Question

Hello.  I'm needing some recommendations please.Hello. I'm needing some recommendations please. I've lived at my property now for 8 years, and have a lovely sized back garden with quite wide borders. Each year I buy a variety of border plants and compost, plant them, they look lovely for about a week or 2 and then they just die! I water them, but they just die. Nothing takes (other than self planted daffodils). I've mixed in endless amounts of compost hoping it would make a difference, but no. I gave up last year and just covered it in bark as I have 3 young children who took advantage of the bare space . I cant change the borders to turf as its rented property, but I'd love to have a colourful garden this year, and in the future. Any advice please to what plants I could try or what I can do? I really am on a budget, so nothing too drastic measure wise please. Many thanks

Answer 1

Can you take a picture of what you have so we can visualise it?  

Answer 2

Were they annual or perennial flowers you bought

Answer 3

Try Hardy Geraniums they will grow anywhere and come back year after year. Lots of varieties and colours.  

Answer 4

You could get a load of wild seed mix and just have that all round the borders. Helps the bugs etc and less maintenance as well.  

Comments

@mojica52885 yes and cheep box full for a few pounds

Answer 5

Is it shady? Would be helpful to see a photo  

Answer 6

Hebe’s they’re technically a shrub but they come in loads of different colours. I like the Rhubarb and custard. They are evergreen and quite hardy. You could start with that to add structure and colour.  

Comments

Never seen this one before it's lovely thanks for sharing

---

Hebes are really tough usually and easy to grow xx

Answer 7

Is it compacted, poor drainage, heavy clay ?  

Answer 8

Some flowers need specific soil? Tried changing the soil? And also some take to different surroundings like some love sun but others don’t. Some strive in shade etc.  

Answer 9

Put in pots round the borders

Answer 10

I second the suggestion to go for dwarf shrubs; they're a lot hardier than herbaceous plants.  

Answer 11

Pictures often help  if it’s compacted clay odds are it needs better drainage and the soil needs conditioning with sharp sand etc

Answer 12

Buy some pretty, but Hardy bushes, azalea, pieris forest flame, astilbe etc low maintenance and pretty.  

Answer 13

@lientery are you buying Summer bedding plants for your border . That is not a cost effective way to get colour . Also you don’t say how many hours sun that border gets as it may be a case of right plant wrong place . As @gaslit3157 has said hardy Geranium will give you a good display for a long period . I have found l don’t get as many flowers from the ones in my shaded border . You say wide borders is that depth as well as width as you could plant some flowering shrubs at the back to give long term foliage and a backdrop . This picture is a Wigellia with Clematis growing through. Not expensive plants and easy care.  

Answer 14

Fuchsia buy hardy ones different variety’s and you’ll have them for years. X

Answer 15

How about a few big pots on top the bark with various plants that like sun or shade etc

Answer 16

That’s the blue Geranium in a sunny border

Answer 17

This is the same plant in the shaded border

Answer 18

Buy plants and put them in pots then put the pots on the boarder . if your in rented then this is even better for you as you can take them with you if you ever move out .  

Answer 19

Do you know what type of soil you have? If it's clay then that'll be your problem

Answer 20

Very important to water well the first season.  

Answer 21

Get some cheap potted shrubs and climbers (from supermarkets or local shops that are still open or online) and re pot into bigger ones (again, online) I also rent (15 years) and my garden was bare when I moved in but I've filled it with flowering shrubs and pots

Answer 22

Yes flowering shrubs and bulbs is the way to go