Hi Ben

15m of border is a hell of a lot of space and (therefore) a hell of a lot of plants. So if I were you, before I go to a garden centre I'd start by making a plan of what I wanted. A good border will be planned so as to have:

- a good evergreen backbone, so it looks good in winter as well

- plants for a spring display (stick in lots of tulips and other spring bulbs eg)

- plants for a summer display, carrying on as long as possible

- a careful gradation of height (lowest at front, highest at back, basically)

- interesting colour contrasts

You also need to think about watering (if this is a brand new border, so you can do what you like, I'd start by installing a leaky hose automatic watering system on a timer, so it waters itself).

Then after all that you need to think about what you like! What colours, do you like scents, do you like roses, do you like ornamental grasses, do you want to plant for pollinators, do you want it to look formal or relaxed, how much time do you have to weed etc etc.

There are loads of garden design websites out there. For example this site has a lot of "pre-designed" borders - User Posted Link (I've often bought plants from them, they are very good).

Because you're a novice gardener with a very big border to fill, if I were you I would find a local garden designer and chat to him/her about what you like and what you have in mind. They'll plan it for you and you'll probably save money in the long run.

I can't resist telling you some of my favourite plants - pittosporum Tom Thumb (round plum pudding shaped evergreen shrubs which have dark purple leaves); roses Warm Welcome, Golden Showers (stop sniggering at the back), Madame Alfred Carriere and Rambling Rector; ilex crenata balls (don't get box, the blight will kill it in the end); hornbeam stilt hedges; choisya Aztec Pearl (wonderful backbone evergreen which then flowers spectauclarly); heleniums (Sahin's Early Flowerer and Moerheim Beauty are FAB); Bishop of Llandaff dahlias (bright red beauties) ... I could go on and on and on but too many words already.

Good luck and enjoy!

Posted By: Old Git on September 21st 2019 at 10:15:50

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