Designing a flower border: Design, Style, Planting And Maintenance
Romantic flower border: download our planting plan
This flower border is well-suited to a cottage garden. Quintessentially English garden style, this border comes into its own in summer on dewy, misty early mornings in late May and early June, and in the early evening when the blue flowers become ultraviolet and seem to hum in the lowering light. I am a strict ‘spatialist’ when making gardens, so all my flower borders are tightly designed and controlled with steel or paved edges. I can’t bear mess where mess is not required and it drives me nuts if plants flop out over lawns in high summer and kill off the grass beneath. Have you tried mowing beneath flopped-over plants? Quite. I rest my case.
© Jason Ingram
So before we get all breathy and flustered about the flowers, let’s get the basics sorted out. I once made my borders at home 3.5m deep. I must have been mad. They are impossible to manage; a woman alone can only do so much. Now I’m more pragmatic. Frankly, Gardens Illustrated dictated the bed size. I’d never make a flower bed this deep. Make them shallower – 1.8m at most – or if they are 3m deep, as this one is, make them accessible on all sides. If you do use these more manageable dimensions, make the shrubs central to the flower borders and put edging plants on all fronts.
I am hopelessly unfashionable, so being asked to create an ‘unashamedly romantic’ flower border was an absolute delight.
Garden designer, Jinny Blom
How to create the romantic flower border look
Prepare the soil
Another area I’m obsessed with, to the point of demonic possession, is preparing soil in your flower border. You will only ever want to do it once, so do it properly. Ameliorate the soil with a layer of best-quality organic matter at least 10cm deep; make sure it’s weed-free and don’t use composted bark (I’m no scientist but the idea that it robs nitrogen from the soil has stuck). The plants and your winter-soft stomach muscles will thank you for the effort.
Actually, if you’ve dug-over well and weeded the border in winter, the act of planting will usually incorporate the spread of organic matter quite nicely, so there is really no need to martyr yourself.
Choose hard-working plants
I adore all plants. My favourite flower borders have fewer flowers over a long season, rather than a big blast in June. I’ve been trying to get to grips with this for years, with a moderate degree of success. Gardening is typified for me by annual serendipity combined with perennial mishap. That’s the fun of it. I am past the point of using rare trinkets from a forgotten cleft of rock near Machu Pichu. These days I only plant good reliable things that are justifiably popular.
I am mad about colour in my flower borders and reasonably carefree with it, though the great Christopher Lloyd once told me my choices were ‘far too tasteful’. I like to choose plants that create a structurally strong yet visually soft backbone; Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’ and Rosa‘Madame Knorr’ are both great, indestructible, bug-free and beautiful.
Viola cornuta ‘Alba’ will scramble through the rose, peering out from between the leaves. Creamy white and neon pink are a good start for the colours. Using the deep navy blue of Campanula ‘Sarastro’, Aconitum ‘Bressingham Spire’ and Iris ‘Deep Black’ tempers the pink and gives it substance. I have found the blue triggers the underlying violet in pink and makes it much more profound. Tremendous in its intensity is Geranium Patricia (=‘Brempat’) – it’s a hard worker and not averse to being cut back.
Maintenance and good plant placement is key
At the back of the flower border, or along its spine if it were free-standing, I’d plant Leucanthemella serotina and Campanula lactiflora ‘Loddon Anna’. If you are weak of character, don’t plant Leucanthemella serotina, the autumn ox-eye. It can be invasive, but I am firmly convinced of its place. In this and every border we need daisies, thuggish though they are.
I have chosen three, from the sublime to the ridiculous. I’d add the Californian tree poppy, Romneya coulteri. Sometimes the glaucous leaves jar in a border but I do so love its crazy, spontaneous habit and huge, crinkly flowers.
Using hard-working plants that provide texture and height within the flower border will result in a stunning floral display all through the summer
Plant order
Violas, Iris and Erigeron at the front. In the gaps in the near front, plant Astrantia, Campanula, Lychnis and so forth. In the bigger gaps towards the middle, and wrapping around the shrubs, are Verbascum, Aconitum and Cirsium. Pack it full of Nerine to take over from the irises in autumn. Both like to have their roots baked, so they are good mates. Add Gladiolus communis subsp. byzantinus and Allium sphaerocephalon for the extra texture and pinkness to poke through the gaps.
I do adore clematis and they can extend the season. Clematis x triternata ‘Rubromarginata’ is mainly there for its gorgeous scent.
After-care
This is a reasonably well-structured mix of plants, with plenty of spires to give it lift and grace, nothing too stodgy and lots of prettiness, without being fey. In terms of management I’d just keep an eye on the smotherers and chop them back after flowering, mainly the ox-eye daisy. Violas and erigerons can be refreshed in late July with a haircut. Apart from that, sit back and watch – and enjoy the summer.
More like this
Jinny Blom is an award-winning garden designer based in London. Tel 020 7253 2100, www.jinnyblom.com
Click the link below to download a PDF of the border plan
DOWNLOAD THE PDF FILE.
Flower Garden Plans Layouts | The Old Farmer’s Almanac
Plan a beautiful perennial flower garden! Flowers not only add beauty to our lives and our landscapes but also lift our spirits and improve our well-being.
Here are five of our favorite flower garden layouts, designed by Almanac readers, plus a gorgeous video of our perennial flower bed.
Why Flowers?
We all love flowers. Flowers are friendly. With a 99 -ent seed pack and one hour, think how much joy you can bring to your life, your neighborhood, and the planet!
As well as their ornamental value, flower gardens can be used to help improve pollination of fruit and vegetable crops. By choosing simple flowers such as calendula, marigolds and zinnias and a few overwintering biennials to provide early nectar sources, you can attract beneficial insects which will help control pests naturally.
Certain flowers may be grown for cut flowers for use indoor bouquets, too. Read more about growing flowers for a cutting garden.
Planning a Perennial Flower Bed or Border
Flower borders are often designed with taller plants at the back, small edging plants at the front and mid-sized flowers filling out the area in between.
It’s worth considering when each plant will bloom to produce color throughout the season.
If you’re interested in creating a perennial flower bed or what is sometimes called a herbaceous border, enjoy this video by one of our Almanac garden planners!
Also, here are five complementary flower garden layouts designed by Almanac readers to help give you ideas and inspiration!
Five Free Flower Garden Plans
1. Flower Garden Layout (Farm)
“We have created 3 new beds out by the pond, specifically for Spring and Summer flowers grown organically from seed. Our aim: to produce gorgeous bouquets that are so healthy you can eat them with both your eyes and your mouth!” —Woodstock Flower Farm
Garden Location: Nova Scotia, Canada
Garden Size: 34’ 11” x 25’ 0”
Garden Type: Small farm
Garden Layout: Raised Beds
Sun or Shade: Sunny
Garden Soil Type: Good soil
See plant list and more details about this garden here.
2. Flower Garden Layout (Farm)
“This is the flower design and it will be the first time we have grown flowers so we started on the small side with 2400 sq ft plot. We are planting flowers that are recommended for our area that do well when direct seeded. Some of the flowers shown do not represent the look of the actual flower since the planner did not have some of them. We will be selling bouquets market and will have a pick-u-own with better pricing. We will have: Zinnia Benary’s Giant Series, Oklahoma Formula, and Persian Carpet Cosmos Sensation Mix and Sea Shells Celosia Cramers Series and Chief Mix Sunflower Sunrich and Sunbright Series Amaranthus Opopeo Basil Aromatto Larkspur Sublime Series
Garden Location: Rushville, IL
Garden Size: 41’ 11” x 59’ 11”
Garden Layout: Traditional rows
Sun or Shade: Sunny
Garden Soil Type: Good soil
See plant list and more details about this garden here.
3. Flower Garden Layout: Traditional Rows
Garden Location: Outside Cincinnati
Garden Size: 28’ 11” x 19’ 11”
Garden Type: Backyard garden
Garden Layout: Traditional rows
Sun or Shade: Sunny
Garden Soil Type: Heavy, clay soil
See full plant list!
4.
Flower Garden Layout
Garden Location: Sterling, VA
Garden Size: 3’ 5” x 25’ 0”
Garden Type: Front garden, border layout
Sun or Shade: Sunny
Garden Soil Type: Good soil
See plant list and more details about this garden here.
5. Flower Garden Layout
Garden Location: Ohio
Garden Size: 19’ 11” x 29’ 11”
Garden Type: Backyard
Sun or Shade: Sunny
Garden Soil Type: Heavy/Clay soil
See plant list and more details about this garden here.
Free Garden Planner
Ready to start planning your own garden this season? Try the Almanac Garden Planner for free here.
blooming all summer, photo, undersized
The border is an important design element. It complements and completes the look of any composition. In addition to stone, wooden structures, there are hedges created from real flowers. More often, curb perennials are planted for these purposes. This design of flower beds, lawns, paths looks elegant, stylish and bright.
A live border will help draw a border or make a smooth transition.
With the right combination of shades of plants, you will get a real work of art
Classification of border perennials
Planting perennials is more beneficial in terms of organization and care for them. Border perennials that bloom all summer can grow for a single year without needing to be replaced. The culture is chosen depending on what tasks the gardener sets when designing the composition.
According to the number of tiers inside the composition, border flowers are:
- single-tiered;
- double deck,
- multi-tiered.
Also, perennials are divided into tall ones, they grow up to 180 cm, medium-sized ones – from 30 to 85 cm and short ones, reaching a maximum of 30 cm. So you can decide how to arrange your site.
Ayuga
Ornamental plants are found in dark and bright green, purple, blue, burgundy. The border ayuga loves water, partial shade, but calmly endures the sun and warm winters.
In cold weather it needs to be covered.
Spreads throughout the plot by cuttings, so you need to carefully monitor the border perennials. In winter, the ayuga remains with leaves, even under the snow they do not fall off.
Important! In no case should self-seeding be allowed, as the flowers will grow frail and weakened.
Ayuga is highly resistant to trampling and requires little maintenance. The border perennial goes well with bulbous crops.
Versatile ayuga creates a beautiful design even with wildflowers and grass
Zhivuchka
In the wild, this perennial grows in Eurasia, Africa, and Australia. The creeping tenacious is used in horticulture as a ground cover plant. Includes varieties that are different from each other in shade, flowering time.
A flowering border perennial with creeping shoots. The height of the stem is from 0.5 cm to 50 cm. The leaves are oval, soft and strongly omitted. Inflorescences are presented in the form of spikelets.
The advantages of the perennial are as follows:
- easy to grow;
- resistance to adverse conditions, calmly tolerates frost, dry weather;
- quickly return to a healthy state after freezing, mechanical impact;
- is undemanding to the composition of the soil;
- eradicates weeds;
- cut perennials keep fresh for a long time in this state.
The curb tree is very shade-loving and blooms luxuriantly even in low light. It is easy to take root, grows quickly. It is planted on drained soil. Watering is carried out regularly, but moderately. The growth of perennials must be controlled by enclosing a small fence around the perimeter.
The tenacious looks beautiful among the stones
Balsam
A perennial native to the subtropics and tropics of Asia and Africa. The culture has straight stems, reaching 50 cm in height. Leaves are lanceolate or oval in shape. Natural color – pink or red. They are compact and have large leaves.
Balsam is fed once every 2 months. He does not accept sunlight.
Waller’s balsams come in a variety of colors
Aubrieta
This undersized border plant blooms in March and continues to please passers-by until May. After flowering, it must be cut to ensure re-budding. The culture is presented in different shades – from pink to lilac. Propagated by seeds, growing rapidly. A distinctive quality of a perennial is a worthy tolerance of any frost.
Aubrieta is a hardy flower, does not die even in frosts
Agapanthus
Border perennial has creeping rhizomes, thick roots. The leaves of the agapanthus are basal. During maturation, it throws out a long peduncle up to 1 m. It has white, blue, lilac flowers of large sizes.
The border agapanthus is quite tall, it can outshine the low-growing flowers
Gravilat
This plant has well-branched roots. In addition to the design of borders, gravel is used to create alpine slides. The perennial root system perfectly retains moisture.
Inflorescences are in the form of panicles and umbrellas. Border flowers are yellow, orange, white and pink.
When opened, the flowers look up, look like bluebells
Stonecrop
Stonecrop is also called sedum. They are photophilous plants. When choosing a culture for the border, you should choose a sunny place. If a perennial is planted in the shade, then it will not grow, it will soon dry out completely. Inflorescences of a pink or yellow hue appear in mid-summer.
Sedum looks good in the home landscape near the paths
Primula
Primula is one of the most common plants for planting in flower beds. Gardeners and designers respect the border perennial for its wide variety of colors that attract attention from early spring to the first month of summer.
Some varieties bloom a second time in autumn. A characteristic feature of the border primrose is the rapid growth of the bush, leading to the closure of plants planted next to each other. The culture propagates by dividing the root system.
This helps to get new bushes without additional costs and the need to look for plants. Even after flowering, border perennials delight with a beautiful appearance.
Borders and flower beds decorated with different varieties of primroses look elegant
Dicentra
The flower is known as “heartbreak”. Magnificent dracaena is popular for decorating borders. It does not require special care, but from time to time you need to cut off the shoots and flower stalks. For planting, you can use any soil, perennial will take root everywhere.
In appearance, the border dicentra looks like a lush flower, the height of which reaches 60 cm. One of the advantages of the plant is durability. Perennial can be grown up to 8 years without transplanting to another site. Long graceful pink flattened flowers are 2 cm in diameter.
Dicentra is fragrant throughout May, but sometimes the period can be shifted depending on the air temperature. If the gardener wants the border plant to please for a long time, you need to cut off the old stems at the end of May, but leave a few young leaves.
You can plant a flower in the sun and in the shade, as it is adapted to any conditions.
A dwarf dicentra cultivar with unusually delicate flowers
Carnation (dianthus)
Dianthus is the Latin name for carnation. There are about 300 types of perennials. The flower grows in the form of a compact bush. Its height depends on the variety, on average it rises by 80 cm, but there are mini versions up to 15 cm.
Border shrubs are formed from succulent but dense stems, erect or decumbent. Thickenings are visible along the entire length, leaves grow from them in the form of an awl or lancets. Their shade is light green, the structure is smooth with a sharp top. Silver plating on top. The root system is represented by a stem reaching 20 cm.
Border plant forms ovaries from the end of spring. Each flower contains 5 petals with jagged edges. Stamens are located in the center.
Garden undersized carnation will decorate any personal plot
Arabis
Arabis has become in demand among gardeners who are engaged in landscape design.
The culture grows up to 25-30 cm, so it is well suited for the production of rockeries. The gardener can grow perennials of white, cream, pink color. The best time to plant arabis is early spring or mid-autumn.
Important! To obtain lush curb bushes, it is recommended to plant 2-3 shoots in one hole.
Arabis does not need to be irrigated frequently, its care consists in periodically loosening the soil and removing weeds.
Alpine arabis looks great in combination with any green grass
Carpathian bluebell
Bluebell is planted not only on borders, but also in flowerbeds. Perennial is distinguished by tenderness, ease of care. The original flowers in the form of a brush or panicle are painted in blue, blue, white.
It is recommended to choose a sunny site for planting the Carpathian bluebell.
Frequent irrigation is contraindicated, as it will lead to the death of the plant. As for the soil, it is better to choose a light and loamy soil, saturated with useful vitamins.
Regular removal of weeds, loosening will allow you to enjoy beautiful flowers for a long time.
Low-growing perennial border plants
In addition to the above crops, chives are popular. The border plant belongs to the Bulb family.
Flowers appear in late spring and early summer.
Generally, low-growing border flowers perennials, photos of which are presented below, are hardy and undemanding. Planting them near the curbs eliminates the need to dig up for the winter every year.
Heuchera small-flowered
Heuchera is a short crop with a lush rosette of leaves. Visually similar to maple forms, but characterized by a silvery color. The leaves are rounded, serrated at the edges. Heuchera has reddish-orange anthers. Flowering occurs in May and lasts for 2 months.
Border plant whimsical and demanding, loves only moist soil, loose soil.
Purple culture has not very good frost resistance properties
Hosta (funkia)
Ornamental culture likes shade and partial shade.
There are uniformly colored species that love to darken, and variegated. They are recommended to be planted in an area with diffused light.
Hostas are small in height, but grow densely
Woolly Chistets
Herbaceous perennial often called sheep’s ears, because it has hairy leaves, visually similar to the organ of animals. Culture decorates flower beds or borders.
Chistets is not too demanding, calmly endures water shortage
Border culture grows up to 60 cm, but the main segment is occupied by inflorescences.
Rules for the selection of perennials for border formation
When choosing perennials, it is necessary to consider some criteria and properties:
- whether border perennials can grow in sun or in partial shade;
- whether they are able to fill the designated area while growing;
- growth rate, it is recommended to choose perennials with medium intensity;
- the ability to maintain decorative qualities in cool summers or in rainy weather;
- fast recovery, this is important when the flowers are located on the edge of the border, can be mowed when removing lawn grass;
- not capriciousness and unpretentiousness to the environment;
- flower height – perennials are used for the border, which do not rise above 50 cm;
- good habitation – the ability to grow in composition with other plants.
Conclusion
Border perennials are able to decorate an element, emphasizing its advantages and beauty. Flowers are planted in flower beds, any kind of soil. Mostly they are unpretentious, but some plant species prefer shade.
popular all-summer low flowers and border plants
Low growing garden path flowers are selected from a wide range of perennials.
This makes it possible to form flower borders and other decorative borders for flower beds for a longer period.
The root system of perennials winters in the ground without problems, and the vegetative part wakes up every spring. A variety of undersized species with different flowering periods allows you to create unique compositions that do not fade until late autumn.
Classification of border plants
Landscape design of the area in front of the house implies the division of the territory into functional and decorative zones.
Paths are usually laid between them, which are framed with live borders or marked with borders (flower beds in the form of a narrow strip).
For these purposes, low-growing herbaceous and shrubby perennial plants are used.
Depending on the height, perennials for borders are divided into creeping (ground cover), dwarf and undersized crops. The size of the dividing strip should not exceed 0.5 m in width and 40 cm in height.
In the design of garden paths, you can find mixborders, which consist of several types: dwarf shrubs, herbaceous undersized perennials and bulbous plants.
As a rule, open and shaded areas are present on the backyard territory.
Therefore, when choosing border plants, their light-loving nature should be taken into account.
Feels good in the shade of trees: astilbe, periwinkle, iris, galanthus, brunner, hellebore, etc. The sun’s rays are useful for aquilegia, geuchera, veronica, daffodils, tulips, pinnate carnation, etc.
Tip: When planting plants along paths, step back slightly from the edge so that leaves and flower stems do not interfere with free passage.
Types of border plants
Perennial herbaceous plants are most often planted along garden paths h . Low-growing perennials do not require special care and do not need annual planting.
Resistance to low temperatures allows them to be used in areas with severe winters. Some of the species take root well in the shade of trees and shrubs.
A perennial herbaceous plant of bushy form – alpine aster grows up to 30 cm tall.
The flowers are small with a yellow center and narrow pink or blue petals. Grows in sunny and shady areas. Flowering period June-July. It grows well and does not require winter shelter. You can learn more about how to plant asters for seedlings from the following article.
Hosta is another type of perennial often used in the formation of a green border. Differs in wide lanceolate leaves of light and dark shades of green. Some varieties have variegated leaves.
White, lilac or purple racemose inflorescences are located on tall smooth stems up to 30 cm high. Hosta blooms from July to August. Likes moist soil and shady areas. Requires regular watering, best with a hose. Frost resistance of the species is at a high level.
Border Chrysanthemum is a compact bushy plant 28–30 cm high. Flowers of various colors of chamomile form reach 8 cm in diameter. Begins to bloom in mid-summer and finishes with the first frost. To create a lush bush, it is necessary to pinch the shoots.
Grows well in sunny areas and easily tolerates winter.
Debut miniature roses grow up to 38 cm. Double dark red flowers densely cover the dense bush. Flowering does not stop from June to September.
Roses are propagated by cuttings of vegetative shoots or seedlings, which are planted at a distance of 20–30 cm from each other. Young bushes for the winter are covered with spruce branches and a film frame.
Mature plants are most resistant to early frost and better adapted to sudden changes in temperature.
Good to know: rhizomatous perennials (chrysanthemums, daylilies, phlox, hosta, etc.) are not planted very densely in border beds, as they grow during the season.
Rules for creating flower borders
A blooming border that will please the eye throughout the summer season is formed from several types of plants. Small-bulbous and bulbous perennials bloom in the first spring.
They are planted close to the edge of the path, followed by a strip of herbaceous plants that bloom in summer. Low-growing crops that bloom in autumn are located along the outer perimeter of the border.
Now in more detail:
- Bulbous perennials – crocuses, snowdrops, hyacinths, daffodils, tulips – are planted in the first row of the border. The path will also be decorated with ground cover creeping plants – awl-shaped phlox, periwinkle, carnation grass. Here you can also plant peppermint and spikelet, thyme, basil. Fragrant herbs grow rapidly and are used as spices;
- A middle-height row of roadside rabatka is filled with low-growing perennial flowers. For these purposes, hosta, badan, matricaria, dwarf chrysanthemum are suitable. Unpretentious perennial plants will cover departed primroses with their leaves and shoots;
- The border composition will be completed by low-growing ornamental shrubs – border rose, garden lingonberry, Japanese spirea, dwarf barberry. Their height should not exceed 40 cm, so as not to block the view of the flower beds and landscape compositions on the site.
Their height should not exceed 40 cm, so as not to block the view of the flower beds and landscape compositions on the site. When designing a border, plants should be selected according to their color scheme. It can be kept in shades of one color or on contrasting combinations. So that the harmonious lines of the pattern are not interrupted, the plants are planted tightly to each other.
Caring for perennials in borders
Perennial ornamentals need proper care:
- Regular watering;
- Periodic feeding;
- Treatment for diseases and pests. For example, spraying plants with a Bordeaux mixture;
- Loosening and mulching of the soil;
- Timely pruning of shrubs;
- Shelter for young plants for the winter.
The main problem of perennials in a limited space is their constant growth and reproduction. To make the border look the same every year, it is necessary to plant overgrown flowers in a timely manner, dig out bulbs and cut shrubs.