When it comes to borders home gardeners tend to take one of two approaches:

1 - Carefully plan the plants, colours and structure of the border.

2 - Cheerfully cram in as much as possible, plant whatever comes to mind and sit back to see what happens.

Whichever approach you take the border is the first thing most visitors will see (unless you have a tall tree as a centre feature) which is why many of us take pride in the borders we create.

While option 2 above has a lot of charm, and I have to admit is what I practised for many years, taking a more methodical approach will pay dividends with a more structured and colourful border display.

Planning ahead doesn’t mean you have to be boring. Planning the border is an enjoyable exercise and seeing it all come to fruition is incredibly satisfying.

To help achieve that impactful, colourful and eye-catching display we’ve put together some great tips to get you started.

7 top tips on how to plant a border

1 - Make a plant list

First things first. Less is more. This is a mantra I stubbornly refused to accept for many years. Cram too much in and the border will take on the aspect of a jungle.

That said it’s difficult to make a list as you’ll want to include so much. But do try to keep the number of plants down to ensure they have room to flourish and spread as they mature.

Must read article: Best shrubs for the border

You’ll want to include a mix of shrubs, perennials and annuals. You may also want to include bulbs such as daffodils for colour in spring.

2 - Make a note of height

When you’ve compiled your list of plants group them according to height. The point here of course is to make sure that when you come to planting the taller plants are at the back and the shorter ones at the front.

However, there is an exception here. You could choose to experiment with slightly taller plants at the front if they are spacious or airy such as ornamental grasses. In other words, plants which you can see through to the plants behind it.

3 - Repeat plants

This may seem slightly counter intuitive. After all, your natural inclination will be to include as many different plants as possible.

But your design will be tied together by repeating a plant. It unifies the whole border and helps the viewer's eye wander along the whole border. Believe me your design will be elevated to a whole new level by including multiple specimens of a particularly colourful and eye-catching plant.

4 - Diversity is the key

Although I've advised keeping the number of plants down and repeating a favourite one there is still plenty of room for diversification.

Consider a mini focal point planted irregularly throughout the border. Use unusual or spectacular plants but don't overdo it. Again, the less is more mantra is appropriate here.

Along with your repetition plants the mini focal points will attract the eye to the different areas of the border.

5 - Think about the year ahead

Naturally enough the main focus of your planning will be towards creating a magnificent show in summer.

But don't lose sight of the rest of the year. Especially autumn and winter.

When drawing up your list of plants and shrubs try to include evergreens and those which produce autumn leaves. This will provide interest all year round. Even when the weather is drab your border will still have plenty of colour.

6 - Cover it all

Let's face it no one likes weeding. But you can keep weeding to a minimum by planting plenty of ground-covering perennials in your border. These plants blanket the soil and prevent weeds taking over the border.

In the same vein, keep the border under control by careful pruning making sure plants don't overwhelm their neighbours.

7 - Exotic finishing touches

Add the final touch to your border by including a tree or two. An exotic tree like a palm will really bring a modern look to even the most traditional of planting arrangements.

Must read article: Time to plant an ornamental tree?

Finally, you may want to set off your border with some edging. The right kind of edging can enhance and complement the planting scheme.

Here at Direct Plants, we have all the shrubs, plants and ornamental trees you’ll need for your border. Start shopping by clicking here.

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