Design Your Own: Beds and Borders

Shaping Up

Now comes the fun part! Once you've hunted down the plants that will give your new flowerbed some zing, lay them out in their pots to help you decide on their final positions. The labels ought to give you an indication of how high and wide they will eventually grow. Take care that larger plants don't obscure their smaller neighbours. In a border, it makes sense to place taller plants at the back. In an island bed, taller plants can form a "backbone" to the arrangement.

For more tips on choosing and planting plants, see Border Control and Planting Tips.

Spice of Life

Variety is the key to most planting schemes. Choose plants with different shapes. Use complementary and contrasting colours. Think about the foliage of a taller plant in terms of the backdrop it might provide for smaller plants in front. One final tip: try not to fill your bed with plants that all flower at the same time. Unless you're intending to create a specific effect, aim for a bed that will provide interest all year round.

For more ideas on providing year-round interest, see Blooming Borders.