365 days of Interest in the Garden – Create Better Borders, Embracing Seasonal Change

Cottage Garden Borders

Disappointed with the performance of your borders?  It is important to note that the pictures you see online or in magazines are often gardens in their prime. Nature isn’t full and blousy all the time. But with careful consideration, you can create beautiful borders 365 days of the year utilising the beauty of each season. With a little know-how, you too can achieve these picture-worthy borders and breathe life back into your borders.

Make A Plan

The first beneficial step is to write down on paper a word to describe how you want your border to feel – ‘hot,’ ‘bold,’ ‘romantic’ – it’s to keep you focused on the final look. Measure the area, mark all existing plants and the ones you want to leave in their present position. If you plan to alter the border’s shape or size, now’s a good time to draw up any changes. Take note of where the sun rises and sets at all times of the year as this will help you ensure sun-loving plants get the sun they need, and shady spots are filled with plants that will thrive.

Pick Your Plants

The best tip is to plan for the future. Plan the spacing right for the overall mature size of the plants you choose. Larger plants at the back, centrally as a feature, smaller plants at the front. It’s all about layering. Don’t get distracted in the Garden Centre -Try not to pick random plants just because they look good now, stick to your long term plan. Consider how each plant will look during the different seasons. Create an excel spreadsheet with all 12 months of the year along the top and all the plants down the side and next to each one, fill in the months it has seasonal interest. Review and rectify where you have gaps of interest. Remember each season is different and spring and winter will naturally be quieter than summer but not lacking.

Take A Look At The Plants You Want To Keep

Pruning is an easy way to bring an overgrown shrubby border back to its former glory. Firstly, remove any dead, damaged, and diseased stems, as well as crossing stems rubbing against each other. Next, stand back and look at the shrub to work out how you can make it more balanced. This will transform a bulky shrub into a real feature and let in more light and air. You’ll be left with more space to introduce newer planting to complement the border.

Be Patient

New planting won’t come into true fruition for two to three years, and a few years longer still for shrubs and trees. So be patient if it doesn’t quite look how you’d expect after making your changes.

Be a proud owner of a stunning garden that looks stunning 365 days of the year. Give us a call on 0333 202 1955 today to discuss our design packages.

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