Improving the Mixed Border

Take a long look at your beds and borders and take note of anything that you don't like. There may be tall plants masking small plants and there are probably plants that have been struggling for a couple of years. You could put them in a different part of the garden to give them another chance or, if you don't think it will grow in your garden, consign it to the compost heap.

Now have a look at the width of your border - it should be at least 1.2m (4ft) in width, otherwise it will look crowded. If you have a large garden you can afford to make it wider. Try to make your border blend with your house, meaning that if your house is straight-sided don't have a curved border too close to the house. You can try out your border shape by using a hosepipe.

While the herbaceous border was a great favourite in Victorian times it is far too labour intensive for modern gardeners and we prefer the mixed border. Use shrubs to provide the body of the border and bulbs for seasonal colour. If your border is quite small it is probably not a good idea to plant trees, but you could use climbers on obelisks to introduce height.

While there is a place for evergreens in the border you should not use too many as this makes for static look. It is not necessary to always plant tall shrubs at the back of the border but if you plant a tall shrub at the front of the border you should put an even taller plant behind it, otherwise the shrub will look as if it's in the wrong place.

Climbing plants on wooden or metal obelisks will lift flat plantings and can make an interesting focal point. Have a walk around your garden to inspect it from all sides and then decide where you want to introduce height. A focal point that can be seen from some distance always adds interest.

When planting your border try to plan for year round interest and introduce some late blooming perennials such as asters and heleniums. Penstemons will grow until the first frosts and dahlias look brilliant in late summer and early autumn. At the beginning of the year we have bulbs to look forward to and they are best planted in groups. Snowdrops, miniature daffodils, crocuses and tulips all look wonderful in a border in spring. Don't forget gladioli for the summer, they make a fabulous show. If you have the room for tall grasses try to introduce these as they can often knit together your planting scheme.

If you can get organised early enough you could plant pots of tulips, alliums and cannas in late winter and put them in a cool place. These can be put into gaps in the border for an instant fix.