Plant what you love and garden for the love of being outdoors in nature. Local soil conditions will effect what works for you.
As an example this is a list of the plants the initial pilot proposed to make up boxes of ‘starter garden packs’. These are chosen for being low-level, fast maturing, hardy and easy to grow which, when mixed, provide year round form, colour and smell. This is not to restrict you in any way, just to get you started if you don’t know where to start!
| Plant Name | Size | Properties |
| Phlox Paniculata | H90cm | Imposing border plant flowering Jul-Sep |
| Catmint (Nepeta Faassenii) | H 60-80cm | Dwarf & compact with light purple-blue flowers in summer. (Cheaper, hardier & lower maintenance than lavender) |
| Festucca (Glauca Elijah Blue) | H40cm | Grass; Blue foliage with brown plumes |
| Miscanthus (Indian summer) | H1.5m | Grass; bright orange and yellow feathery stems last through summer and autumn |
| Philadelphus (Virginal) | H2.5m | Scented double white flowers |
| Sedum (Autumn Joy) | H&W 60cm | Pink flowers in summer turning red in autumn |
| Hebe (Dwarf evergreen veronica) | H&W 60cm | Evergreen |
| Geranium (Magnificum ‘Rosemoor’) | H&W 50cm | Dense carpet of violet flowers in mid-summer. Can be split after a couple of years. |
| Hellebores (Niger) | H30-40cm | Flowers Dec-Mar, evergreen after first year. |
| Choisya (Tenata Goldfinger) | H&W 1.5m | Evergreen. Finger shaped fragrant foliage of bright yellow, orange scented white blossom late spring & again late summer |
| Salvia Nemorosa | 60cm flower spikes | Upright border perennial flowering profusely Jun-Sept |
| Heuchera (Lime Marmalade) | H40cm | Masses yellow-green foliage, evergreen. Flowers May-Sept. Can be split. |
| Heuchera (Palace Purple) | H37cm | White flowers, deep purple to bronze leaves. Compact. Evergreen. Can be split. |
| Verbena Bonariensis | H 2m | Clusters of purple flowers on tall stems Jun-late oct. Fabulous throughout border, growing up between denser shrubs to provide light touch of colour floating above the border. |
| Lavender (Hidcote) | H 60-80cm | Common blue variety |
| Sage (Purple) | H80cm W1m | Evergreen, with early summer lilac-blue flowers. Appropriate in border as well as dedicated herb bed. |
| Rosemary | H1.5m | Evergreen herb with small purple flowers in summer. Scented leaves. Can grow huge, respond well to pruning. Excellent structure in border as well as part of herb bed. |
| Thyme | Low bushy evergreen, scented leaves, small white / blue flowers in summer. Good ground cover in border as well as part of herb bed. |
Happy Gardening!
DE Gardeners 