Border restoration
Most tired borders don't need starting again. They need editing. Overgrown perennials are lifted and divided, the thugs are taken out, self-seeders are thinned, shrubs are pruned back into shape, and perennial weeds are dug out by the root. The soil is fed and mulched, and only then are gaps filled with plants that suit the spot.
Right plant, right place
It's the oldest rule in horticulture and still the most important one. Before anything is planted I look at aspect and light, soil type and pH, drainage, exposure to wind and salt, and how much looking after you want to do.
North Wales gardens vary enormously. Some have acid soil that grows rhododendrons and camellias brilliantly. Some sit on heavy clay. Coastal gardens need planting that can take wind and salt. A plant that thrives in one will sulk in the next.
Planting properly
Plants are set out in their pots first, so spacing and combinations can be checked before anything goes in the ground. Then each one is planted at the right depth, firmed in, watered and mulched. Trees are staked low, so the trunk can flex in the wind and grow stronger.
What gets planted when
- Autumn: spring bulbs, and perennials while the soil is still warm.
- November to March: bare-root hedging, roses, fruit trees and specimen trees, while they're dormant.
- Spring: perennials, grasses and summer bulbs.
What's included
- Border editing and restoration
- Weeding, including perennial weed roots
- Lifting, dividing and replanting perennials
- Soil improvement and mulching
- Plant selection, sourcing and pricing
- Setting out and planting
- Bulb planting
Questions
Can you source the plants?
Yes. I buy from nurseries I trust, and you see the plant list and the price before anything is ordered.
Will it look full straight away?
Not quite. New perennials take a season to knit together. A good rule: the first year they sleep, the second they creep, the third they leap. I plant at spacings that look right by the second summer.
Can you use plants I already have?
Yes. Dividing and moving what you already have is often the best-value way to fill a border.
Do you plant bulbs?
Yes. Daffodils and most spring bulbs go in from September; tulips are best planted in November, which helps them avoid tulip fire disease.
