Sequencing your planting design

Sequencing Your Planting Design

The plants are the bread and butter of any garden. Once you've decided what atmosphere you want, you can choose plants that help to create that feeling.

• E.g. roses for a dreamy, romantic atmosphere and scent.
• E.g. evergreen structure, limited palette, greens and architectural plants for contemporary and minimal garden.

Whatever atmosphere you want, the key is to approach planting design in a certain order.

1. Choose your trees and hedges – the biggest, long-term plants.

• In a small garden, look for small trees or large shrubs.

1. Look at the medium layer of shrubs.

• Look at flowering shrubs such as hydrangeas and Weigela. Philadelphus gives amazing scent.

1. Choose your perennials.

• There are thousands to choose from, but many are very easy to look after.

1. Think about bulbs, corms and tubers.

• These are relatively inexpensive and can be changed up from year to year for different colour schemes. E.g. daffodils, crocus, tulips for spring, dahlias for summer.

Small Garden Staples – Trees

These are some trees I love for a small garden:

1. Small birch trees – white bark.

1. Amelanchier lamarckii – three seasons of interest with blossom, fruits and autumn leaves.

• If you could only have one tree in your small garden, I'd choose this.

1. Acer griseum – decorative polished and peeling reddish-brown bark.

• Can be kept pruned for the small garden.

Small Garden Staples – Flowering Shrubs

My go-to flowering shrubs

1. Roses – there's one to suit everyone. Not always as high-maintenance as you might think.

• Don't spray them. Many disease-resistant varieties are being bred, and birds will control aphids.

1. Hydrangeas – flower after roses have finished.

• Hydrangea 'Annabelle' – popular with large white flowerheads.

Hydrangea macrophylla – traditional but thrives best in areas of the UK with acidic soil (may be blue or pink depending on soil). Likes moisture and part shade.

Small Garden Staples – Perennials

Some of my favourite perennials

1. Hardy geraniums – you can't go wrong with these. There are loads of colours and some for sun and some for shade.

• Great for planting under roses and hydrangeas.

1. Salvias such as 'Caradonna' or 'Ostfriesland' – great for a sunny border and loved by pollinators.