Borders garden design
Garden borders: 25 ideas for the perfect planting scheme
Join our newsletter
Thank you for signing up to Realhomes. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.Garden borders provide infinite opportunities for imaginative planting and are central to a successful garden design. And, with a bit of know-how, you can keep your garden borders looking colorful year-round, even in the depth of winter.
Whether you like a landscaped, formal look, or would like to create a natural garden, follow these tips from horticulturalist Matt James and create luscious, thriving garden borders. Just grab your best gardening tools, and you're good to go.
1. Work with your garden's natural layout
(Image credit: Leigh Clapp)
Working in harmony with your garden is always best. Garden plant ideas work when grown where they’re happiest – which will also mean they'll need less attention and will both flower and fruit better.
Spend time noting the characteristics of your beds and borders: are they sunny or shady? Wet or dry? Sheltered or exposed? Chances are you’ll find different growing conditions in different parts of the garden. Look carefully, and then choose appropriate plants to match each one.
- Find more gorgeous garden ideas in our feature full of stunning borders, planting tips and more ways to use your outside space
2. Plan your planting scheme carefully
(Image credit: Leigh Clapp)
All good gardeners make their mistakes on paper, not on the ground, saving both time and money in the process. Use graph paper and draw on the outline of the area to be planted, preferably to scale (1cm on paper to 50cm on the ground –1:50 scale – is ideal for all but the most complicated schemes).
Then, considering the scale you’ve selected, play with different arrangements until you find one that works. Plot plants with their mature size in mind to be sure they’ll fit.
3. Research and find inspiration
Planting beds surround this raised water feature with rendered walls designed by Ann Marie Powell and built by Garden House Design . The colourful planting is designed to develop and mature to soften the harder lines
(Image credit: Ann Marie Powell/Garden House Design)
Find combinations you like, look in books and magazines, and if growing conditions are the same as those in your garden, copy them. Neighboring gardens and labeled displays at nurseries are also useful for ideas.
Some gardening books for reference...
Reduced Price
RHS How to Create your Garden: Ideas
£20
£10.
03
View Deal
See all prices
The Complete Garden Planning Book: The
£12.62
View Deal
See all prices
Reduced Price
Alan Titchmarsh How to Garden: Garden
£12.99
£10.26
View Deal
See all prices
4. Consider maintenance carefully
(Image credit: Leigh Clapp)
How much time do you have? For young families and those at work all day, winter and summer bedding, rose bushes, fruit, vegetables and floppy perennials are too time-consuming.
If you're limited on gardening time, instead favor shrubs, tidy conifers, ornamental grasses and tough-but-colourful mat-forming perennials such as Stachys Byzantina ‘Silver Carpet’. All need little attention once established, and suffer few pests or diseases.
- Find out more about what's involved in our garden maintenance checklist
5. Choose a planting theme for your garden borders
(Image credit: Leigh Clapp)
Picking a theme brings clarity and focus to the design process. Personal taste and how you plan to use the garden have an influence, but the space itself can offer clues as to what works best. For example, a sunny free-draining slope is perfect for an informal Mediterranean-inspired gravel garden. Visually, it won’t look out of place either.
6. Keep the border planting scheme simple
(Image credit: Leigh Clapp)
Hold yourself back from including every plant on your shortlist, as the planting will look chaotic and unplanned.
Aim to create a sense of harmony and unity by choosing a color palette or theme early on.
- Find plenty of simple garden ideas in our edit
(Image credit: Leigh Clapp)
Repetition in garden borders is the easiest way to unify a planting scheme. It’s also the one thing that marks out a ‘designed’ border, from one that happens by accident. Perhaps use the same hedging throughout or repeat evergreen perennials, or ornamental grasses in drifts at the front of beds and borders (where repetition is most obvious).
8. Use a variety of plants to create contrast
(Image credit: Leigh Clapp)
While harmony is important, so is diversity. Plants with distinctive colors and dramatic shapes, such as spiky palms and pencil junipers, make great focal points. But a little goes a long way, so use sparingly or the planting will look over-stimulating. With standard-sized borders (1.5-2m wide) one focal point plant every four to six metres should be enough.
A lot of space to cover? A tree border would work, but again, less is more with tree borders – choose one or two species for a start. Shade gardens also prove that it's important to place plants where they will thrive the most.
- Learn about choosing the best plants for gardens
9. Consider the color wheel in garden borders
(Image credit: Leigh Clapp)
Color is a personal preference, but if you want to be more precise about it and create memorable plantings like the professionals, choose a classic combination, taking into account the color wheel. Colors opposite each other complement through dramatic contrast. Those adjacent are harmonious, and the easiest way to combine color over a large area.
You could pick the shades, tints and tones of one color only for a sophisticated monochromatic look. Or alternatively, choose an exciting triadic combination using three colors from the wheel, each spaced equidistantly apart.
A multicolored scheme is also a possibility, but isn’t that easy to pull off successfully.
- See more garden color scheme inspiration
(Image credit: Shutterstock)
The easiest and most visually effective way to arrange plants is in layers, with borders backed by walls or fences, tall shrubs, tree borders, bamboo and lofty grasses first. Place roses, smaller shrubs, mid-sized perennials and ornamental grasses in the middle. Feature shorter shrubs, mounding perennials and ankle-high ground-cover plants in front.
However, try to avoid arranging everything like a series of steps. On occasion sweep low plantings towards the back, and taller ones to the front, to create depth and interest.
11. Make big garden borders
(Image credit: Leigh Clapp)
Thin strips under 50cm wide will only allow for a low hedge, a wall shrub, or a line of tidy perennials arranged uncomfortably like soldiers on parade.
Beds and borders in excess of two metres, however, can accommodate multi-layered mixed plantings with shrubs, roses and more natural drifts of perennials and grasses.
Some designs, naturalistic ‘prairie-like’ plantings in particular, need lots of space for the effect to be appreciated. In small gardens this might mean sacrificing lawn space – consider if you want to do this.
12. Create mixed borders in urban gardens
(Image credit: Suzie Gibbons)
In urban and suburban gardens, continuity of interest is important. The mixed border is best, as you can call on every plant group – trees, shrubs, roses, perennials, and bulbs – for interest, with each group sparkling at different times of the year.
13. Consider plants with autumn and winter in mind
(Image credit: Leigh Clapp)
Plants with fiery autumn leaves, stunning seed heads, colorful fruits and berries, brilliant bark or evergreen leaves prolong seasonal interest and help to lift the spirits on drab days.
When planning your garden borders, remember to consider seasons other than the summer!
- Find the best autumn plants for seasonal gardens
14. Focus on shapes to add interest to garden borders
(Image credit: Leigh Clapp)
The shape of plants is just as important as flower color, and because it’s around for much longer (with woody plants, all year round), shape helps to structure the planting. The color and texture will then supply the finish.
15. Line path borders with bags of bulbs
(Image credit: Future / Kasia Fiszer)
Brilliant for seasonal interest in spring, summer and autumn, most bulbs cope with competition so can be planted to grow through frothy perennials, giving you two colour bursts from the same place – ideal where space is tight. Only large-flowered tulips need replacing each year.
Click to shop flower bulbs online...
Low Stock
£1.
50
View Deal
Tulip Clearwater Bulbs
Low Stock
£1.50
View Deal
Crocus Prince claus Bulbs
£16.99
View Deal
Spring Flowering Bulb Collection 100...Spring Flowering Bulb Collection 100 Bulb
No price information
Check Amazon
Show More Deals
16. Add volume with shrubs
(Image credit: Lucy Willcox Garden Design)
Offering year-round interest for little effort, shrubs bring all-important ‘body’ to your borders, too.
As a guide, most mixed plantings should contain at least 40 per cent, spaced evenly throughout the display, from the back right down to the front.
Evergreens with good form and shapely leaves should be first choice, especially in small spaces. Consider size at maturity carefully, though, as some shrubs can grow to monstrous proportions.
- If big plants are your thing, explore how to make an impact with mature plants
17. Cover all soil with plants
(Image credit: Future)
Plant plenty of ground-cover perennials and mat-forming shrubs to smother the soil and keep down weeds. But, don’t cram plants in cheek-by-jowl for an instant effect. Observe the correct spacing (your garden centre or nursery will help here), or be prepared to undertake some judicious pruning in a few years’ time.
18. The more the merrier in garden borders
(Image credit: Leigh Clapp)
Never place each plant as a solitary specimen.
This results in a bitty-looking display. Instead, plant in groups proportionate to the size of space.
In small gardens/borders, shrubs and roses planted in groups of three is common, unless they’re larger specimens, where one by itself is fine. For perennials and grasses, plant in groups of three to 12 plants, depending on the importance of the plant and how distinctive it is; some plants – particularly pastel-colored single-stemmed perennials, for example – are invisible by themselves.
19. Think vertical when planting borders
(Image credit: Leigh Clapp)
Height is important for interest, contrast and to pull the eye skyward. Fastigiate (pencil-like) shrubs and climbers trained on wigwams are ideal. Take full advantage of walls and fences, too, perhaps combining tidy non-invasive climbers that flower at different times to prolong the season of interest. Roses and large-flowered summer clematis is a classic combination.
20. Fill garden borders with scented plants
(Image credit: Leigh Clapp)
Scented plants enliven any garden, so try to include them when possible.
There are so many different ones to choose from, but how powerful the perfume is will determine where they work best.
‘Free scents’, such as Dutch honeysuckle and white jasmine, perfume the air for yards and are generous, sometimes to a fault. ‘Up close and personal’ scents, such as from roses, witch hazel and Daphne, are more subtle, so position near areas you use the most. ‘Touchy-feely’ scents, such as from thyme, are released only when the plant’s leaves are picked; position in patio pots or next to paths, within easy reach.
- Find out how to create a rose garden
21. Mix flowers and grasses in garden borders
(Image credit: Leigh Clapp Photography)
For a natural, free-flowing look, grasses make a great addition to garden borders that need bulking up. From the traditional Pampas grass to the delicate and wispy Stipa, mix them with flowers such as anemone and phlox for an effortless look.
22. Add a tropical palm tree to your garden borders
(Image credit: Leigh Clapp Photography )
Break up a traditional garden border with an exotic palm tree for a more contemporary look.
Fan palms, cotton palms (Washingtonias) and needle palms all tend to do well in milder climates.
23. Use lawn edging to create a formal look for borders
(Image credit: Haddonstone)
Lawn edging can help create a formal look for your garden borders and zone your garden; it will also protect your border when you mow your lawn. There are tons of materials and styles to choose from, and what you choose will largely reflect your budget and your garden's style.
Browse lawn edging options below...
£7.25
View Deal
Willow Wicker Lawn Edging Fence
£7.99
View Deal
Rowlinson Border Fence Lawn Edging.
..Rowlinson Border Fence Lawn Edging Strip - 1m
£8.99
View Deal
Lawn guard edge
£37.78
View Deal
Lawn Edgings 10 pcs Firwood 4.4 m
Show More Deals
- Check out our lawn edging ideas for more inspiration – and to get an idea of costs
24. Garden border ideas for autumn: top plants
(Image credit: Unsplash/Rosario Janza)
Autumn presents many garden border ideas that are colorful and will keep you garden looking great well into December. Asters are the stars of the autumn garden, with many varieties blooming well into late October and sometimes November, if it's mild.
Michaelmas daisies are a particularly popular variety, coming in wonderful shades of purple or dark pink. Combine them with wispy grasses and evergreen shrubs for a stunning late-season display.
(Image credit: Unsplash/Linus Mimietz)
Another autumn classic that is sometimes unfairly neglected is heather. Heather is a hardy, native plants that can provide plenty of interest throughout the colder months. Choose one of the Calluna vulgaris ‘Garden Girls’ varieties for bright spikes of color well into January. Heathers do require a sunny position, though.
(Image credit: Unsplash/Dalal Nizam)
25. Liven up a north-facing garden with a tree border
(Image credit: Thompson & Morgan)
Have a north-facing garden border that's not doing much? North-facing walls can look severe, but it's actually relatively easy to bring a shady garden border to life. Consider a layered planting scheme with a tree border at the back (choose shade-tolerant trees and shrubs such as yew and skimmia), and a textured display of shade-loving ferns at the front.
Garden border ideas for beautiful planting schemes all year
Garden border ideas are the perfect opportunity to add colour and creativity to your garden and make it an inviting oasis all year round. Your borders can be used to show off a collection of showstopping flowers and foliage, create separate zones and define your pathways. Whether your garden ideas are meticulously landscaped or wild and free, your garden borders should reflect and work in cohesion with the rest of your garden.
When planting your garden border consider the natural layout of your garden. Look at which parts of your garden get more shade and sun, how sheltered or exposed it is and how wet or dry the area is. This will affect which plants will thrive in your garden and where in the garden they should be planted.
‘There are several reasons why people may want to add borders to their gardens,’ says William Mitchell, owner of Sutton Manor Nursery . ‘Garden borders can be a great way to highlight a specific area of the garden and make the layout more visually appealing.
They are also commonly used to separate areas, for instance, by keeping flowers and grass apart. Another reason is to enable privacy within the garden, which includes privacy for birds and wildlife that may be looking for shelter from predators or to breed/nest during the winter months.’
Even the smallest garden borders can provide clearly defined 'rooms' and give a clear framework for your best garden furniture.
Garden border ideas
When planning your garden layout ideas consider the colour palette or theme you want for the garden. An easy way to create harmony within your border is to use repetition to create a clear and distinctive border. For a contrasting look that doesn’t clash, look to the colour wheel and pair together opposite colours. Or for a more minimalist approach choose varying shades of the same colour. Another way to add interest to your garden border ideas is to mix up the shapes of the plants and flowers.
If you want a stylish border but you’re not the most green-fingered, fear not, there are low-maintenance options available.
Limit the number of plants that require regular watering, feeding, clipping or deadheading. Instead opt for plants such as shrubs, evergreens, grasses and perennials which will take care of themselves.
‘Garden borders are full of potential and create great focal and interest points in your garden. It’s always a good idea to plant shrubs or flowers that will grow taller towards the back of the border, to ensure the smaller plants can be seen in front,’ says Leigh Barnes, retail sales manager at Jacksons Fencing .
1. Create a wildflower border
(Image credit: Future PLC/Brent Darby)
Wildflowers are a stunning choice to add vibrancy to your border garden ideas and are loved for their versatility and low maintenance. They are perfect for encouraging bees and pollinators to come into your garden which is important for getting plants to reproduce and keep flowers coming in the subsequent months. Plus butterflies and bugs are attracted to the jewel-coloured flowers.
‘If you want specific wildflowers in your meadow for more of an ornamental display, but still want the grass to be present you will need to remove some turf to get the desired conditions for wildflowers to grow in. This means removing the top layer of turf and ensuring it remains weed-free,’ says Chris McIlroy, group e-commerce and digital manager at The Grass People .
This makes a wildflower border perfect for adding colour to your small garden ideas. ‘Sow a wildflower mix with grass so that when your wildflowers have finished blooming, there is still a year-round habitat for wildlife, not an empty bed.’
Autumn is the best time to create a wildflower meadow and flowers such as yellow rattle, birds-foot trefoil, common sorrel, ox-eye daisy, red campion, red clover and yarrow and wild carrot are the best for your wildflower border. Wildflowers are usually perennials so they will die back in winter and regrow each year.
2. Add volume with shrubs
(Image credit: Future PLC)
‘Shrubs offer year-round interest and require little maintenance,’ says Fiona Jenkins, gardening expert at MyJobQuote .
Shrubs give your border structure while still producing stunning foliage and even juicy fruits. They are incredibly versatile and there are options to suit all growing conditions and planting styles.
‘If you want to create a strong body for your borders, shrubs are the way to go. Evergreens with shapely leaves are the best options for garden borders. These work particularly well in small spaces. It’s important to consider the type, size, and maturity when planting, as some shrubs can grow very quickly and can become very large, meaning they’ll very quickly take over your garden.’
Popular, much-loved flowers such as roses, rosemary and lavender are in fact shrubs and provide both beautiful colour and scent to garden borders. Shrubs can also give you colour for your colourful garden ideas during the winter months when a lot of other plants have died down. Camellias, daphnes and mahonia are great choices for evergreen shrubs that flower in winter.
3. Include resilient planting
(Image credit: Future PLC/David Giles)
For easy garden ideas, having a low-maintenance garden border will allow you to sit back and enjoy its beauty without a lot of upkeep.
Perennial plants work best if you’re looking for plants that will come back year after year and only need a chop at the end of the flowering season. Nepeta is easy to care for, releases a beautiful fragrance and has silver foliage with blue-violet flowers that last for months.
For something close to the ground, Walker’s Low has deep violet flowers and works well at the front of borders spilling out onto pathways or patios. Hardy geraniums such as Rozanne and Psilostemon fill in gaps by knitting in between plants to give you a consistent sea of colour.
Herbaceous plants are resilient plants with green stems instead of woody stems and include many perennials. Marcus Eyles horticultural expert at Dobbies says, ‘Herbaceous plants like Delphiniums, Poppies and Lupins make great choices for garden borders too, as they will provide you with a gorgeous range of colourful flowers for a showstopping look.’
4. Vary the height of your planting
(Image credit: Future PLC)
Without undulations in height, your garden border ideas can look flat and one-dimensional, so when thinking about how to plan a garden, use tall and short plants within your border.
Daniel Carruthers, director at Cultivar Greenhouses , says ‘Placing taller plants at the back of the border and shorter ones at the front will not only allow each plant to get enough sunlight but will also create a more attractive aesthetic, as taller shrubs and climbers will draw the eye up, while beautiful blooms will edge the bed. Taller flowers, such as alliums and gladioli, will add both colour and height, and adding some topiary for structure, such as a box or yew ball, will add year-round interest when some of the flowers have died back.’
For plants which are shorter and will fill in sparse gaps at the front of your border, consider ferns which are easy to maintain and provide lush greenery. Other good choices include, catmint which is often in a lavender-blue colour that looks good and is a natural repellent of insect pests. Plus, hardy cyclamen comes in rich whites, reds and pinks with eye-catching mottled silver leaves.
5. Make use of bamboo
(Image credit: Future PLC/Colin Poole)
To give your garden a tropical makeover, bamboo will make you feel like you’re abroad when in your garden.
Bamboo is easy to grow and very hardy so works well in British garden borders and compliments garden decking ideas.
They are ideal for creating focal points in your garden, provide height and movement to your border and can act as a windbreak for smaller plants. In garden borders, clump-forming bamboo works best because it spreads slowly so will not get out of control and take over the rest of your border.
‘If you want something a bit more unusual for your border, then you might want to consider using bamboo. You can easily buy them from Amazon or your local garden centre. Not only are they visually appealing but they can last for years if given appropriate maintenance,’ says Jack Sutcliffe, co-founder of Power Sheds .
6. Highlight your border with lighting
(Image credit: Future PLC)
Tucking in lights among your border creates a beautiful ambience and allows your border to shine even at night. Discrete ground light can give gentle illumination and highlight the form and structure of your border.
‘Why not accent your favourite features with fairy lights? Or you could consider placing small lanterns around and through your flower and vegetable patches or using lights under your trees with large branches, creating enchanting and dramatic silhouettes when the night draws in,’ says Deborah Cobb, product manager of landscaping at MKM Building Supplies .
When using garden lighting ideas within your border, keep the coverage of the lights symmetrical so that it illuminates the entire border evenly and there are no dark or overly bright areas.
7. Add plants for year round colour
(Image credit: Future PLC/Polly Eltes)
A full and colourful garden border doesn’t need to be solely reserved for the spring and summer months. Consider investing in plants that will offer colour in autumn and winter.
Many perennials, annuals and shrubs bloom during the coldest months of the year. Pansies provide a riot of colour during the winter coming in bold blues, mauves, pinks and purples.
Snowdrops give pure white dots of colour and will often start to bloom even when there is still snow on the ground hence the name.
Lenten roses look delicate but are hardy plants which bloom during the winter and produce flowers in a range of colours including pink, purple and yellow. Black tulips are also known as Queen of the night tulips and are perfect at providing rich and moody colour to your garden border ideas, while being resilient to cold winter temperatures.
8. Focus on one key colour
(Image credit: Future PLC/Colin Poole)
Expert gardener Sarah Raven , says the best way to start is to collect together a bunch of catalogues of good suppliers and print-outs from online magazines and websites too. 'Cut out your favourite colours and forms of plants. Checking their seasons of flowering and their heights are compatible, combine your items on a large sheet of paper with blue tac so you can easily shift things around.
'Then refine this with one main colour, with a large and showy flower - I call this my bride - then something in a very similar colour or tone which is a little smaller or more demure – that’s the bridesmaid.
'Finally, scatter a colour contrast through to bring the whole thing to life - I call this the gate-crasher. You need this bit of zest, rather than pure harmony. Use that as a basis of a new border and spread out from this core of three plants.'
9. Divide areas with borders
(Image credit: Future PLC/Colin Poole)
As well as looking gorgeous, borders carry out a serious structural purpose in the garden. They work alongside hard landscaping elements such as garden decking ideas and patio ideas and they give a clear outline to lawns, bringing form to the space.
'When designing your border, consider the other colours around. Contrasting colours give a striking look and can help each element to stand out clearly,' says Nathan Gamba, director at Protea Gardens , 'I always feel that borders accentuate a strong design feature of any garden.'
10. Use the fence
(Image credit: Future PLC/David Giles)
You don’t need a huge garden to introduce an effective border.
It’s possible to create a neat growing space by building a border in front of a stylish fence. So if you’re interested in garden fence ideas and really want to make the most of every centimetre of space, consider a border which - as well as showing off colourful blooms and interesting foliage - holds a climbing plant to scurry up the fence in no time.
11. Keep to a colour scheme
(Image credit: Future PLC/Claire Lloyd Davies)
If you have a clear idea of the colours you like for your borders – it’s a good trick to start with three, a neutral, a deep and a contrast, for instance, white, blue and yellow – you’ll be able to easily start to choose which plants will work well.
However, if you’re stuck for inspiration, you might want to look into how much a garden designer costs. Often, garden designers will draw up just a planting plan for a fixed fee, which should give you lots of expert guidance to get going.
12. Follow a path with purpose
(Image credit: Future PLC/Colin Poole)
A natural home for borders is either side of a garden path idea.
There are lots of quick and simple ways to create a path, one of the easiest and most inexpensive being to lay gravel. However, if you’re keen to put down a more permanent pathway that will stand out as a strong design feature, perhaps in brick or stone, you might need to consider garden landscaping costs.
13. Don’t be afraid to add drama
(Image credit: Future PLC)
The best borders should offer a surprise. So contrast dramatic exotic shapes such as banana trees, rounded hummocks, spires and ‘see-through’ shapes. Check out the latest garden trends for inspiration. 'But don’t use too many different plants - restrict your choice of varieties, repeating them rhythmically at intervals,' says Annelise Brill, a horticultural expert at Thompson & Morgan .
A good rule of (green) thumb is to add border plants in odd numbers as this will help to create a pleasing sense of continuation. Sarah Raven says that she never plants just one of each kind of plant: 'Ideally more like three or five so you have impact and pizzazz, rather than an overall fussy and dotty effect.
'
14. Learn to love naturalistic planting
(Image credit: Future PLC)
If you’re worried about a border requiring constant maintenance, embrace naturalistic wildlife and pollinator-friendly planting. If you're after a cottage garden idea, this could be the option for you. At RHS Chelsea in 2022, garden designer Ruth Wilmott proved it was possible to plant a wonderfully relaxed garden that also followed precise design rules.
She interpreted the ‘Trellis’ and ‘Willow Bough’ patterns of Arts & Crafts maestro William Morris with borders filled with a dazzling array of cottage garden favourites such as roses, acanthus, meadowsweet, wild strawberries, jasmine, and wild honeysuckle.
15. Put pots in borders for instant impact
(Image credit: Future PLC / Claire Lloyd-Davies)
A quick fix for any border, especially in the awkward times in-between seasons, is to play with the potential of pots. To make pots work effectively in borders, you need to think about how to enhance the bigger picture.
Avoid cluttering up with too many small planters. Go for impact, with stately palms or bright displays of tulips in springtime.
'Use the biggest possible pots if you want to enhance your borders - as large as you can possibly afford and fit in the space,' says Sarah Raven. 'Raise them up on a plinth or top them with a woven silver birch or tied bamboo cane tepee, which you can cover with one of the quickly-growing annual climbers such as Thunbergias, impoaeas, cobaea or rhodochiton.' This added height is a great trick to use for small garden ideas, where planting space is at a premium.
16. Make the most of shady borders
(Image credit: Endless Summer Hydrangeas / National Garden Bureau)
Don’t discount shady, north-facing garden ideas or overlooked spaces which could be transformed by being turned into a border. Chose planting carefully, paying particular attention to whether you have ‘dry’ or ‘damp’ shade, as shade-loving plants such as ferns and hostas are often fussy in this regard.
If you’re keen to add colour, easy-to-care-for hydrangeas are a good choice; white blooms against glossy green foliage look especially effective.
17. Add an edging
(Image credit: B&Q)
There are garden edging ideas that can run along a border. These include: forming a natural ‘dip’ between planted-up soil and the lawn with a hoe, laying easy-to-use log rolling, or building low brick, stone, slate or rendered walls, typically painted in a complementary or contrasting colour to the planting scheme.
Always add a clear edging to a border - even if it ends up overwhelmed with vigorous plants - or it will lack foundation and end up looking formless. A clear border edging idea will also make it easier to mow the lawn, especially with the best lawn mower to hand.
18. Plan for year-round planting
(Image credit: The Grass People)
The holy grail of border design is to create a display that looks good whatever the time of year.
This can be a challenge, especially with a new border that will take time to establish itself.
Think of your late autumn/winter border as a framework. 'Start by allowing space for plenty of evergreen foliage such as ivy, boxus and hebe,' says Annelise Brill, from Thompson & Morgan. 'And remember, when you’re planning, to leave several holes for bulbs and annuals, which you can plant throughout the year in drifts to add extra colour, even in the gloomiest months of January and February.'
How do I create a garden border on a budget?
Creating a garden border which looks good, has structure and will provide foliage and colour all year round doesn’t have to break the bank. To stick to your garden budget ideas, don’t feel like you need to create a whole new border, simply sprucing up your existing one will bring a new lease of life to your garden.
‘If you are using planting to create a border, consider choosing flowers that may not necessarily be on trend to keep things less expensive,’ says Lewis Darley, content creator at NeoTimber .
Jenny Davis, marketing manager at Forest Garden says, ‘Decide how much space you want to dedicate to a border and then get digging. Taking on all the labour yourself will keep costs to a minimum and will allow you to invest all your budget in materials including good quality soil, a selection of seeds and plants and a structure or two around which you can plan your border.’
How do you structure a garden border?
‘Generally you would have the low plants at the front and gradually increase in height until you have the tallest at the back but, if you have wide borders, you can inject some height towards the centre of the border,’ says Angela Slater gardening expert at Hayes Garden World .
'Leave the border for the first year and make a note of any gaps then fill the front with seasonal bulbs and any gaps towards the back can be filled with taller perennials. Try and evenly space out the evergreens and shrubs so when the herbaceous perennials have died back in winter you still have some interest.
'Shop regularly for plants so that you have something flowering or is interesting over the whole of the year. Some of the herbaceous perennials can be left uncut over the winter as the stems and seed heads look beautiful when covered in frost.’
And don’t forget, a border is only as good as what it grows in. Keep the soil fertile with lots of organic matter dug well in a few months before the growing season; manure is ideal. Add liquid seaweed food to add nutrients to the soil and encourage flowering during summer/early autumn. And always add a nurturing layer of mulch; the best mulch is homegrown compost from plant and kitchen vegetable/fruit waste, made in a compost bin with waste from your garden.
How do you create a low maintenance border?
Work with nature, not against it. Start with the soil conditions and orientation then choose your plants, not the other way around.
'Focus on foliage not flowers,' says Annelise Brill from Thompson & Morgan. 'Foliage shape, texture and colour are enduring and low-maintenance qualities whereas flowering performance is fleeting.
Go for evergreen foliage as much as possible.'
Mediterranean plants are great for that because they offer evergreen foliage and flowers, without needing a lot of attention.
How to create an interesting landscape in the garden with borders
In the process of designing a garden plot, quite often the problem arises of how to arrange flower beds and lawns, how to separate them from each other and from paths. Of course, the aesthetic component plays a major role in this action, but the material costs are also important. What will be discussed? Oh curbs! A border is a small height fence that is used to shape flower beds, lawns, to frame paths, playgrounds. Moreover, the function of the borders is not limited to aesthetics. Also, the curb performs a protective purpose: it protects against destruction, washing out, etc. The variety of their shapes, configurations, price ratios will allow you not only to equip the territory with high quality, but also to realize your ideas exactly, and, possibly, to discover new design solutions landscape.
As mentioned above, the direct purpose of the border is to limit, underline, frame. Therefore, in the process of designing territories that need separation, borders cannot be dispensed with.
It should be noted that the height of the curbs may vary depending on their purpose and the final idea of the landscape designer. So, most often there are curbs protruding above the surface of the earth. They can be quite small, or they can be tall. But a size of more than 25 cm is considered to be no longer a border, but a fence or a fence. In order to emphasize the shape of a lawn or site, borders recessed into the ground are used (the depth of their location does not exceed 20 cm). In garden plots, it is most convenient to place borders that are flush with the ground. They retain all their protective and aesthetic functions, and at the same time do not interfere with the movement and movement of equipment on the surface.
When choosing a suitable border, you need to focus on the layout of your site.
As you know, sometimes even the most unexpected materials can serve as a border material. Therefore, it is very important to think about the combination in advance.
As practice shows, the most popular is the geometric arrangement of lawns, in which it is comfortable to mow the grass. In such cases, the curb used is laid only along strict lines. Its color, texture should be in accordance with the general appearance of the site or house. It is even better when the border and finishing materials of the building have the same features. In this case, the landscape will have a harmonious and natural look. For such options, a standard concrete curb is suitable, which can be of different colors, have rounded or rectangular edges, etc.
Concrete curb
You can use a long, curved border to create a sense of movement in your landscape.
Snake border
If you prefer to visually make your garden look older, then curbs can be made from old bricks or limestone.
These materials are quickly overgrown with moss, which undoubtedly creates the effect of antiquity.
Rectangular concrete block curbs of various sizes are widely used. Their laying can be done both on the edge and on the wide part. It is worth noting here that the combination of rectangular blocks looks best with regular shaped lawns. For a variety of this design, you can use pebbles, which are poured into the gaps between the blocks.
An ordinary concrete border is well suited for decorating areas of regular shape, with straight lines. But what if you want something elegant, unusual? Here various materials will come to the rescue, which are successfully used in the practice of landscape design. For example, very often you can find a mosaic border. It is made from broken tiles, ceramic dishes, glass, which are added to the mortar for making borders. Of course, in this case, you need to carefully consider the combination so that in the future your border does not have an unsightly appearance, but becomes a real masterpiece.
Mosaic border
In addition, an interesting solution is the manufacture of a brick border, which is dug into the ground. The brick can be arranged in different sequences, at different angles, with different heights. At the end of the work, you can resort to using paint and add even more color to your exterior.
Brick border
Also, creative designers suggest using wicker borders. For example, from willow twigs. Yes, the work is not easy, but the view will be amazing.
Braided borders
Also curbs are made of boulders and sandstone. This material has a very organic look. Its only drawback is that weeds grow in the cracks between the sandstone slabs and are quite inconvenient to weed out. Although there is a solution here: the gaps can be filled with a cement mixture or the use of special materials under the base.
As for boulders, when laying such a curb, it is advisable to select flat stones of identical size and make the gaps between them as small as possible. If the border is made from natural stone, then it is better to choose specimens of approximately the same size. Firstly, it is more convenient to work with them, and, secondly, such a fence will have a more harmonious look.
Natural stone border
A common material for a garden border is metal. It well protects against the growth of the root system of some plants, which often leads to the destruction of paths and decor. It is made of steel, copper, aluminum, stainless steel in the form of a tape, which is 10-15 cm in the ground and 1-2 above the surface. Recently, a new invention has appeared for arranging garden areas. This is a plastic border. This is very convenient in the sense that such a border can be given any shape. This is its first advantage. Secondly, the service life of such a curb, as you understand, is quite longer than even a concrete structure.
In the installation of a plastic curb, everything is also simple: it is fixed on anchors buried in the ground.
Plastic curb
Well, the simplest border is wooden. Of course, ordinary boards can be used for its installation, but after a while this is fraught with a loss of appearance. The tree can rot, blacken, various insects can start in it. Therefore, it is preferable to choose a wooden beam with a special antiseptic impregnation. Also on sale are special logs that are already interconnected. Such designs are specifically designed to reduce the time spent on installing wooden curbs. An interesting solution here is the use of "stumps". These are sawn logs, which can have either the same or different heights. When making it yourself, do not forget that wood, like no other material, is exposed to external factors. Therefore, do not save on processing from bugs and decay.
Stump border
Well, one cannot help but recall that the plants themselves can serve as a border.
The protective function from them will not be enough. But here, as for the exquisite appearance, here they are the first assistants. The most popular representatives of flora for landscape design are: decorative onions, basil, tarragon, mint, parsley, sage, etc. They will not only be a means of decoration, but with proper care they will provide you with a good harvest.
Summing up, I would like to say that the choice of design options for your garden plot or house territory is limited only by the flight of fancy. Thousands of solutions, which often do not require huge financial costs, but only a little skill, patience and knowledge, will allow you to create a cozy corner of your dreams. At the same time, of course, you should immediately decide whether you are dealing with this issue on your own or trust specialists. In the latter case, we recommend that you choose one manufacturer, and even better, if you purchase materials from the same collection, batch. If you settled on the option of using the services of a landscape designer who will deal with the entire process from start to finish, specify all the details at once.
Well, taking responsibility for the design and arrangement on our shoulders, we can only wish you good luck!
Garden ideas
Borders in the garden - a garden curb in landscape design
Spacious garden with a fountain and a gazebo
Photo from the portfolio of completed landscape works from the Garden Labyrinth team. Here you can see photos of the spacious space we have created…
Read more
Our garden “Fairytale world on the outskirts of Orel…
With the kind permission of the Houzz editors, we are reprinting this wonderful work by HouzzRU's regular contributor, art historian and interior decorator…
Read more
Townhouse garden. Our work
Photos of the garden near the townhouse from the Garden Labyrinth Landscape Portfolio.
Here are the photos of the townhouse garden we created…
Details
The zest of the garden - stream zone with decking, patio…
We bring to your attention Portfolio from the Garden Labyrinth team. The highlight of this garden is the stream area with decking, patio and building…
Details
Garden with cascading ponds. Our work
Portfolio work from "Garden Labyrinth" - Garden with cascading ponds on three levels. We have created communicating cascading multi-level gardens on the plot…
More
There is a place for everything in a large garden
We offer you a photo from the Portfolio of the Garden Labyrinth team. In the large garden we found a place for a pond and a pool paved with clinker bricks…
More
Garden labyrinth with pergola and fire. Our…
Photos from our Landscape Portfolio.
We offer you a photo of the garden labyrinth created by us with a pergola with girlish grapes ...
Read more
Garden display for Lorberg Nursery…
Our Garden Company completed the concept and landscaping of a garden mini-exhibit at the Moscow Flower Show international exhibition…
Read more
Our garden is the winner of Moscow Flower…
Our garden "Labyrinth of Dreams" - the winner of the Moscow Flower Show 2013 and the winner of the Best in show award. A few photos of the garden, and awards that…
Read more
Moscow Flower Show 2013
Garden "Labyrinth of Dreams" - the winner at the exhibition of gardens Moscow Flower Show 2013. Our landscaping work was awarded the gold medal and the Best in Show prize…
More details
Designer gardens "Garden Labyrinth". Growing crops in your own garden is very exciting and rewarding…
More
Pond for contemplation
Photo of one of our works "Pond for contemplation".
Two-level pond on butyl rubber film with a cascade was created using pond equipment ...
More
Landscaping. Introduction
Elaboration of the general concept of landscape design and proper zoning of the garden is the first step on the way to competent improvement and landscaping of the site…
Read more
What is landscape design?
Fashion term or true art? Since ancient times, people have depended on nature and in order to survive, it was necessary to live in accordance with its laws.…
Read more0076
It is with the landscaping work that the implementation of the garden project begins. Terrain work, marking paths and areas, installation of small architectural… Most often, wild stone, brick or concrete is used for retaining walls. When choosing a stone for cladding…
Read more
Retaining walls.
Our work We invite you to look at the photos of some of our work related to the design and construction of retaining walls. Retaining walls are used…
Read more
Golf Courses
Everyone spends their free time differently, but today more and more people talk about the benefits of outdoor activities. Many people try to the best of their ability…
Read more
Ponds and reservoirs
What could be more attractive than water? The noise of a waterfall and the murmur of a stream, the majestic surface of a large pond and the clear waters of a small pond…
More
Arrangement of a pond in the garden. Steps and materials…
Building a pond on the site: learning to avoid mistakes A garden pond will certainly become a real decoration of the garden and will give a lot of positive emotions in…
More
The process of creating a pond on film
Photos of the process of building an artificial film reservoir with a large wooden patio and a gazebo in the forest.
Stages of creating a large promenade…
Read more
How we build ponds and ponds
The process of building ponds and ponds in photographs. Garden company "Garden Labyrinth" has extensive experience in the construction of natural and artificial…
More
Ponds and reservoirs. Our works
Ponds, reservoirs, water cascades, waterfalls and fountains created by the Garden Labyrinth team. Our work on the improvement of gardens and parks for various ...
More
Garden fountains
According to the definition of the Great Soviet Encyclopedia, a fountain is “a structure that serves as a base or frame for jets that beat up or flow down ...
More details
garden
How to create a garden waterfall with your own hands Near water, any person feels peace and tranquility. Psychotherapists prescribe to their patients…
Read more
Paving garden paths
The overall impression of landscape design depends on many factors, and the right material for creating paths and alleys will give the garden a unique…
Read more
Garden paths.
Our works Paving of garden paths with various materials. Photos of the works of the "Garden Labyrinth". If you are interested in the topic of garden paving, you will find an interesting ...
More
Paving with clinker bricks. Our works
Paving of paths and platforms with clinker bricks.
More
Decking - wooden decking
Decking - wooden decking in garden design Wooden flooring is traditionally used for terraces and decks, verandas and patios…
More
Patios, terraces and decking. Our works
A patio, terrace and decking on a country plot or in a townhouse can become an indispensable landscape node of the territory.
Read more
Garden steps
Usually steps in the garden appear as a necessary constructive element of landscape design, associated with the features of the relief and if applied to…
Read more
Garden stairs.
Our works Practically in any garden or park with a difference in relief, it is necessary to design and build garden stairs and individual steps. Stairs in gardens are not…
More
Garden borders. Our works
Borders or curbs help the landscape designer to separate areas with different textures from each other, to mark the boundaries between different surfaces ...
More
Mulching and decorative backfilling
Decorative mulching was widely used in their parks and gardens by Eastern nobles and European nobility.
Read more
Small architectural forms
For prudent and competent use of the territory of your site, our architects offer different options for zoning the designed garden…
Read more
Small architectural forms of our production…
Portfolio of small architectural forms (SAF) from the Garden Labyrinth team.
Here you can see some of our design and…
Read more
Small architectural forms. Our work
Small Architectural Forms (SAF), designed, built and installed by the Garden Labyrinth team. If you are interested in the topic of design...
More
Garden pavilions and arbors from Germany
We present to your attention garden pavilions and arbors from Germany. We supply gazebos and pavilions for the garden with a one-day installation period. Order…
Read more
Garden gazebo arrangement
How to arrange a garden gazebo Decided to create a cozy shady corner on the site? Is your imagination already drawing secluded gatherings with a cup of mint tea? So…
Read more
Selection of garden furniture
Choose garden furniture wisely When choosing garden furniture for your site, remember that it will be exposed to moisture.
Give…
Read more
Outdoor Fireplaces and Barbecues
Our Gardening Company has developed the theme of outdoor cooking and outdoor recreation in detail. Architects of the Garden Labyrinth…
Read more
Barbecues, barbecues and outdoor stoves made of bricks…
Barbecues, barbecues and outdoor stoves made of bricks. Our architects and designers think over places for recreation, gatherings of large companies and street cooking…
Read more
Photo of the construction of a barbecue and an outdoor stove…
The process of building a kitchen complex in the garden, consisting of a stationary outdoor barbecue, a hand-moulded Dutch brick oven, a comfortable working…
Read more
Sports fields
Sports ground both financially and in size. Regardless of the choice of surface for the sports field, the…
Read more
Portfolio of sports fields
We present you the photos of the sports grounds we have built.
A sports ground in a suburban area can be a universal facility, where it is always…
More
Children's playgrounds
The need for a children's or sports ground in the backyard is due to the presence of children and or the sports activity of the inhabitants…
More
Rock gardens. Our works
In this selection of photos you will see some of the rock gardens created by the Garden Labyrinth team. We mainly design rock gardens…
Read more
10 ideas on how to make the garden a place of relaxation for…
If you want to spend time on your plot with the whole family, getting real pleasure from it, you should think over all the details in advance and lay out the plot…
Read more
Landscaping
Plants are the backbone of a garden, and landscaping plays a central role in landscape design.
Green spaces allow you to create harmony between nature…
Read more
Lawn
Choosing and creating a lawn - three main rules The first rule is a harmonious combination of the lawn with other design elements of the site and located…
More
Lawns. Our works
The lawn is an integral part of the garden and park ensemble. Our gardening company produces work on the manufacture of lawns for various purposes. Among…
Details
Flower Garden
Beautiful flowering plants have been used by people since ancient times. Palaces and temples were decorated with flowers, they were used at holidays and in ritual…
Read more
Flower beds. Our works
A flower garden is an excellent decorative and compositional tool for creating a special atmosphere of an exquisite garden. On this page you can see…
Read more
Flowerbed
Flower beds are called flower beds, which have a geometrically regular shape.
Flower beds are round, square, oval, etc. Very often flower beds…
Read more
How to arrange a flower bed
A beautiful flower bed that blooms from May to October Do you want to arrange a flower bed that attracts attention with its colors from May to October? It's not difficult, you have to ...
More
Mixborder
The most famous type of flower garden is a mixborder (mixed border) Mixborders are mixed plantings of flowering and decorative leafy plants…
More
Mixborders. Our works
Mixborder (mixed border) is the most popular type of garden flower bed. This selection of photos shows some of the mixborders created by the team…
More details
Rosary
Rosary - the "royal" highlight of the garden Roses have one wonderful quality: to give nobility and graceful severity to everything they touch .
..
More
Rosaries. Our works
Roses in the garden are a feeling of constant celebration. The rose is the only perennial plant that has such a long flowering period. Variety…
More details
Hedge
Hedge - protection and decoration of the garden A high stone or log fence, of course, looks impressive and solid. But, you must admit, it is unlikely…
Read more
Hedge. Our works
Photo of hedges created by us from seedlings of plants and finished trees and shrubs. Hedges come in both deciduous and coniferous varieties, such as…
Read more
How to create a hedge
Gardening Tip: How to create a low hedge? Even a small, well-kept garden plot is hard to imagine without man-made…
Read more
Wild grape wall
Wild grape fire in autumn Autumn gardens amaze with an abundance of colors and shades.
Want to add passion and fire to this variety? Then the idea...
Read more
Ornamental grasses
Read more
Rhododendrons and azaleas. Our works
In this Portfolio we offer to look at the photos of plantings of rhododendrons and azaleas created by the Garden Labyrinth team.
Read more
Winter gardens from Germany, England and Denmark
We bring to your attention a lot of photos of stand-alone greenhouses and attached premium quality winter gardens. We supply winter…
More details
Winter garden
To build a winter garden Grigory saved up his life and the garden turned out to be famous Winter lasts in Central Russia…
Details
Garden engineering
Modern garden construction is impossible without engineering solutions.
Even in ancient times, when creating gardens and parks, great attention was paid to…
Read more
Automatic watering
Shiny sprinkler over the lawn Rose up and the jet rushed It's scary to think how blindly I trust Automatic watering We live in an interesting time. Time,…
Read more
Automatic watering. Our works
A selection of photos of automatic plant watering systems designed and installed by our team. We design and install automatic…
Read more
Drainage and storm water
Even though I’m doing the landscaping of the site I’ve been a professor for many years There is a word that scares me “Drainage” it sounds normal In central Russia, especially…
Read more
Garden lighting
Methods for garden lighting at night Emergency garden lighting Isn't it much easier to insert the key into the lock of even a dimly lit gate than to do…
More
Garden lighting device.
Our work… Night shots of a garden equipped by the Garden Labyrinth team. In this garden night lighting project, we managed to find the right one…
Read more
Garden lighting. Our works
Garden lighting is an indispensable element of landscape engineering, whether it is six acres or fifty-six hectares.
More details
Night garden design
How to design a night garden design Being engaged in the design of the garden, we think through to the smallest detail and the night nuances of landscape design. A beautiful garden is quite possible…
Read more
Music in the garden
The garden company "Garden Labyrinth", in addition to landscape design, can offer you a unique service - music in the garden
Read more
Stylistics of gardens
Historical review of garden styles Landscape gardening art was born far from today and even more than one thousand years ago, it is rooted in a deep .
..
More details
Avant-garde garden style
Avant-garde garden - an experiment for the brave Do you want to surprise your neighbors and delight your guests? Arrange an avant-garde garden on your plot…
Read more
Monastic garden style
Monastic style garden – a return to the roots The monastic style in garden design in recent years is experiencing a surge of interest among the owners of country houses.0076
Urban style garden - an island of peace Original, dynamic and mobile are the main characteristics of an urban style garden. Original –…
More details
Rustic garden style
Rustic style garden – rustic charm The basis of a rustic garden landscape is naturalness and uncomplicated…
More details
Colonial garden style
Colonial style garden – casual luxury The era of geographical discoveries of the 5th - 7th centuries led to the fact that the greatest maritime empires of that time .
..
More details
Dutch garden style
Dutch garden The Dutch garden has its own unique traditions. As a rule, this is a small garden with a well-groomed lawn in the center. In a classic…
More
Art Nouveau style
Art Nouveau garden – laconic luxury Modern is one of the world's most popular styles in architecture, interiors and landscape design. And that's quite…
Read more
Regular style
Regular style - handmade chic If the landscape styles of gardens allow nature to rage and grow, then the regular style reflects the power of man ...
More
Regular garden
Photographs of a regular garden from the Garden Labyrinth landscape portfolio. Front area with a central flower bed decorated with bonsai. Indoor…
More
Japanese garden
Japanese garden is a very popular solution for decorating a small space.
An original miniature garden with bridges and umbrellas, lanterns…
More details
English landscape style
Free and unpredictable English landscape style At the beginning of the 18th century, the famous English architect Sir John Vanbrough, building…
Details
Gardens of Italy
Italian style — variations on the theme of the regular style. The Italian garden is restrained and laconic, which makes it quite suitable for the Russian landscape…
More details
Modern landscape labyrinths
Traditional regular and landscape gardens have been replaced by complex openwork forms, unusual combinations and an innovative approach. Modern landscape landscapes…
Details
Green labyrinths made of corn
Dedicated to fans of mystical crop circles and "Children of the Corn": huge labyrinth drawings laid in corn thickets.
