Mediterranean Moods

Choose the sunniest spot in the garden, away from cold winds, and select plants reminiscent of Mediterranean vacations: irises, grasses, euphorbias, and evergreen shrubs, such as olearia. Add herbs, like rosemary or sage, and bright-flowered bulbs, such as alliums. Terra-cotta pots planted with more tender species, such as succulent agaves, will help reinforce the Mediterranean feel.

Border Basics

• Size: 10 x 10 ft (3 x 3 m)
• Suits: Grasses, neat evergreen shrubs, irises, bulbs, herbs, succulents, semi-tender plants
• Soil: Any free-draining
• Site: Sunny and sheltered, ideally by a wall

Shopping List

• 3 x Iris ‘Jane Phillips’
• 1 x Olearia x haastii
• 3 x Euphorbia characias subsp. wulfenii
• 5 x Allium hollandicum ‘Purple Sensation’
• 1 x Anemanthele lessoniana (Stipa arundinacea)
• 1 x Bergenia cordifolia
• 2 x Ballota pseudodictamnus

Planting and Aftercare

Dig over the soil, removing any stones and weeds, and add plenty of organic matter, such as manure. If the site is not well drained, dig in gravel. Set taller plants at the back of the border, at least 12 in (30 cm) from the base of the wall. Plant shrubs and perennials first; bulbs are best planted in drifts around the key plants later. The iris rhizomes should be near the soil surface, so that they are partially exposed. Mulch with gravel and water well.

Remove the flowering stems of irises after the blooms have faded. In spring, cut out the previous year’s flowering stems of euphorbias as close to the base as possible, avoiding the toxic sap.

Mixed Herb Tapestry

Well-planted herb borders should delight the senses: not only are they attractive to look at, but the aroma of foliage and flowers provides an extra element of interest, and some herbs can also be used to flavor food. Many have variegated or silver leaves, so they are still attractive when out of flower. Try also to include some evergreen herbs, such as lavender (Lavandula) or rosemary (Rosmarinus).

Border Basics

• Size: 6 x 6 ft (2 x 2 m)
• Suits: Culinary herbs, such as thyme, oregano, marjoram, sage, chives, rosemary, and also those with more medicinal properties, such as lavender and feverfew
• Soil: Any well-drained, fairly poor soil
• Site: An open site in sun, but not too exposed to cold

Shopping List

• 10 x Origanum vulgare ‘Polyphant’
• 5 x Lavandula angustifolia ‘Twickel Purple’ or Salvia officinalis ‘Icterina’
• 10 x Thymus doerfleri ‘Doone Valley’
• 10 x Thymus x citriodorus
• 10 x Origanum vulgare ‘Aureum’

Planting and Aftercare

Try adopting a formal pattern with the plants, as in the style of a simple knot garden. The plants can be positioned in rows or bands, where they will knit together well. The lavender is the tallest plant and should go at the back, or in the center if the bed is circular; the variegated sage Salvia officinalis ‘Icterina’ could be used as a culinary alternative. Next, plant contrasting bands of the smaller herbs.

A gravel mulch placed over the soil after planting helps to suppress weeds and keeps moisture away from the crowns of the plants.

Fall Elegance

A border designed for a fine fall scheme can make a great addition to the garden. After the dazzling displays of summer, this is a forgotten season in many gardens, and yet there are many plants that are at their best at this time.

Certain grasses and various other late-performing perennials, such as Sedum, Aster, Salvia, Kniphofia, and Verbena, can be combined with the seedheads of plants that flowered in summer, perhaps set against the vivid autumnal hues of deciduous shrubs and trees.

Border Basics

• Size: 10 x 10 ft (3 x 3 m)
• Suits: Late-flowering perennials, grasses, and plants with ornamental seedheads or berries
• Soil: Any well-drained, fertile soil
• Site: An open site in sun, not too exposed

Shopping List

• 3 x Stipa gigantea
• 7 x Verbena bonariensis
• 7 x Sedum ‘Herbstfreude’
• 5 x Calamagrostis brachytricha
• 3 x Perovskia ‘Blue Spire’

Planting and Aftercare

For this scheme, it is better to plant in sweeps rather than groups for a more flowing effect. The Stipa is the tallest plant, so place it toward the back. In front, plant the dainty Perovskia and upright Calamagrostis. This grass flowers earlier in the season, but in fall the seedheads are an attractive rich brown. Allow the grass to mingle with the Sedum, best planted toward the front in a broad sweep, providing contrast and intense color. Dot the slender Verbena throughout because its transparent form provides no visual barrier.

Retain the seedheads of these plants for as long as possible, cutting down in spring before new growth begins.

Winter Blaze

Although winter is the season of snow and ice, there is still plenty to see in the garden if you include plants that provide seemingly unseasonal color. The stems of some deciduous shrubs, such as Cornus and Salix, are brightly hued, and the foliage of many conifers intensifies in color as low temperatures bite. A few plants produce showy flowers during this season, in particular winter heathers (Erica), but also bulbs such as snowdrops (Galanthus) and winter aconites (Aconitum).

Border Basics

• Size: 10 x 10 ft (3 x 3 m)
• Suits: A range of winter-interest plants
• Soil: Reasonably well drained and not too dry
• Site: Somewhere open that catches the winter sun

Shopping List

• 1 x Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ‘Elwoodii’
• 9 x Erica x darleyensis ‘Archie Graham’
• 5 x Cornus sanguinea ‘Winter Beauty’
• 1 x Pinus sylvestris Aurea Group
• 7 x white Erica carnea

Planting and Aftercare

Position the Chamaecyparis toward the back of the border—it will serve as a fine foil for the brighter colors. The golden pine (Pinus) should also be toward the back, in front of the Chamaecyparis.

Plant the Cornus in a drift, mostly in the middle of the border, edging toward the front. Underplant with the heathers, creating strokes of color. Do not intermingle the colors.

The best stem color from the Cornus is found on young growth, so after a couple of years, cut out one-third of old stems from each plant annually in spring. Trim the winter heathers with shears after they have flowered.

Container Ideas

Choosing a Container

When selecting pots and containers from the wide range available at garden centers, there are some key factors to take into account before you buy. As well as choosing a style, shape, and color that suits your garden design, also consider the material from which the container is made, since each has its pros and cons.

Clay Pots

Clay pots may be glazed or unglazed, colored or patterned, light or dark in color. Orange terra cotta brings a taste of the Mediterranean to the garden.

Advantages

They are attractive to look at, and can make a long-lasting addition to the garden, often improving with age and wear. There is a clay pot for most situations, and they can be very good buys.

Disadvantages

Many clay pots are not fully frost-proof and are prone to winter damage. They are also best avoided in exposed sites because they are easily broken. Fired clay is a porous material, so plants can dry out quickly, especially in summer, and moving these containers can be hard work since they are often heavy.

Metal Containers

Containers made of metal may seem like a contemporary idea, but in fact some of the most desirable antique pots are lead, and suitable for a range of situations. Modern metal containers tend to be made of steel or galvanized aluminum and are simply styled, unlike lead planters, which feature more elaborate, classical designs.

Advantages

By nature, metal containers are long-lasting, and can be heavy (especially lead ones), which makes them good for open sites. They can also be very stylish.

Disadvantages

Metal containers can be expensive, particularly those made of lead; these are also exceptionally heavy. They also usually look out of place in an informal garden and may not suit some plants.