this type of border uses herbaceous perennial planting only and will be of interest from around May to October.
Long herbaceous borders look fantastic in full bloom but their obvious disadvantage is that, for some of the year, there will be little interest.
Gravel borders
Gravel borders allow you to plant your plants further apart because you are mulching with gravel in between to block out weeds. This can really show off specimen plants.
You can also grow the kind of plants which like drier climates in a gravel border and, if you choose a light-coloured gravel then you optimise the sunlight available to the plants by using the gravel to bounce the sunlight back onto the plants.
Raised beds
Raised beds should be incorporated into your design if you find it difficult to bend down to ground level.
Depending on the material you use to build them, they can be a very effective feature and look particularly good when you plant the edges with plants which will fall over the sides.
Vegetable plot
If you want to grow your own fruit,vegetables and herbs, you will need a decent-sized border for this and locate it in full sun if possible.
Rock gardens
Rock gardens are great for sloping sites and, for the best results it is better to use the biggest rocks you can get hold of. Small to medium sized, spreading plants are more suited to rock gardens.
On a level site, rock gardens can look a little contrived.
Bog gardens and water gardens
Bog gardens are usually found in the area immediately surrounding a pond. Plants grown here will like a poor-drained soil.
Water gardens are created within the pond itself and on its margins. Your choice of plants will depend on the depth of water and whether the water is still or not.
Alpine gardens
Alpine gardens recreate the conditions found on high mountain sides where the plants are low-growing and with shallow root systems.
Typically alpine plants will also have small leaves and a spreading habit.
Trees and shrubs
Trees and shrubs add instant height and character to a garden but you will have to wait a few years for most trees and shrubs to get established.
Choose small trees with good autumn colour for maximum benefit and always check the eventual height and spread of the tree or shrub before planting.
If you are lucky enough to have established trees and shrubs you should try to retain as many as you can so that your new garden will have instant maturity.
Containers
Containers are great for decorating patios and decks and, if you have a small garden can allow you to make room for a lot more plants.
OTHER WISH LIST ELEMENTS
