A prolific perennial border with rudbeckia and nasturtium.
Of course, taller plants should be at the rear, then those of medium height, with the dwarfs in the front. This does not mean that some of the taller plants should not come out into the middle ground or the medium-tall toward the front. For the charm of irregularity, break up height lines as well as planting lines.
The aim is to imitate the irregular way in which nature grows her plants and still place them in order for display, within the limits of space. Also, strive for proportion; if the border is very narrow, tall plants should be abided except for the occasional accent.
The border will appear top-heavy if it is too tall and narrow. Groups should be of sufficient size for display. Large masses of one-of-a-kind plants in a border are seldom successful. Borders that are more than 8 feet wide should have a 2-foot service path behind them so that you can walk to the backside of the garden without going through the plants.
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Is it possible to have continuous bloom in a flower garden? The answer is certainly "yes" if you will settle for groups of color in sections of the garden - rather than for a complete blanket of color from spring to fall. To achieve the latter condition, you would need at your beck and call an array of greenhouses, cold frames, nursery rows, and an army of gardeners who would add and remove plants as they come in and out of bloom.
There are very few ever-blooming flowers, despite the claims of over-zealous nurserymen. Yet very colorful gardens can be achieved with annuals, bulbs, and perennials that have especially long flowering seasons.
In planning a border, it is also wise to consider when the garden should be at its color peak. If August is vacation time, then common sense dictates that you choose plants that reach their perfection in spring and early summer. If you start your borders with simple plants, hardy in your locality, they will need little coddling.
Edging a Flower Bed
Stone and brick edgings are effective, but it is difficult for a mower to get close enough to do a good job of cutting. Extruded concrete curb-type edging is popular in some areas and seems to hold up to wear over the years. But, the grass will grow tall and scraggly against them and must be trimmed with shears or a "weed eater".
Plastic strips are available that can be molded to fit curves and placed less than an inch above the ground to permit the mower to pass without interference. Although it is not uncommon to see this kind of edging occasionally knicked by the mower. There is also plastic edging that looks like brick or pieces of stone that can be used. But, the plastic edging will break down in sunlight over the years much quicker than the stone, brick, or concrete options.
Concerning the use of small plants for edgings, be sure they are compact and full of foliage and have a long season of blooming. The dwarf compact petunia, Nierembergia (or cup-flower), dwarf ageratum, and the old standby sweet alyssum, can all be kept under control and be effective color fillers.
Hardy candytuft (Iberis sempervirens) is the ideal perennial edging in sections where it will not burn in the winter sun. It has white flowers in masses and evergreen foliage. Other dwarf perennials, selected for a succession of bloom are Arabis Alpina, Alyssum saxatile, dwarf asters, Campanula carpatica, dianthus, Depeta missing, pulmonary, sweet William, Veronica incana. These, planted in bands that overlap slightly, and interplanted with small bulbs, will give a good effect, and form a transition from the low edge to the higher plants in the beds.
Midsection and Background
The middle section of a mixed border uses taller plants than the front or edging strip but by no means should they all be of the same height. The aim is to create an undulating effect of blending and contrasting colors, forms, and textures. Some groups of low-growing plants from the foreground must dip into this section, and some taller plants from the background should be brought forward.
No matter whether your border is 10 feet wide or 5 feet wide, or whether it's 60 feet long or only 20, this middle section between foreground and background plant material is most important. Here the skill of the gardener is tested. He or she must contrast rounded flower shapes with spiky forms, utilize assets provided by varying foliage colors and textures, and, finally, think like an artist in planning his or her color effects.
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Most of the major perennials can be classified as middle-of-the-border subjects as their heights fall between 18 and 36 inches. There are many varieties of annuals, notably zinnia, marigold, and snapdragon, of neat growth that are also suitable. A random list of medium-height, reliable perennials include the following: astilbe, many daylilies, bearded iris, blue salvia (Salvia farinacea), baby's breath, sweet William, peony, shasta daisy, Canterbury bells, veronica, nepeta, yarrow, summer phlox, bee balm, chrysanthemum, coral bells, columbine, bleeding heart, gas plant, and lupine.
Background plants are important, too, and while the list of reliable ones may not be as varied or extensive as the list of medium-height plants, there are plenty to select from. Some are bushy enough to be planted as individual accents, especially in the case of narrow or short gardens, but most plants - as elsewhere in the border - are most effective in groups of three, four, or five.
Good background plants include the following: delphinium, tall varieties of summer phlox, dusty meadow rue (Thalictrum glaucum), false indigo, hollyhock, foxglove, Thermopsis, monkshood, globe thistle, and Boltonia. A few of these, like plume poppy* which grows up to 8 feet, is much too tall for borders restricted in length and width.
Beginning, as well as more advanced garden makers, tend to be impatient and often expect too much the first year from their new flower garden. Great borders are not usually made in one season. Many perennials, peony and gas plant, for instance, need a few years to become established before giving their best performance.
Also, inevitably, mistakes will be made. Yet the failure of one planting does not spoil the season. Some continuous bloom from spring to fall is feasible by selection. The garden need not go dead in midsummer, especially when annuals are used.
Annuals are the answer to the vacant space problem. The little effort needed to raise them coupled with their low cost and easy maintenance make them very popular.
They make the finest of cut flowers and used in a border of their own or among the dominating perennials, they have many points of value. In a rented property or for a short season at a summer home, they have no equal.
*There are many warnings about planting plume poppy! It can become invasive very easily. Put it in a place where 1) it cannot spread past its borders (like an isolated flower bed next to the garage), or 2) you don't mind it taking over a section of your yard.
The digging and preparation of a flower garden are very important. The bottom soil need not be as well-tilled as the top, but once prepared it will last for many years, making it necessary to renew only the fertility of the topsoil from time to time.
If the bottom soil is heavy, incorporate in it some sand or even crushed rock. Lime is one of the best soil looseners; and strange as it may seem, it will also compact sandy soil. Use it generously at the bottom. Work in here also a lot of partially decayed leaves, grass clippings, manure, peat moss, or hummus. If the soil is sandy you may add clay or a large amount of vegetable matter. Do not firm it down but let it settle naturally.
Topsoil, if heavy, can be made into good loam by the addition of sand and well-rotted manure, humus, peat moss or leaves that drop in the fall. An application of bone meal or superphosphate, limestone, and possibly a general-purpose fertilizer like 5-10-5, should be used generously when making new gardens. Wood ashes from the fireplace, wood stove, or campfire in the spring are excellent. Just make sure the ashes are from untreated wood (burning doesn't eliminate the toxins in pressure-treated wood).
General Maintenance
The best portions of this ring must be lifted and divided, cutting away all dead roots and stalk, starting a number of new plants. Make the holes wide enough to spread out the roots. If your bed has been properly prepared it need not be deep. In the case of deep-rooted varieties, such as lupine, the holes must be as deep as the root, which should be dug without breaking.
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The border must also be overhauled to correct the encroachments of rampant-growing plants which try to smother their less hardy neighbors and to replace the wayward seedlings which have a habit of growing in the wrong place. The seedlings can usually be turned to good account in regrouping, but it is best to discard seedling phlox as it never runs true to its original color and usually disappoints.
Some authorities recommend spring as the time to makeover the border, but many factors seem to favor autumn. First, there is the weather, which can be pleasant to work in (generally cool and sunny), and then the fact that any desired changes are fresher in the mind, just at the close of the season.
Add to these the freedom from the rush of spring tasks, the more easy identification of plant groups and their limits, and the chance that winter freezing has to pulverize the newly turned soil - and it seems that the weight is largely in favor of September or October. This time allows the plants to get a new root to start before becoming dormant at the freezing time. Be sure to give them a good soaking.
Of course, some perennials transplant better in the spring. Plants such as chrysanthemums do not divide well so soon after their blooming period. Move these with as large a clump of earth and as little root disturbance as possible. If the division is desired this may be done in the spring when they are more nearly dormant. Divide spring and early summer perennials in the fall, and late summer bloomers in the spring. Remember this is a general rule, and general rules must be used flexibly.
Some perennial seeds are planted in spring and bloom the first year. Some are planted in fall just before frost in a sheltered spot under shrubbery, convenient for winter inspection. They seem to need freezing to germinate. The majority, however, do best sown in spring.
The apparent change of color of some perennials is due to the fact that the parent plant has perished from disease, or lack of division or other attention and its place has been taken by seedlings that differ from the parents.
Perennials will respond to an application of complete plant food in the early spring. The fertilizer should be cultivated into the soil and kept away from the stems of the plants. Annuals, planted in good soil, will not need additional food, though a starter solution of liquid plant food will help them to overcome the shock of transplanting when they are set out in the beds.
If you wish to prevent most weed growth and save some watering, mulch with a few inches of compost, peat moss, or whatever is handy. The mulch can gradually be cultivated into the soil in the spring. The material must remain loose enough to permit the entrance of water. Peat moss tends to pack down; other materials are better for mulching.
Pinch back tops to produce compact plants. In dry spells water thoroughly rather than often. Stake such tall plants as delphinium at once. Tie a raffia strip to the stake first and then to the plant. Remove all blossoms as soon as they fade to induce a prolonged flowering season. A second flowering can be secured from such plants as Canterbury bells by this method. Cut delphinium stalks off after flowering to get new bloom stalks. Pansies and petunias bloom continuously if not allowed to seed.
Winter protection is something that is generally misunderstood. We do not use mulch to keep plants warm but to keep them cold. Sudden changes in temperature cause the ground to heave and break tiny roots. Warm days followed by cold nights do much damage, and most winter-killing is from this cause rather than from extreme cold.
If we place a layer of hardwood leaves, which take a long time to decay, over the bed, it lies loose during the whole season if lightly held in place with brush or wire. If must be light and airy and stay dry. If we use ordinary leaves they soon pack into a heavy wet mass, which excludes air, smothers the plants, and induces decay. In the spring this type of leaf ferments and produces heat which helps the dormant plants to awaken to seen and defeats the very purpose for which it was placed over them.
One solution is to place an open layer of the brush or other rough material to hold the leaves away from the soil. Additional brush or chicken wire should be placed upon the leaves to hold them in place. Do not cover too early. Let the mice find a winter home somewhere else first. If they nest in the mulch, they will feed upon the roots and bulbs over the winter.
Sometimes it is necessary to further protect plants that come from warmer climates (tritoma and the like). Use boxes of leaves or baskets loosely filled with leaves.
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