Planting schemes for borders
Garden borders: 25 ideas for the perfect planting scheme
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(Image credit: Future)
By Matt James
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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.
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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.
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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.
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- 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 planting ideas: 6 stunning layouts to try
(Image credit: Sarah-fiona Helme / Alamy Stock Photo)
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By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.It can be tricky knowing where to start with garden border planting ideas. It’s so tempting to go to the nursery on a sunny day and buy a variety of plants that you like the look of, without researching what they will work well with or where they will thrive.
As a garden designer, that's where I come in. As designers, we think of gardens as a whole, creating areas that share a common visual language and planting schemes with different environments in mind.
With a little bit of know-how, however, you can use the same approach as a garden designer in your outdoor space to create stunning garden borders that will suit your plot, the weather conditions and the space you have available.
To help you create the best possible planting scheme, our garden border planting ideas includes six different options for a range of plots.
So whether you have a hot and sunny garden border or a more shaded spot you'll find a layout to suit your space.
Each layout idea includes a list of key plants to include in your planting scheme, along with information on where to place them in the border to create the best effect. Whether you're transforming an existing border or creating a new one from scratch, it's a simple, easy-to-follow method.
Transform your plot with our 6 easy-to-follow garden border planting ideas
Your garden borders are a key consideration for how to plan your garden design with a specific look and feel, so it's worth spending the time getting them right.
The layouts for our six different garden border planting ideas are for a 3x6.5ft (1x2m) space, but this can be scaled up or down depending on the size of your plot.
1. A scented border for light shade
(Image credit: Future)
List of key plants:
- Hyacinth orientalis ‘Delft Blue’
- Daphne ‘Perfume Princess'
- Lavandula angustifolia ‘Felice’
- Osmanthus delavayi
Perhaps it’s because we can’t see it, but scent is often overlooked when it comes to garden design.
However a garden without fragrance isn’t fulfilling its potential. Your outdoor space should delight all your senses, and this border is created to have something flowering throughout the year that offers just that.
Most of the plants I’ve chosen are fairly hardy, but the border will do best in a spot that has light shade for at least some of the day, and that doesn’t get waterlogged.
Daphne ‘Perfume Princess’
(Image credit: Tom Meaker / Alamy Stock Photo)
Learning how to plant a border for year round color involves ensuring you have a strong main structural plant as part of your garden border planting ideas. In this design the plant is a Daphne odora ‘Perfume Princess’. Like most daphnes, it doesn’t like its roots getting dry - so make sure you keep them well watered during the hotter months.
Put your Hyacinth orientalis near a garden path so you can enjoy its amazing scent. Both the daphne and Osmanthus will appreciate a good mulching once a year.
Make sure you cut some of those stems off every now and again to enjoy the scent indoors! Add sweet peas, Lathyrus odoratus ‘Oxford Blue’ and Lathyrus odoratus ‘Charlie’s Angel’, into the border in the summer to complement the lavender both in color and scent.
2. An evergreen border
(Image credit: Future)
List of key plants:
- Bergenia ‘Ice Queen’
- Sarcococca hookeriana 'Winter Gem'
- Heuchera ‘Black Beauty’
- Pachysandra terminalis
There’s no two ways about it, shade gardens can be a bit of a challenge. So much so that people often write off a shady part of the plot as their sad corner, and use them as a dumping ground for bicycles, bonfires or sheds. But there are so many beautiful shade loving plants which will thrive in these areas.
I imagine this scheme would be particularly useful down the side of a house or a front drive where you want evergreens that are easy to grow but also something to enjoy in terms of smell and flowers.
The Sarcococca's common name is ‘Sweet box’ and its smell is divine, particularly as it shows up in the depths of winter when we often need cheering up the most.
Sarcococca hookeriana 'Winter Gem' is perfect for a shaded border
(Image credit: Matthew Taylor / Alamy Stock Photo)
Light pruning will help the Sarcococca to keep its shape. Remove faded flower spikes and watch out vine weevil, which can attack heuchera.
Deadheading flowers after they have faded from the Bergenia and applying a slow-release fertilizer around the plant will keep it healthy. Lift and divide large clumps in early spring as these can get quite carried away.
Place the Sarcococca near the edge of your path so you can enjoy its scent in the winter. If you add in the Anemone blanda, put it under a tree or a shrub - it's a good low maintenance ground cover plant which will create a lovely carpet of flowers for you in the spring.
3. A gravel border for a dry, sunny spot
(Image credit: Future)
List of key plants:
- Stipa tenuissima
- Geum ‘Mai Tai’
- Iris ‘Alaska’
- Euphorbia characias subsp.
Wulfenii
Gravel gardens aren’t just for the Mediterranean. Here, in this little border plan, a mix of peachy oranges and zesty greens rustle together to create an ethereal, low-maintenance scheme as well as a great garden gravel idea.
This is an increasingly popular style of planting, as it requires little irrigation and by using a gravel mulch you can help the soil retain its moisture at the same time as keeping weeds at bay.
This is ideal for putting in raised beds where you can enjoy the sway of grasses from both inside or outside the house, but really it will work in most sunny, dry spots, particularly in a south-facing garden and the drought tolerant plants will be quite happy in relatively poor soil.
Euphorbia characias subsp. Wulfenii
(Image credit: Alamy)
Give the plants space; this is not a crowded herbaceous border but a lighter touch planting scheme that let’s each species sing. Unlike bigger, tougher grasses, Stipa tenuissima doesn’t need an annual chop; instead, pull your fingers through it gently, every now and again, to remove any dead parts.
Deadhead the Geum regularly in the summer to prolong the flowering period. Experiment with seeds and bulbs too – another good addition to this border would be alliums or nerine for color before and after summer.
Choose a light, bright gravel as your ‘mulch’ layer; this will make the colors in the border really pop.
4. A sunny prairie-style border
(Image credit: Future)
List of key plants:
- Sanguisorba ‘Tanna’
- Carex testacea ‘Prairie Fire’
- Molinia caerulea subsp. Arundinacea ‘Transparent’
- Echinacea purpurea
Inspired by the prairies of North America (parts of which have a similar climate to areas of the UK), prairie-style planting is increasingly popular due to its matrix of colors and textures, and its natural, unmanicured look. Like a wildflower meadow, these landscapes are loose and relaxed, and there isn’t any formal topiary in sight.
Most of the plants chosen here are versatile and will work on clay and chalk soils, but will appreciate free draining soil.
A spot in full sun will get you the best results.
Sanguisorba 'Tanna'
(Image credit: Lois GoBe / Alamy Stock Photo)
Give the Molinia lots of space and keep an eye on it as it establishes so it doesn’t get overshadowed by the other plants. You can just cut the plants in this scheme back once a year in early spring; Sanguisorba in particular looks beautiful through the winter thanks to its floaty seedheads.
The poppies can be sown in fall, and will add to that more random feel as they’ll surprise you where they come up. Having said that, be careful not to be too diligent with your weeding and accidentally take the poppies out!
Repeat this scheme over a bigger scale for even more drama, mixing in dogwoods and allium bulbs for scale and more color across the seasons.
5. Cottage garden-style border
(Image credit: Future)
List of key plants:
- Thalicturm delavayi ‘Hewit’s Double’
- Tiarella 'Sky Rocket'
- Geranium 'Orion'
- Alcea rosea ‘Halo Blush’
Colorful, wild, rambling, inviting… this is a romantic look which many people strive to emulate in the their garden border planting ideas.
And while the best cottage garden plants that we associate with it can be used in many settings, it’s only when they’re carefully combined that they create that romantic look.
Plenty of light and sun will make this border easy to grow and care for. Most of the plants here will tolerate partial shade and most slightly acidic, slightly alkaline or neutral soils.
Tiarella 'Pink Skyrocket'
(Image credit: Anne Gilbert / Alamy Stock Photo)
This isn’t a scheme for the faint hearted, with lots of bold colors mixing in with each other, but it’s certainly cheery! Divide the geranium after a few years if it's getting too big for its boots.
Go big with the bulbs (most of the plants in this scheme flower in the summer) and they will reward you with fab spring color. The Alcea rosea ‘halo’ is one of the bigger hollyhocks, so position yours on the side of the flowerbed especially if you have a view behind you want to maintain
Add some climbing roses in if you repeat this across a bigger space, using obelisks for them to climb – or a wall, if you have a sunny south-facing one.
6. Easy low-maintenance border
(Image credit: Future)
List of key plants:
- Pittosporum tobira ‘Nanum’
- Hydrangea arborscens ‘Strong Annabelle’
- Miscanthus sinensis
- Geranium Dreamland ‘Bremdream’
Lots of us want nothing more than a stunning low maintenance garden, and there are plenty of ways to achieve this. Usually evergreen shrubs are a good bet, as they do their thing and don’t need much help (except for the occasional pruning).
But if you want something with a little more interest in it, this border is a good start; and still very low key in terms of care thanks to its mix of shrubs and grasses and long flowering perennials.
This scheme would like full sun but tolerate part shade. As for the conditions, just make sure it’s not somewhere too windy, or the hydrangeas will get battered.
White Hydrangea arborescens 'Strong Annabelle'
(Image credit: Botany vision / Alamy Stock Photo)
When landscaping with grasses it's important to give the Miscanthus plenty of space and try to put it in a spot where it gets a good amount of sun.
Leave the flower heads on the hydrangeas over winter, their golden colors will look fantastic against the tall, textured Miscanthus.
Keep the Pittisporum nice and rounded to contrast the height and spread of the other plants. The Muscari baby’s breath smells divine so put it somewhere you can enjoy it!
If you enjoy this scheme and want to try something a bit higher in maintenance, this would work really well combined with the prairie-style border in a bigger space.
When is the best time of year to plan a new garden border layout?
Fall can be a great time to be planning your borders for the following spring and summer. Not only are the bare root plants and trees available to buy now much less expensive, but you will be giving your new border plenty of time to get its roots in, at the same time as sowing seeds and planting bulbs.
But garden centres will have stocks of ready grown plants year round so you can add to your garden design ideas in an instant, no matter what the time of year.
Tabi is the founder of TJG Gardens, a London-based design practice who work across the UK and abroad. With a reputation for textured, vibrant and informal planting schemes and rich, characterful gardens, Tabi enjoys sharing her love for the natural world with her clients. Her favourite projects are those that benefit humans and wildlife alike; in the studio, improving biodiversity and a client’s enjoyment of their outdoor space go hand in hand.
As well as designing big and small gardens in the city and the countryside, Tabi writes about nature, design and gardening for the Financial Times, Country Life, The Telegraph, House and Garden and Ideal Home.
Framing the path with flowers - the scheme of planting a flower border
Contents ✓
- ✓ Place in the stalls
- ✓ Flowers vertical
- ✓ mysterious ferns
- ✓ LANDING PLAN
Spectacular framing of flowers along the path or in front of the house will add bright colors to the design of your garden.
We propose to create a picturesque border that will complete the compositions.
In almost every garden there is a narrow strip of land in front of the house, which is mostly in the shade. Without plants or other decor options, it looks mostly dull, although there is a solution for such difficult areas! Create a floral border with annuals and perennials that can remain attractive even in the shade. For a vertical accent, plants can be added in hanging pots or planted in containers and placed symmetrically along a walkway or building wall.
Reference by topic: Do-it-yourself lawn framing from annual perennials and low shrubs
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Place in the stalls
Balsams, ferns,
ever-flowering begonia, hybrid aquilegia and Fournier fraying, which we will discuss in more detail. This herbaceous rhizomatous plant is still not very common in our gardens, although it grows well in partial shade, it is distinguished by bright and very long flowering.
Coloring "velvety flowers, by the way, very similar to gloxinia, can be different, there are quite a lot of varieties, there are ampelous ones with a height of only 20 cm. It is grown through seedlings, in the middle lane it is planted in open ground in early June. The plant was first discovered in India and China, currently popular species such as yellow fraying, Fournier fraying. It is worth paying attention to the varieties of the Summer Wave, Clown, Panda, Dushess series. In open sunny areas, you need to water more often!
Vertical flowers
For planting in hanging planters, it is recommended to use fuchsia, begonia, periwinkle, especially variegated forms. The wall is successfully decorated with girlish grapes triostreny, its foliage looks especially beautiful in autumn.
To decorate a wall or porch, you can plant various annual vines, such as morning glory or fashionable kobe, which is decorated with giant lemon or purple bell flowers. Its numerous stems can reach a length of 6 m; with the help of antennae, the kobe quickly clings to any support.
Mystery Ferns
In the most shaded places, plant a fern, such as a multi-row top-fruited. This short-rhizome fern overwinters well in our conditions, grows well in moderately moist, fertile garden soil with good drainage. Decorative fronds will add volume and amazing contrast to the composition. Varieties of the Nippon nomad are distinguished by their original silvery fronds, giving the plantings a mysterious look.
Quite often, the common ostrich is used in the design of the garden; it is a large fern with a thick vertical rhizome. The fronds of this species, similar to the green feathers of an ostrich, look very original in the garden, but it grows quickly and captures the territory, so its growth must be limited, plantings should be thinned out every two years.
LANDING PLAN
1. - multi-row top-fruited, 3 pcs.
2 - hybrid aquilegia, 2 pcs.
3 - balsam (touchy), 11 pcs.
4 - ever flowering begonia, 6 pcs.
5 - Fournier fraying, 6 pcs.
See also: Flowers along the path (photo) - which ones to plant?
Walkway flower border - what it looks like
For planting ferns, it is better to choose shady or semi / shady areas, shaded from the south or west side, the soil should be loose and moderately nutritious, it is better to mulch the near-stem circle to reduce moisture evaporation, regular and plentiful is very important in the first year after planting
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How much space each perennial needs (planting patterns)
Often, summer residents have a question about how to place flowers in a flower bed and plant shrubs for hedges, which will look more spectacular on an alpine hill.
We tell you how, taking into account the distances between plants, create beauty on the site!
Perennials, like any other crops, need a certain area for proper development. If the roots and the whole plant are crowded, then nutrition is disturbed, the perennial can stretch out strongly, not bloom and get sick. The abundance of plants will become expanse for pests. In addition, excessively thickened areas are not so easy to weed and spray with protective solutions.
If the distance between the flowers is too large, the desired decorative effect is lost. "Bad spots" do not add beauty to plantings and can spoil the mood of the grower. Therefore, it is worth finding the time and planning the planting, marking out a place for each flower crop. Then the result will please for many years!
How much soil do flowers and ornamental shrubs need
Despite the abundance of beds, you always want to leave room for flower beds. But how much land will different types of plants need? The amount of soil for each perennial depends on the size of its root system.
The more powerful it is, the larger the landing area should be.
On average, up to 3 high-growing plants, up to 7 medium-sized plants and up to 11 low-growing plants can be planted per 1 sq.m.
The nature of the plant's growth must also be considered. On this basis, perennials are divided into:
- dense shrubs (echinacea, miscanthus, etc.) - grow slowly; 4-10 plants can be planted per 1 sq.m.
- loose shrubs (day lilies, phloxes, etc.) - grow loose and wide bushes, but do not spread much; per 1 sq.m - 1-4 plants;
- rhizomatous (looseweed, rudbeckia, etc.) - the most aggressive, grow actively and oppress other flowers; 1 plant requires at least 1 sq.m of soil;
- ground covers (thyme, saxifrage, sedum, etc.) – unpretentious, grow slowly, covering the soil with a green carpet; 15-25 plants are planted per 1 sq.m.
Plant plants asymmetrically for a natural look.
Avoid straight lines. Exception: flower beds in a regular style, which are usually laid out in parks and gardens, but if there is space, they can also be placed in the country.
This table will help you calculate the approximate area required for some types of perennials.
| Perennial name | Area (sq.m) | Perennial name | Area (sq.m) |
| Barberry: - tall - undersized |
1.5 0.5 | Vesicle: - medium height - undersized |
1-1.5 0.8 |
| Euonymus | 0.5 | Rhododendron | 1-2 |
| Buddley | 1 | Chubushnik | 0.5-1.5 |
| Weigela | 0. 5 | Boxwood | 0.5-1 |
| Heuchera | 0.3-0.6 | Lilac | 2-3 |
| Hydrangea | 2.5 | Skumpia | 1-1.5 |
| Deren | 1 | Spirea | 0.5-2 |
| Clematis | 0.6-1 | Thuya | 0.5-1.5 |
| Potentilla | 0.3-0.5 | Forsythia | 1-2 |
| Magnolia | 3-5 | Chaenomeles (Japanese quince) | 1-2 |
| Peony | 0.5 | Rosehip | 1-2 |
| Juniper: - conical - ground cover – sprawling |
0.6-1 1.5-2 2-3 | Rose: - flower bed - creeping – spreading low |
0.1-0.3 0. |
25-1 How far to plant flowers and ornamental shrubs
When planting a group of perennials, it is important to maintain a certain distance, which will allow the plants to receive all the necessary nutrients. Watching the flowers, you can see for yourself how they behave, whether they have enough living space for full development and flowering.
Planting errors are easy to correct, because you can transplant or transplant plants. But if you have a weakness for buying lots of seeds and flowers, always try to think about where you plant new garden dwellers. This will keep you from spontaneous purchases, and planting flowers will no longer be associated with the painful search for a place for the next plant.
As for the planting itself, it is important to remember one rule: the higher the plant, the better it grows, the more distance you need to leave around it. On average, dense bush species can be placed at a distance of 20 cm from each other.
Cultures with long rhizomes and creeping shoots - 30 cm or more.
The distance between plants must not be less than 1/3 of the height of mature plants.
According to the way of placement, perennials are divided into three large groups, representatives of which are likely to be found on your site. The first includes defining plants that set the tone for the entire flower garden. Basically, these are tall showy crops - Mordovnik , Weigela , Mock orange , Rogersia , Sumpia , Buddleya , etc.
Smaller, but no less vibrant flowering plants are classified as accompanying perennials. This is, for example, rudbeckia , nivyanik , sedum . They look more modest, but if you land them in groups at a distance of at least 40 cm, they will show themselves in all their glory!
Rudbeckia will look great near the fence
Peonies should not be planted close to each other.
There should be at least 1 m of soil between plants.
The third group includes plants that fill empty spaces in flowerbeds, alpine slides. Astra shrub , cuff , doronicum and some other undersized perennials grow in a beautiful dense carpet. Their bright spots are able to decorate any landing. It is possible to plant such flowers with an interval of up to 25 cm. bushes.
For planting, several types of plants are usually used, the groups of which must also be placed at a certain distance. Let's look at examples of how far away to plant flowers and ornamental shrubs.
At what distance to plant ornamental shrubs for hedges
Hedges protect the site from prying eyes, dust and wind and at the same time have a beneficial effect on the soil. To create such plantings, you can use ornamental trees and shrubs with beautiful small leaves, flowers and bark, dense shoots.
Plants with medicinal properties look great as hedges: barberry , hawthorn , hazel , rosehip .
The distance between them will depend on the purpose of landing. If you need to make a hedge, leave at least 50 cm between seedlings. To get a crop - at least 1 m. Between thujas it is worth leaving at least 0.7 m of soil, between derens - 0.6. When planting, it is important to consider the perennial variety, as well. they differ in height and width.
Plant two rows of plants in a checkerboard pattern to create a dense hedge.
Derain can be replaced by common juniper . Tall plant varieties should be planted at a distance of 1.5-2 m, and low - 0.5-1.5 m from each other. A beautiful low hedge forms spirea . It is better to choose a long-lived one and plant it at a distance of at least 0.4 m between the bushes.
Lilac will decorate any area. Plant it at a distance of at least 1.5 m. When planting in groups of up to 7 pieces, the distance should be at least 2.5 m
To create a hedge, spray roses can also be planted at a distance of up to 3 m between individual bushes.
At what distance should plants be planted in solitary plantings
If a single plant or a compact group of the same species grows on the site, this is a solitary planting. It is quite easy to carry it out, the main thing is that there is enough space in the country. After all, the main goal is to have a good overview from all sides in order to enjoy the beauty of the perennial.
An excellent specimen will be a low tree, a neat shrub or a lush herbaceous perennial. Rhododendron feels great alone, so it will decorate a small lawn or lawn. Also do without neighbors magnolia , forsythia , chaenomeles .
The distance between the tapeworm and the viewpoint must be 2-3 plant heights, otherwise the decorative effect is lost.
You can also plant a few bushes geyher , as shown, for example, in this diagram. Plants grow well, so leave at least 0.6 m between the bushes for development.
Such a composition will not lose its decorative effect for 6-7 years.
At what distance to plant plants in a flower bed
A wide variety of flowers flaunt in flower beds. In the diagram below, we placed elegant buzulnik in the center, and around - peonies , chrysanthemums , asters , irises and phlox . They also indicated how much space should be left between these groups of plants. Do not be afraid to make the distance a little more than indicated on the diagram. Plants grow every year, and they will have room to grow. In addition, weeding the flower bed will also become easier.
Empty spaces between groups of perennials can be filled with annuals: marigolds, petunias, ageratums, etc.
To enjoy flowering all season long, try making an "ever blooming" flower bed!
At what distance to plant perennials in a mixborder
Mixborder is a complex flower garden with several rows and tiers of flowers.
It fits perfectly into almost any style of landscape design. The plants in the mixborder are planted densely enough to produce a lush effect. At the same time, it is worth choosing peaceful plants, without aggressive rhizomes.
Keeping the correct spacing in this planting is not easy, you often have to rely on the recommendations of the crop manufacturer and your own intuition, because perennials can behave unpredictably. Someone will grow in such conditions, someone will not, in any case, you will have to periodically remove extra shoots.
When planting roses in a mixborder, it is better not to thicken them so that they do not get sick.
Schematically, we presented a small mixborder and distances between groups of plants. Especially a lot of space will be needed for tree hydrangea and garden, as well as large hosts . Less space can be left around daylilies , geucher , peonies and phloxes .
Always plant high-growing perennials in the background, medium-sized perennials a little closer. Neat undersized varieties of plants will look beautiful in the foreground.
At what distance to plant perennials on an alpine hill
Have you decided to build an alpine hill in your country house? To do this, it is important to pre-select green crops that will decorate the rock garden. For example, junipers will look attractive - rocky and horizontal , arborvitae , boxwood , which are placed at a distance of at least 0.7-1 m from each other. Don't plant plants too close together so they can thrive, and be sure to leave room for paths.
The composition will be complemented by barberry and vesicle , between which you need to leave a distance of at least 0.5 m. And in the foreground are low-growing crops: young , shadow saxifrage , etc.
You can leave quite a bit of space between them to create the effect of a flower carpet. For some varieties, the distance can be increased so that plants are not replanted every year.
At what distance to plant perennials for the border
Floral border used to decorate garden paths. It can be independent or frame ready-made flower plantings. To create a border, coniferous crops, medium and undersized flowers are most often used. Clematis , roses , phloxes will add colors, neat thickets euonymus will emphasize geometric shapes. In the background, you can place a magnificent forsythia or spirea .
The diagram shows a fragment of a flower border that can be broken between a fence and a path. The main decoration will be clematis with its luxurious flowers. Add paints echinacea , peony , monarda , aster and perennial daisy .
