I have been asked to design and plant a 35 by 4 metre bed on sandy soil which is east facing. Adjoining is a single storey building which runs the full length of the bed.
All the plants must be in flower in September but can stradle August and October too. Any flower colour is acceptable and with the site being flat there must be some height variation with the smaller plants obviously being at the front. The planting must also be beneficial to wildlife.
Now, I have designed and planted many borders in my time and a few have been single colour but all of them have been to give interest either all year or for at least two seasons.
So this is a first for me and I feel very excited to be doing it. At least there are a limited numer of plants to chose from.
So what is your favourite September flowering perennial and why?
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Sedums are a good standard for this time of year and great for bees. Personally I always Chelsea chop mine to prevent them flopping which they always do!
My favourite plants this time of year (and in general) though have to be ornamental grasses. Not a riot of colour admittedly but beautiful in terms of structure, movement and long lasting flowers. They are a superb filler plant and useful for framing more showy varieties as well as holding a border together....did I mention they are my favourite!
Really interesting project.
What's the thinking behind it? Most clients would hate a border that's only at it's best one month a year, when it's easy to work it to have at least SOME year-round interest. The first thing is to think about the wall of the building, so perhaps cloth it with something like Virginia creeper to create a backdrop?
Easy to find the plants that have autumn interest, but I'd ask why it's "obvious" to put the small plants at the front? It's easy to plant tall at the back and short at the fornt, but go for something different and mix the heights a bit?
Good luck Stuart :->
I like Sedums staked continuously and agree with Simon above for September.
But I am a Dahlia-holic, love 'em to bits, fantastic perennials that only ever get better and better. Asters are from now until November, there's even a second flush of Delphs following on from the (post) Chelsea Chop period.
Cheers, Eugene
Good point about chopping perennials. No two years are the same, but many perennials can have the flowering pushed back by pruning them in May/June.
More details about colours etc., though? I love Rudbeckia, for instance, but it's not going to work in every planting scheme.
Simon - yes the ice plant will be included in the scheme. Butterflies in particular seem to love it. I agree about grasses but unfortunately the client (or one of them) have a dislike for them.
Paul - the clients have been to a local open garden which has a September garden and were blown away by it. The border is along the drive leading to a wildlife friendly business park. Everyone will be viewing it from their car as they pass by. As their heads will be at a lower height to when standing they will need to see the plants from front to back. I had the idea of creating ae series of coves where some of the higher planting comes towards the front. There used to be climbers on the wall but pest control told them that mice were using it as a way to get into the adjoining buildings roof space. Climbers would have to be either controlled in height by me or not too vigorous.
Japanese Anemone for me, great plant for adding some height to a border.
The plot thickens!
If people are driving past it, surely there needs to be all-year interest?
Forgetting that, it's ideal for creating a flow between taller plants at the front and back. I've never had to design something to be seen purely from moving cars: a great opportunity to play around with heights.
I'd be thinking about a barrier between the in and out traffic? People will be driving in to each other if it's too good!
Clients have also been to Harlow Carr which is an RHS garden near Harrogate. Whilst there they were impressed by the mass planting and drifts of the same plant. Rudbeckia is a classic September flower so must make an appearance somewhere. I was thinking that I would stick to red, orange, yellow, pink and white and stay away from the blues and purples.
Some Phlox flower into Sept and onwards - mostly dwarf varietes I've found in gardens so far.
Callendula - flowers through till oct and good for wild flowers;
Aster - Variety Monarch - Flowers till frosts
Colchicum - Autumn crocus's great fro ground colour
Abelia -
Agapanthus
and many mroe I cant think of on a friday nite!
Paul,
I agree with what you are saying regarding year round interest but seeing though this site is five acres in total I would say the clients are being very bold (brave) as there are plenty of other planting areas for other things. The thing is that between october and april nobody takes any notice of this bed as when they arrive and leave it is dark or getting near.
Paul McNulty said:
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