Creating deep and rich garden borders full of shrubs and plants blooming with flowers is one of the simplest ways of making your garden look attractive and well cared for. Here are the details of five easy-to-grow plants that will add the wow factor to your garden.
Top Five Border Plants for Beginners
1. Cotoneaster horizontalis: Grows in any type of soil. It produces tiny, white flat flowers that bees adore, followed by red berries. The leaves are an attractive autumn color. Use this plant to cover any unsightly wall or fence in your garden.
2. Philadelphus ‘Manteau d’Hermine’: Has dense foliage and wonderful white flowers, and is in full bloom at the beginning of summer. Manteau d’Hermine will fill your garden with the most wonderful aroma that will add to the positive experience visitors have in your garden. This plant likes a sunny location and will grow 4 feet tall. It requires little maintenance; simply trim back nearly all flowered shoots in July.
3. Potentilla fruticosa ‘Primrose Beauty’: This plant is a low grower that will stay beneath 3 feet. The flowers have a delicate, yellow rose-like look. Primrose Beauty will blossom from May to September. It needs to be kept in a sunny spot. No pruning is required as this fantastic plant can look after itself.
4. Buddleja davidii ‘Black Knight’: This shrub is so easy to grow and will inject some vibrancy and color into your garden. It produces deep purple blossoms that really attract butterflies. Flowering will continue from July to September. This plant can become a huge shrub, growing some 10 feet, and needs to be planted in a sunny spot with good drainage. In early spring, you must cut back all the stems to within 4 inches of the old growth.
5. Mahonia japonica: A great all rounder! This plant is an evergreen that is extremely hardy and will add depth to a shaded border. Mahonia japonica grows on average to 6.5 feet and gives scented yellow flowers for a long period.
If you garden is without borders, fear not. You can plant these wonderful plants in pots and planters and place them around your garden to create a wonderful blooming garden.
Growing plants in this way will also help control their size, so if you are a little concerned about pruning, this style of garden may be perfect for you. For a plant such as Cotoneaster horizontalis, support it with a trellis or grow it against an arch with lattice sides that will offer support to the plant and give it a structure to grow up and around.
Vicki Copp is a writer for Jack’s Garden Store. Jack’s Garden Store offers gardening advice and tips at Jack’s Blog: http://www.jacksgardenstore.com/blog/. Permission to reprint given by Creativehomemaking.com.
