Advice on planning a border?

Yeah, it's loose. I haven't accomplished a thing with it, though!

Meg, I love Bertie as the mascot for the French dept.!

Mow your leaves then rake them or better yet empty your mower bag into garden area. Some will compost over the fall & winter but use what is still there as a mulch. Then, as you conserve water & keep weeds down you continue to feed the soil. I think the look is good, but if you don't like, put a thin layer of wood mulch on top. Repeat the following Fall. This improves my soil and saves a small fortune on mulch. ( I have about 7 beds)
If you want to start a new garden area put about 6 layers of newspaper down first before the the leaves. This will kill the grass & the weed seeds then turn to compost. You may need to till it all in come spring to let it finish composting.

I tend to like plants that are fairly tall and flower a long time (Black eyed susan,hollyhocks, shasta daisies, purple cone flower, low-maintenance repeat blooming roses mixed with plants that bloom for a shorter time: lilies, foxglove, lupine, hybiscus, daylilies). I guess I'm drawn toward more of a cottage garden look. You might not want as much height.

how about some pics Dave? I'd love to see some of your beds.

uhh..I think I just did it again - so don't go there...you know what I mean

Anita, Actually it went right by me until you pointed it out (I must need coffee).

For reasons even I don't understand, I don't have digital pictures of my garden. No pictures at all of my gardens at this house and I've lived here over 4 years. Yes, we have a digital camera (2 in fact. The one we "lost" and the one we got to replace it.). I'll have to change that this Spring

good - I love seeing other's works in progress..color combos, texture, plant types..etc. gives me ideas about my own beds.

You might want to add a little soil or composted manure on top of the newspapers for weight, to keep them from blowing away- I wet them as soon as they go down as well. There is nothing worse than newspaper blowing into your neighbor's yard at 40 mph! I know, I've done it!

I love tall plants too. I always have to balance my gardens out by adding bushy rounds. I will go for a delph, lupine or a foxglove every time...

Ivy, I have a hard time growing delphiniums. Any hints?

Good point about the newspapers. The mowed leaves will hold them down but I've been on a wild newspaper chase or two.

I put a layer of landscape cloth, newspaper, sand and then good topsoil/compost over that. I am hoping that this spring it will be heaven for my plants

I buy my delphs as annuals mostly. I was told they get crown rot in the winter, so I am trying a new planting technique this year- I planted them like you would a new tree, a little higher than the soil level. I don't know if this will work since this is the first year. I will be in trouble if they survive, as I've already ordered some new plants to replace them! I am not expecting much.

To me, they are worth the price as annuals, because they give me so much bloom, over such a long period of time.

Years ago I tried the Delphs 'Magic Fountain mix' from seed and liked them. Short and no staking.
I don't think I got more than 3 years out of any of them. They may be short lived, anyway.
Andy P

I haven't had problems with delph's , they fade back some in the summer, but come back. I think they might self seed some too. No I'm not in the NE - similar zone.

I kept planting babies that should bloom next year. Except there was almost never a next year. Thanks Ivy, now I know better.
Andy, I believe you are right, they are short-lived perennials. (In my case, very short lived)

Hi Meg, I didn't see anyone mention Colubine, they like a bit of shade and are a nice medium sized plant. You might want to look at some of those. They are interesting to look at, and come in some lovely colors.

Good idea GREN, they re-seed themselves too. I have a few.
Andy P

yes they do, and I know I love mine.

Columbines are lovely, and they have so many colors and varieties now.

I agree. From what I understand - if they like your yard..they will be there forever!

I had a Columbine volunteer come up in the Peonies a couple of years ago. Having started them from seed I recognized it and moved it. I had not grown any in years and don't know where it came from. It blooms every season with very small bright red flowers, lots of them. Glad I saved it. I have since started some "Music Harmony" with a deep lavender color.
Andy P

must have been a present from the birds

Thanks for all the advice on columbines and delphiniums, two of my all-time favorites. I am definitely more of a cottage garden style person myself, so all of your tips are perfect!
One question about the newspaper: I've already cleared the yard (hence the lovely brown mud-mixed-with-mulch in the photo), and have planted the tulips. I'm assuming the newspaper trick is a no-go in that case? I don't mind just dumping a bunch of compost/manure/topsoil on there and letting it all soak in.
I just recently measured the whole yard, various distances, etc, so I'll try to work up a plan at some point. Maybe I can put the diagram up here and people can use it as a blank canvas for their imaginations!

Meg, I don't really know for sure, but I wouldn't put layers of newspaper if I had tulips coming up in a few weeks.
Dave

DAve might be right - I don't think they would be able to poke through

First, I'm not a fan of using newspaper as sub-mulch.
Second, My neighbor has tulips that came up through his ugly, black, plastic, mesh, weed blocker and 3 inches of pea stone. (He put in a pond near an old garden and forgot the tulips were there.)
Go figure.
Andy P

that's determination for you!

They can be amazing but I still wouldn't risk it. Newspaper is harder to poke through (making it a great weed barrier) because it has no holes. It will also kill weed seeds unlike many other barriers.

I think I'll just dump a bunch of compost etc. on top--that should liven things up, the tulips can definitely get through that, and there actually aren't a lot of weeds in the yard as it is. I still haven't put my plan up there yet, but I'll get around to it...terrible how work can get in the way of garden planning, isn't it? ; )

I plan like crazy- all the time I'm thinking about the garden. But actually doing the work? That's when other projects manage to get in my way!

I think & plan & make notes. Most of the tme it has almost no affect on what I end up doing! I wish I was more patient when I'm actually out gardening.

That's how I am too! My garden catalogs unfortunately have been getting a lot more attention lately than some of my books for work...and I admit, I even bought graph paper to make the diagram! But then when it comes time to plant, maybe I see other things I like and have to shuffle around...or really, I'm just not patient enough to follow any plan too meticulously. Oh well, I'm still having fun with my sketching...

take a look at Lasagna Gardening...
http://www.motherearthnews.com/library/1999_April_May/Lasagna_Gardening

I take pictures throughout the growing season and start comparing them in the winter to see where I need more early color or later interest.

I do the same exact thing, Anita. Photos help to remind us what's there as we still have snow on some parts of the garden.

Andy - loved your Mountain Laurel and agree with you about Delphiniums not being long livers but always happy to buy them again, if need be.

As for that lush feeling that you're after, Meg, it's worth the work to move the excess (to me) and if you can view it as "more to trade" so much the better.

I love Mother Earth News, and was happy to see their website. I think I'll make some garden lasagna myself! I might not put so many layers, though, because the tulips do need to poke through this year.

I have some photos (including the ones above), but since I'm going to change everything, the photos are most helpful for gauging spaces/distances right now. I'll be sure to put some photos up once I finish planting!

pirl, I'm all about that full, lush look, but I'm not so familiar with moving things around. I'm worried about killing the plants! I'll have to practice. Do you mean that it's better to go ahead and plant a bunch of stuff closer together, and then divide and trade once everything starts to grow in?

Andy (bonjour, by the way), would you use the famous spading fork to transplant perennials as well?

Bon jour Meg, Yes the Spading fork is helpful when digging up young perennials. Unlike a spade (shovel) it does not cut errant roots. I stick the fork in deeply all around and gently pry out the plant. this lets me 'feel' for that wayward root so I can gently get it out without breaking it. This is especially helpful in my perennial nursery. The soil is fairly loose and the young roots really travel. Hardy hibiscus, butterfly weed and Butterfly bush in particular.
I think I use the fork more than the spade.
On the other hand, if you are lifting older, established plants, cutting the roots is the only way to get them out sometimes. A 3 year old Butterfly Bush for example.
Andy P

Andy - can we rent you?

Sorry Pirl, I have my hands full here. I'm too lazy anyhow.
I do less and less every year. Like the yard is on 'auto pilot'. Lots of perennials that need a few annuals for filler. The veggie garden and weeding. I have a new strawberry bed to plant in a few weeks. That's going where I have had my perennial nursery. So I have a few plants to move first.
Then there is a new flower bed that will get established as soon as the new house next door is landscaped. (They dug things up pitting in a new sewer connection.)
Sarah's daily walk and my long 6 hour day (snicker) pretty much wares me out.
Andy P

Fine friend you are!

Good luck with all your spring jobs: sounds like DH and I have a lot in common with you.

Hi Meg,
I'm just going to butt in at the end here. What did you decide to have along there then?

BTW - I move plants constantly and don't have problems - skipping midsummer and LATE fall.
Al

Al - thanks for getting us back on track.

I gave a big reply and then my screen was wiped out so I'll try to make this brief:

You can move daylilies and hosta even in the heat of summer and while they're in bloom if you water them in well and keep them out of the ground as briefly as possible.

Most (not all, but most) plants (not shrubs) can be moved more safely after they bloom.

Consult with experts before you move anything you treasure.