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Posted by L_ouise (U14863939) on Monday, 9th May 2011
I have a large bed and no previous garden experience but i just wanted to pack it out with loads of perennials and for it to look well organised.
I already had some lavenders and i really liked globe thistles i so thought i'd go for Purple/Blues and Pinks.
Then i got a stellata magnolia, so put in a bit of white to go with that.
Then i got a pale pink/yellow flower because it smells like vanilla for my husband... so then i tried putting in some more pale pinks/blues and some more yellows.
It just looks a bit all over the place.
Only one section of three plants looks good and the other 15 or so plants look a bit random.
Do i just need to wait for them to grow a bit or should i start rearranging them?
How can i arrange them? I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed.
Link to this forum: Losing direction with my flower bed - help.
All that`s happened is you have abandoned your original colour scheme. It seems to me your garden is going to look more "cottagey" and less "structured".
Not a bad thing, just decide which look you prefer.
If you are going to move plants around, and if they are perennials or shrubs, the time to do it is on a pleasant, but dull, autumn day.
Then next year it will look more like you want it to look.
Link to this forum: Losing direction with my flower bed - help.
you could take photos now and work out where you want to move the plants to , come the cooler weather , when its best to move plants , you will then have a visusal reminder ,of what it was, and where was , so you know what the plants are .you can allso draw plan , it may help ,
Link to this forum: Losing direction with my flower bed - help.
Thanks for the replies
I feel like i'm spending a lot of money and i'm worried it will look rubbish.
Cottagey sounds good.
Also, how do i mulch around herbacious perennials? If they die back, will the mulch stop them growing next yer?
Link to this forum: Losing direction with my flower bed - help.
A mulch won`t stop the perennials from regrowing. It helps to protect the crowns from frost in winter, and from drying out in summer.
To apply a mulch, you literally just chuck it on and spread it around.
Link to this forum: Losing direction with my flower bed - help.
, in reply to message 5.
Posted by mister-grow-it-all (U14591945) on Tuesday, 10th May 2011
mulch round the plants , be careful not to cover the crowns of your plants unless there completly under ground that way all shoul,d be fine
Link to this forum: Losing direction with my flower bed - help.
You could also adjust the colourscheme to the seasons e.g. the whites from January to end of March, than the pinks, than slowly go to purples and blues and maybe firy reds and yellows in Autumn. But there never are any rules.
Link to this forum: Losing direction with my flower bed - help.
Just read your post. I too started out a few years ago and planted my beds with mainly herbaceous perennials. For a few seasons it looked a bit disorganised as plants got themselves established and I moved things around. It can take a few years for plants to fill their potential. 6 years on the borders look great (well I think so). Plants have matured and filled the space and I've learned what works where which is half the fun.
The one thing I would say is pay attention to getting the structure right. A good mix of shrubs or a small tree for height, some feature plants like your thistles and some smaller plants near the front to knit the whole design together (geraniums are my favourite for this and thistles look great erupting through them).
Link to this forum: Losing direction with my flower bed - help.
Good advice from mister-grow-it-all, take photos and make notes about the changes you decide on, while the plants are in flower.
In my experience the main problem is flowering time, it's hard to know which plants will be in flower at the same time so it's difficult to plan good combinations.
Unless you're a qualified and experienced garden designer it's unlikely you'll get things right first time so don't be demoralised, the 'journey' is part of the fun.
Link to this forum: Losing direction with my flower bed - help.
, in reply to message 1.
Posted by Joe_the_Gardener (U3478064) on Saturday, 14th May 2011
"I have a large bed and no previous garden experience.............. "
You need a live-in gardener, L_ouise!
Link to this forum: Losing direction with my flower bed - help.
Thanks for the replies, they are much appreciated
I'll get to mulching then! The plants haven't filled the space yet and i don't want to overcrowd but that means the weeds are taking full advantage of the nice open soil which is a bit detracting.
I keep meaning to take photos but haven't been organised enough yet - will make more of an effort.
Link to this forum: Losing direction with my flower bed - help.
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