kmk42019
Newly Registered
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Oct 18, 2017 7:23 pm
Location: Baltimore, MD

Help me design my perennial garden

Hello,
This is my first time posting and have run into a little problem with designing my perennial garden. I decided to redo an old overgrown garden and plant some perennials. I bought some knockout roses, tickeseed, may night salvia, walkers low catmint, peppermint stick spirea, lambs ear and sedge evergold grass. This garden is on a slight hill with the back being at the top. I planted 5 knockout roses along the back to give it a border and am confused on how I should arrange and plant the rest of my perennials. I attached a picture of the garden and a drawing of the area with my plants. Any ideas on how to arrange them to make them look great? Thanks so much!
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evtubbergh
Green Thumb
Posts: 532
Joined: Sun Jan 13, 2013 6:52 am
Location: South Africa

Do you want a cottage garden look?

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pinksand
Greener Thumb
Posts: 869
Joined: Thu Aug 23, 2012 2:13 am
Location: Columbia, MD

I responded to your original post here...

viewtopic.php?f=12&t=73464

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ElizabethB
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Posts: 2105
Joined: Sat Nov 24, 2012 12:53 am
Location: Lafayette, LA

Several things to consider.

Bloom time
Plant size - height and width
Color
Growing requirements - water, pH, fertilization.

DITTO Pinksand. No straight lines. Stagger your plants.

Bloom time: most perennials are summer bloomers. Some early, some mid summer, some late. Arrange your plants so there is constant color all summer.

Is this bed intended for 360 degree viewing or front viewing only? If 360 then the Knockouts need to be in the center of the bed with you other plants growing tallest to shortest from the center out. If front view then graduate the height from back to front.

You may want to include some prostate or clumping plants. New Gold Lantana is an old, tried and true sprawling perennial. Lots of bright yellow flowers. Maybe include Prostrate Rosemary. A nice touch of green and ready to use in cooking. Ornament Sweet Potatoes are a great pop of color and a very nice ground cover for between your plants. The purple and chartreuse are my favorites. A beautiful color combination. Not a perennial but a few planted in the spring will cover a large area. In south Louisiana they come back every spring unless we have a stupid, crazy cold snap. The vines will root with contact to the soil and actually make a potato. The potatoes over winter and produce new plants the following year.

Any way - have fun and good luck.

BTW - love Knockouts both for their easy care and very long bloom. Here they bloom year round. Do keep in mind that they can get very large. Consider mature size when you plant.

Post pics when you get it done.



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