COLUMNIST: ANDY PEASGOOD
I have one of these narrow borders which I designed after being inspired by some wildflower layout design at Geilston Garden. The narrow border runs along one side of a path I made and whilst it may appear to be a tricky border it does, in fact, provide a year of interest, and you can start this now!
Early spring is the ideal time to buy snowdrops in-the-green. They get lifted from the ground after flowering, divided into individual bulbs, grouped together, and sold. Once received, you plant them out where there is minimal stress to the bulb and it won’t dry out. The following year, you will be greeted with beautiful snowdrops as we emerge from winter.
Mid-spring is a great time to get wildflower seeds in the ground. You can sow in autumn too but this depends on soil conditions. There are lots of varying forms of wildflower seeds on the market, from little seed balls to plantable paper, but I like to do my research and buy from specialist suppliers. Annual and perennial mixes, perennial and grass mixes, clay soil mixes, and cornfield mixes are all but a few of what’s out there on the market.
Scatter seeds with a carrier, such as sand, which will aid distribution. A good pinch of wildflower seed can cover a metre squared so do resist the urge of thinking that it is not enough because it really is. Soon enough, you will have a border full of germinated wildflowers, ready to give you a summer of colour.
Summer is a reasonably inactive time in the garden. Some deadheading and tying in will be necessary but really it is a time where we sit back, enjoy the garden, and start scheming for the next year. Gardeners are not always good at sitting in their garden without wanting to potter about but it is important that we do so. Watch the colours, the shapes, the textures, and the sounds from the breeze - wildflowers will often give all of this.
Bulbs, bulbs, bulbs. Plan and buy bulbs that flower successionally. We have already provided snowdrops for the early period, so we can now look at other bulbs from daffodils to tulips. In autumn last year, I planted early daffodil Narcissus ‘February Gold’, later daffodil Narcissus ‘Dutch Master’, Muscari, Fritillaria meleagris, Tulips, and Alliums.
Get them in the ground at their appropriate times in autumn whilst all the wildflowers have finished flowering and are dying back. This provides another great example of autumn colour and texture.
Winter is calm and quiet and I leave the wildflowers in situ. They are a fantastic habitat for wildlife and the seeds can make their way to the ground. The further breakdown of these plants brings our year of colour full-circle, finishing on the rusty tones of grasses and spent flower heads.
The Confetti Border runs Snowdrops → Early Narcissus → Late Narcissus → Muscari → Fritillaria meleagris → Tulips → Wildflowers → Die Back and Habitat.
Andy Peasgood is a keen gardener who enjoys design, plant combinations, and a ‘hands on’ approach to projects, as he shares the development of his garden.
A former Principal Dancer with Scottish Ballet and now a professional teacher and coach in vocational classical ballet training, Andy is most recently, a garden design student.
Follow more of Andy’s gardening journey on Instagram.