Perennial structure in the garden

Perennial Structure in the Garden

I often call my garden a car parking space because the majority of the garden is a slab. If you're in a similar situation, growing in pots can help transform it into a layered paradise.

Top Dressing the Tub with Manure

Balancing the scale of your pots influences the impact of your flowers. Larger pots are good for backbone plants like shrubs, woody perennials, or herbaceous perennials, while smaller pots can be changed seasonally. I treat the smaller tabletop pots like a flower arrangement that lasts a few months rather than a few days.

Layering

When deciding what to plant in pots for a lush, layered look, think about the seasons:

• In spring, the bulbs come in and provide early colour.
• In summer, bulbs die back and the perennial flowers come through to provide cover.
• In autumn and winter, leafy shrubs and trees provide structure.
• All year long, the garden 'wallpaper' (the plants that surround and climb up the edges of the space) provides a backdrop.

| SPRING | SUMMER | AUTUMN/WINTER | 'WALLPAPER' |

|--------|---------|---------------|-------------|

| Tulip | Foxglove | Standard Yew | Clematis |

| Hyacinth | Roses | Figs | Honeysuckle |

| Crocus | Pimpinella | Apples | Climbing Roses |

Encouraging Wildlife into Your Garden

Birds are wonderful for aphid and other insect control. To encourage birds to visit your garden, pop shallow bird baths on various surfaces and at different heights. Surround them with some cover like smaller pots for protection. Hedgehogs also make use of bird baths placed on the floor. Leave a small hole in your garden gate or fence to let them through for easy access. Helping wildlife ultimately helps you as a gardener.

Perennial Paradise

Growing low-maintenance roses, shrubs, and perennials leaves you more time to enjoy your garden. These will give you reliable colour, interest, life, and form throughout the whole year. The garden almost looks after itself and becomes a habitat for you and wildlife.

Your Assignment

Think about what your garden looks like in each season. Are there periods where it looks abundant, and other times where there is little interest? Use the table below to map out what's already working and where perennial plants or shrubs could fill in.

| SEASON | CURRENT PLANTS | PERENNIALS TO FILL GAPS |

|--------|----------------|------------------------|

| Spring | | Tulips, narcissus, hellebore, brunnera, crab apple |

| Summer | | Lavender, hardy geraniums, roses, salvias, hydrangeas |

| Autumn | | Sedums, asters, rudbeckia, grasses like miscanthus, dahlias |

| Winter | | Snowdrops, winter jasmine, mahonia, cyclamen, dogwood for stem colour, evergreen ferns |

Plant Directory

• Pimpinella anisum
• Malus domestica
• Clematis spp.
• Malus sylvestris
• Ficus carica
• Digitalis purpurea 'Sutton's Apricot'
• Lonicera spp.
• Rosa 'Scepter'd Isle'
• Salvia x jamensis 'California Sunset'
• Taxus baccata