The library / Garden design
How I made this border.
From a drawing on graph paper to a border full of plants.
Every gardener loves a before and after. Here’s mine.
This border started as a sketch on graph paper. It was the first time I’d ever properly planned one out, rather than keeping it all in my head and hoping for the best.
I really enjoyed choosing the plant combinations, thinking about their eventual size and spacing, and trying to imagine how it might all look together.
Then came the bare soil, lots of little pots and a fair bit of waiting.
Fast forward 15 months and it looked like this.
I thought I’d include my full planting list too. I always enjoy poring over other people’s planting plans, so hopefully it gives you a few ideas for your own borders.
Here’s my full plant list
Tap a plant to see its photo and why it earned a place.
Hydrangea ‘Strong Annabelle’
Photographed in my garden Large pale flowerheads give this border a welcome bit of calm when everything around them is busy. I like how much space one plant can fill without needing to shout.
Taxus topiary balls
Photographed in my garden These are the full stops in the planting. When the flowers have come and gone, the yew still holds the border together.
Rose ‘Chapeau de Napoléon’
Photographed in my garden The buds alone would earn this rose its place. They look almost comically elaborate before the flowers open.
Stachys byzantina
Photographed in my garden Soft silver leaves are a useful change of pace among all that green. It earns its place even when it is nowhere near flowering.
Salvia ‘Caradonna’
Photo and licence details on Wikimedia Commons Dark stems and upright violet flowers give the border a few sharp lines. A useful answer whenever a planting starts looking a little too soft.
Potentilla ‘Miss Willmott’
Photographed in my garden Small pink flowers, with a little more presence than their size suggests. It helps the planting feel generous without taking over.
Lupin ‘Masterpiece’
Photographed in my garden A proper vertical accent, in a deep, rather serious colour. It has its moment and then lets the rest of the border get on with things.
Astrantia ‘Roma’
Photographed in my garden Those small, intricate pink flowers reward a closer look. I like them beside bigger, simpler shapes, where they stop the planting looking too predictable.
Leucanthemum ‘Becky’
Photographed in my garden Big white daisies are hard to argue with. They cut through a crowded border and make the darker flowers look better too.
Lychnis coronaria
Photo and licence details on Wikimedia Commons Silver foliage and vivid flowers are quite a combination. It has the good manners to look interesting before it even starts flowering.
Campanula ‘Sarastro’
Photo and licence details on Wikimedia Commons The large hanging bells add a completely different shape among all the upright stems. I think borders need a few plants like this to keep your eye moving.
Geranium ‘Patricia’
Photographed in my garden A bright, spreading cranesbill that helps knit the planting together. It does not leave much bare ground for anyone to worry about.
Aconitum ‘Bressingham Spire’
Photographed in my garden Tall spires give the back of the border some height without making it feel solid. All parts of aconitum are poisonous, so I handle it with gloves.
Philadelphus ‘Belle Étoile’
Photo and licence details on Wikimedia Commons A shrub is useful here for scale, and this one brings scent as well. There is something rather pleasing about a plant that announces itself before you see it.
Campanula lactiflora ‘Loddon Anna’
Reference photo of a related plant. Photo and licence details on Wikimedia Commons Tall, airy stems with soft flowers make a good bridge between the sturdier plants. A border feels more natural when everything is not the same height.
Leucanthemella serotina
Photographed in my garden A late daisy earns its space by turning up when much of the border is beginning to slow down. I like having something fresh to look at near the end of the season.
Aquilegia ‘William Guiness’
Photographed in my garden Dark outer petals and a pale centre give this aquilegia plenty of character. It is one of those small details worth stopping for.
Veronica ‘Pink Damask’
Reference photo of a related plant. Photo and licence details on Wikimedia Commons Pink flower spikes add another rhythm to the border without making a fuss. Repeating those upright shapes helps the whole planting hang together.
Iris ‘Jane Phillips’
Photographed in my garden Pale blue, with the sort of colour that is difficult to describe properly. Its time in flower is brief, but that is hardly a reason to leave it out.
Iris ‘Deep Black’
From the original Pete Plants photographs Some plants flower for months. This is not one of them. Worth every inch anyway.
Cirsium rivulare
Photographed in my garden Tall stems and thistle-like flowers bring a little looseness to a carefully planned border. That is often exactly what a plan needs.
Viola cornuta ‘Alba’
Photographed in my garden Little white flowers at the edge of the planting make a lovely contrast with the larger plants behind them. Small does not mean unimportant.
Erigeron karvinskianus
Photographed in my garden Tiny daisies tumble into the gaps and soften the edges. A useful reminder that the best bits of a border do not always stay where you put them.
Verbascum blattaria f. albiflorum
Photographed in my garden Slender pale flower spikes add height without blocking the view. It is the sort of plant that makes the border feel lighter.
Lavender ‘Grosso’
Photo and licence details on Wikimedia Commons Long flower stems and plenty of scent. Give it a sunny, free-draining spot and it brings a useful change of texture to the border.
Papaver dubium subsp. lecoqii ‘Albiflorum’ (‘Beth’s Poppy’)
Photographed in my garden A poppy with a name that means rather more to me than most plant labels. Delicate flowers, and a welcome bit of surprise when they appear.
Papaver somniferum ‘Lauren’s Grape’
Photographed in my garden Those rich purple flowers are difficult to miss. Another poppy with a family name, and one I am very happy to let find its own place.
If there’s a trick to it, I think it’s repeating the plants you love, mixing shapes and textures, and accepting that the border will have ideas of its own.
Are you a planner, or more of a plant-it-and-see-what-happens gardener? 💚
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