Beautiful borders don't just happen, they require planning and preparation.
Designers urge us to use glorious verticals such as delphiniums, foxgloves and campanula, clouds of see-through plants, spires of annual and perennial plants. But all of these will descend into a messy, tangled pile unless we prepare the plants and help them to withstand our windy and often wet, weather.
Plants in the frontline need support as well. Dragging flowers in the grit of paths or shading lawns is not considered a 'good thing'. These plants need subtle support to keep them within bounds.
When to stake
Not all plants require staking, some, such as foxgloves, look a bit ridiculous it tied to a stake. On the other hand, any plant that is tall can easily be broken in strong winds. Plants with heavy flowers or leaves that cause them to 'flop' are vulnerable in our windy climate. Think delphiniums, sunflowers, larkspur, paeonies, lilies and a host of other plants.
But don't wait until after the wind, stake before you need, while the plants are growing. Supports that are in place before the plants need them are more effective and usually less visible that the last-minute, post-gale stake and old tights affair. Supports and stakes placed before the plants grow enable the plant to be woven into the support, making it less visible and more effective.
Some gardeners leave supports in place all winter, marking the site of precious plants and certainly in pace when growth begins. This will not sit well with all concepts of an attractive winter garden but it's your choice. It will help to mark the positions of plants, especially if you have over-enthusiastic help - a perfect excuse for failing to take them in!
Delphiniums and other tall plants should be staked from about 45cm (18in) and plants growing through a support must have it in place before they reach the support height.
Most bulbs, corms and tubers don't require staking, but there are a few that do. Dahlias should be staked when you plant them, or you risk jamming the stake through the tuber, damaging or even killing it. Take care also with lilies, as damaging the bulb can lead to disease.
In the Front Row
Ideal for spectator sports, a front row position for plants means that they have to look good from the ground up. Tattered and tangled plants are not an option. Most front row candidates are neat and tidy, but for variety and a voluptuous border you can find paeonies and other mid-height plants at the path or lawn edge. If you cannot abide the look of stakes then avoid plants that are vulnerable in wind in this position, otherwise, you can support plants discreetly.
Plants with heavy flower heads present a special problem. Often at or toward the front of the border where obvious tangles of stakes and twine are unsightly, these can be bent by wind and rain. Paeonies, for instance, can bury their gorgeous blooms in the mud or shower over the lawn, risking execution at the first pass of the lawnmower.
Foot traffic along a path will batter plants and foliage alike, and, only just worse, passer's by are sodden in wet weather.
Next Page | |
Beautiful borders don't just happen, they require planning and preparation
|
Support plants early before they get too tall
Supports left in place in winter
Plants soon grow and disguise supports
The front row, liable to execution by lawnmower
Flowers battered by foot traffic
along a path | |
