A year ago the ‘Patio Garden’ was pretty: hot and sunny, the daisies flowered prolifically, as did the iris. But it is now at the end of its fourth season. The rose has grown, the nepeta have become woody, as have the achilleas, and the artemisia just isn’t thriving. The hedge has thickened and together with the larger rose this compartment has changed to warm and partially shaded. Time to change the planting emphasis!
What is staying? The Roseraie de l’Haye, of course, the grasses and the libertia. They all need more space and the spikey shapes of the grasses and libertia will change the character of this part of the garden.
I have underplanted between the libertia and the miscanthus with Heuchera ‘Purple Palace’ taken from another part of the garden. This seems to do better if divided annually, or perhaps every second year. After that the plants become leggy and woody.
Instead of daisies I am trying a combination of tall, dark purple iris which I have rescued from behind the rose and divided (May/June), blue alliums (June/July, on the Crocus.co.uk website), Perovskia (August-October), Japanese anenome ‘Honorine Joubert’ (August-October, another ‘rescued’ plant), and Verbena bonariensis (June-October). And for contrast, and bee food, I might tuck in some cosmos.
On the edge of the bed is a pale yellow potentilla, alchemilla, and geranium ‘Johnson’s Blue’, all flowering earlier in spring.
What do you think?
Love it, some really good combinations here. Things will really gel together.
Thank you – I am digging in manure too and the small amount of compost I have managed to produce. In the spring I will use a general fertiliser for the plants, and then just hope the weather will be kind.
look forward to next year and seeing the new results….
I think I just replied but my end doesn’t show it….Looking forward to seeing the results next year….
You did! Thank you for the encouragement!
I like the colour combo particularly and the fact that you are re-siting rather than just starting from scratch – this planting plan looks like it will have more air and movement
Yes, the planting was too crowded. If the perovskia don’t take this time I will have to rethink, again! And this time I wanted to keep the colours in the blue/deep pink range, with some white for brightness in the gloomy parts of the year.