Help. Perennials as walkway liners?
ac...@chebucto.ns.ca
I'm a complete amateur at garding (just ripped out a dead Juniper) and I
was wondering if anyone out there has any suggestions about some nice low
perennials to use to edge the walkway into my front door. I've got about
40 linear ft. total.
Any help would be very much appreciated.
--
Darrell A. MacDonald, NSAA
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Canada
gypsy on endor
one of the best you can plant is Thymus or mother-of-thyme. it spreads
nicely and evenly, has perky little pinkish red flowers and it LOVES when
you step on it!! plant about 4" apart for an even look and fast growth.
good luck.
Wendy B G
>I
>was wondering if anyone out there has any suggestions about some nice low
>perennials to use to edge the walkway into my front door. I've got about
>40 linear ft. total.
What an opportunity...this is the classic situation for a perennial border.
There are dozens of flowering perennials which will keep to a nice, low height
(say, about 2 feet and below) and look nice as a border. Generally, a border
looks best if you choose only a few types, then repeat them over and over. This
gives a sense of "rhythm" instead of a patchy appearance.
I live in the Mid-atlantic, Zone 7, and I'm not familiar with the hardiness
needs of Nova Scotia. Also, you didn't mention much sun your border would get.
You will have more flowers per plant if it is sunny. Observe your neighbors'
gardens, and see what you like best in them. This is the best indication of
what will grow in your area.
Here is the web site for the Time-Life gardening ecyclopedia.
http://cgi.pathfinder.com/cgi-bin/VG/vg
Be sure to check the hardiness ranges and cultural requirements (temperature,
sun, soil, water) for any plant before you buy. Never try to force a plant to
grow in an unsuitable situation. You will spend money, it will die anyway, and
you will be disappointed.
I choose plants which are low maintenance. Those that survive get
propogated...those that don't, I give up on. This is what survives best with
least care in my garden:
Daylilies (pest and drought resistant, and my husband prefers them to any other
flower). Stella d' Oro is 18" high and reblooms.
Shasta daisies. Cut them back after flowering. Rebloom several times.
Siberian irises. Should be cold-hardy. My husband likes these too... masculine,
dignified flowers, not frilly like bearded irises.
Yarrow (achillea) is pest and drought resistant.
Coreopsis is a native midwestern flower.
Chamomile (delicate foliage smells delicious, flowers make a soothing tea)
Asters, bloom in the fall.
Don't forget to plant bulbs in the fall (especially crocuses and daffodils,
which will return every year.) The first green shoots of spring are the
bulbs... this is a great thrill!
I plant clumps of daffodils between clumps of daylilies. Then the growing
daylily foliage covers the daffodil foliage when the daffs are finished
blooming. You must let daff foliage die back naturally to get flowers the
following year.
You may also want to add small shrubs, such as potentilla (I noticed this is
widely planted in Maine). Some roses are cold-hardy...to the rosarian, roses
are a passion, and no other flower will ever be as beautiful. I would recommend
low-growing floribundas (not tea roses) in a perennial border.
You can get winter color by planting low-growing berrying plants, such as
broad-leaf evergreens like hollies, firethorn, and cotoneaster. Caution: there
are lots of varieties of each, and some grow extremely large and tall, so be
careful to choose varieties that will stay low!
Good luck with your endeavor!
Regards,
Wendy Goldberg
Gage
>
> one of the best you can plant is Thymus or mother-of-thyme. it spreads
> nicely and evenly, has perky little pinkish red flowers and it LOVES when
> you step on it!! plant about 4" apart for an even look and fast growth.
>
> good luck.
>
I have wooly thyme and a higher variegated lemon thyme.
Chris Owens
ac...@chebucto.ns.ca writes:
> I'm a complete amateur at garding (just ripped out a dead Juniper) and I
> was wondering if anyone out there has any suggestions about some nice low
> perennials to use to edge the walkway into my front door. I've got about
> 40 linear ft. total.
Oh, my! The list is endless! However, it depends on a few things: What the
sun/soil conditions are along this walk; how much time you are willing to spend
caring for the plants; and what you like. May I suggest that you go to your
local garden center and have a look around? They will be able to tell you
what is suitable for your area and conditions, as well as how much care they
will require.
Chris Owens
mike
>>I
>>was wondering if anyone out there has any suggestions about some nice low
>>perennials to use to edge the walkway into my front door. I've got about
>>40 linear ft. total.
If you are looking for a low growing edge plant... Lambs ear!! grows quickly
and spreds. fun to pet
-mike
ChrisL
mike wrote in message <6ja312$q11$1...@nutmeg.uchc.edu>...
I would agree 100% with you. Mine have always been nice tame edging
plants year after year... until this year. Now they are over 20" high with
the flower spikes towering over. Never, in all the year's of gardening,
have I had lamb's ears grow this big. I don't know if it's El Nino or the
plants' suddenly acquiring minds and determination to take over the bed,
but they are whoppers. And absolutely gorgeous. Never got so many
compliments on them before. If you are in the snow belt, they should die
down under the snow and start all over in the spring, so they shouldn't
get so big.
Happy gardening. Chris
The Goods
ChrisL wrote:
> [snip] Never, in all the year's of gardening, have I had lamb's ears grow
> this big.
You might want to cut off the flower heads before they go to seed. I neglected
to do this last year and now I have a lamb's ear plantation on my property.
BAnders778
Candytuft works as a border for me. I do not know if it is hardy in your
region.
ChrisL
The Goods wrote in message <3565808D...@nbnet.nb.ca>...
Thanks for the advice. I'll deadhead them as soon as I can, if I can get
past
the honey bees. They're going gonzo over the flowers, and I sort of hate
to disturb them (especially since they went after me when I cut one of the
heads).
CHIMERA952
I have dwarf gaillardia, coreopsis, purple salvia, shastas and lambs ears in my
walkway border. White alyssum reseeds itself and I just move them around to
where I want them.
Irene
Pam
meadow sage is a nice small clump with beautiful dark blue flowers.
--
Pam
"Calming, Smiling, Present moment, Wonderful moment." --Thich Nhat Hanh
CHIMERA952
I'm zone 7a.
Irene
BAnders778
Candytuft makes a good border.