shade Thinning out the overhead branches of mature trees often lets in more daylight. It may also help to paint any surfaces with white or a light colour. In moist shade, select plants from damp woodland habitats. Where trees are intended, as part of a planting scheme, select varieties such as Robinia, whose leaves are late emerging. The delay will enable spring plants under the branches to flower and begin to seed before light levels are reduced.
Excessively dry shade Moisture-retaining mulches will help, as will establishing a dense vegetative ground cover. Under trees, focus on plants that flower during winter and spring, when overhead branches are bare. Be content with a narrow choice of plants, but try any that you think might survive. All conditions differ, and plants that languish in one person’s dry shade, may perform well in another. Once you know the plants that will live, focus hard on these, selecting them in as many different forms as you can.
Excessively hot, sunny and dry Hardly a problem site! The number of plants that love such hot conditions is vast and varied, from desert succulents to winter and spring flowering bulbs. Count your blessings and get to love small bulbs, sedums, helianthemums, dwarf irises and so on.
Excessive wet – especially when caused by poor drainage Good drainage is essential for most plants to thrive. However, some wetland species are better at coping with poor drainage than others. Try to minimise the problems associated with bad drainage by installing raised beds, or following the advice given for excessively heavy soil below. Select wetland plants such as hostas, water iris, ligularias and Lobelia cardinalis.
Heavy or light soil Surprisingly, the same improving measures apply to both: dig in as much compost or leafmould as possible, building up the levels of organic matter. Heavy clays can be improved by digging in coarse grit, leaf mould or rotted compost. Light sand also benefits from a boost to its organic content and also needs a heavy mulch each summer, to assist with moisture retention.
Excessively alkaline (limy) or acid soil Limy soil can be made less alkaline by applying sulphur, but the effect is limited. Acid soil can be limed to bring the up the pH, but that effect is difficult to reverse. Of all problem sites, these two are the easiest to solve, simply by wise plant selection. If your soil is limy, learn to live without rhododendrons, but to revel in pinks, clematis and the thousands of species which love alkaline conditions. If your soil is acid, your azaleas, camellias, summer heathers and ravishing blue Himalayan poppies will be the envy of your friends.
Having an Open Mind
With so much at stake, it is far too easy to forget that we garden largely for pleasure – or if we don’t, we should! You can therefore be pretty relaxed about how you try out various planting combinations, and can afford to make mistakes. Plants and planting schemes are plastic, that is, they can be moulded or changed as you go. Only the boldest artist who dares to try something outrageous or at least, unprecedented, is likely to end up with a creation that is special.
New gardeners sometimes become so anxious about getting everything right that they forget to take pleasure in what they are doing. Experienced gardeners, however, are constantly learning. They make frequent mistakes and will enjoy a lifetime of adjusting, re-planting, devising new projects, trying out new plants and just generally messing about in their gardens. In fact the only serious, damaging and lasting mistake you can ever make, with your garden, is to think that you have finished.
Flowers come in a rush, through spring and summer, and mid-winter plants are always sought-after. Too few of us, however, remember to plan for the ‘forgotten season’ – the autumn. This border of asters, chrysanthemums and other short-day flowers shows what superb colour autumn can bring.
Annuals for gap filling in mixed border
Agrostemma githago
Corn Cockle Annual
Cornfield annual with long, thin, somewhat lax stems, narrow, slightly hairy leaves and a long summer succession of large, rosy purple flowers, each with dotted lines leading to the centre. Support is necessary, either from other plants or with stakes or sticks. Selections include ‘Ocean Pearl’ – white with silver lines – and the pale ‘Pink Pearl’.
Soil preference: Any
Aspect: Full sun
Season of interest: Summer
Height and spread: 1m plus (3ft plus)
Companion plants: Excellent annual for the border back, especially if it can lean against shrubs or come up among perennials with better standing qualities. Also fine in a naturalistic annual border with other cornfield annuals such as cornflower and larkspur.
Adonis annua
Pheasant’s Eye Annual
A cornfield annual with emerald green, feathery or filigree foliage on narrowly branched stems. From early summer, a succession of small, intensely blood red buttercup-like flowers nestle among the soft foliage, creating a strong contrast. Autumn sown plants grow larger and flower more profusely and for longer than those which germinate in spring.
Soil preference: Any, not too dry
Aspect: Sun, part shade
Season of interest: Summer
Height and spread: 45cm × 15cm (18in × 6in)
Companion plants: A wild species with modest beauty, but effective when dotted among perennials in a mixed border or growing in gravel where it will take over from such late spring bulbs as fritillaries or late tulips.
Malcolmia maritima
Virginian Stock Annual
Almost every child’s first plant from seed, since it will flower a few weeks after sowing. Narrow foliage and slender stems produce a short but intense succession of brightly coloured, four-petalled flowers. Good
