Border design – a naturalistic look for a new terrace border
The Brief
- Creating a new garden bed, to work with a limestone terrace
- Repetition of naturalistic planting from the two recently planted beds to bring a
cohesive look e.g. an ornamental grass plus include some herbaceous perennials
already planted such as Agastache, Geranium ‘Azure Rush’. Also suggest new ideas
for plants suited to full sun e.g. Gaura
- Planting must work well with the existing shrub roses and Japanese maple
- Structure to be provided by grasses and evergreens e.g. Pittosporum ‘Silver Ball’
- Similar colour scheme to other 2 beds of mostly blues and purples and pinks plus
white/silver as this is a sunnier, hotter border than existing beds
- Planting to be low - medium maintenance
- The planting must look good when viewed through the large full length
sliding doors to kitchen
- New planting should not obstruct view beyond the border
- Plants which will flourish in full sun
- Plants which flourish in loamy soil
- Interest all year round
- Planting which will stabilise soil where needed (particularly adjacent to the steps)
Planting description
A naturalistic planting scheme to work with a limestone terrace and other recently
planted beds. The evergreen grass Stipa tenuissima provides year round structure and
softens the surrounding hard-landscaping. Pittosporum ‘Silver Ball’ also provides
structure with spring, summer and autumn flowering perennials such as Nepeta ‘Purrsian
Blue’, Salvia ‘Caradonna’, Agastache ‘Blue Fortune’ chosen to work well with the Stipa
and provide colour and long lasting seed heads. Benton iris ‘Storrington’ creates a
special point of interest in May. A colour scheme of blues, purples and silver unifies the
planting and complements the existing cream and pink roses.
