Skirmishes on the border

Press, 24 March 1988, Page 12

Skirmishes on the border

Looking at\ the English herbaceous border

Your Garden

Thelma Strongman

One of the: outstanding;' attractions: ' of ) Christ-: church this been 1 the [Magnificent; herbaceous border in the) Botanical Gardens. The; herbaceous border is one' of the most difficult gar-: den features th get right, but a combination of; creative thinking, horti-i cultural expertise, and) suitable weather has pfp'-l duced a work of art this! year. J . ■ j Herbaceous borders are) rarely seen in Canterbury.) In fact they are now his-)' toric garden | features as most gardeners are con J cerned with general plant-) j ing areas rather than)) formal borders or beds.)) Mixed planting is also in, favour; rather than a con-)) centration of ! herbaceous ;

perennial plants. Although the South: Island has always followed! English gardening style,! more emphasis has been put on growing trees, shrubs and annuals which grow more robustly in the windy conditions. Many of the varieties of herbaceous plants never reached New Zealand or, 'once imported, were subsequently lost. The herbaceous border originated ! in I England, probably datirig as far back as the seventeenth century. It) was) developed further during the middle of the last century when ! ' '- ' I I ■ ■_

J ' i i I * 'theinflux of ne’jvly discovered plants from the Empire and! from i he) Americas; grew [to a crescendo' in English gardens. The Victorians, in tt eir forjmaland categorising gardens, grew herbaceoi si plants in borders (backed by a wall or tall dividing hedge The herbaceous border, containing ha’dy plants arranged so that particular) plants should come into prominence 'enhancing those on [either side :)and retreating! into the (background when heir ' flowering was'* finished, (was emphasised by

William : Robinson. The ; concept as greatly devel- : oped by Gertrude, (Jekyll j | at the turn of the century, I who suggested ways in j [whiep subtle gradients of I I colour should be used. At ! Hidobte I. in Gloucestershire, and TintinhulL in Somerset, borders' were developed using nuances of a single colour, I The ideal site for a herb acebus border is a i sunny area sheltered from the wind with, preferably a northerly ; _br easterly aspect. [ The aim is to : create a unified planting ' design based on form, texL l J rr; ’J''—i

'Ji t : l| i J ' turej colour and (seasonal variation of [the) | plants. Although plants tend to be arranged froin front to back of the:! border in height, more j) interest is (added if some [ of the taller types of plants occasionally can be brought to the front of tlie border in informal diagonal) curves to ; produce li scalloped bays. '!;!•[: |!JT ' Other ways'of .relieving the j regularity [ [of the planting is to plant in sweeping drifts,! I a la Jekyll, or in [interlocking jig-saw shapes. Grey or silver-leafed plants are

useful as a foil [separating clashing colours.'[ I; | (Brightly , j coloured flowers such as) oriental pbppies or gaillardiasl are useful to make I a focal poin)t in the front of | the bprder, j where) lower growing: plants, such) jas hardy 'geraniums, (epimediums, 1 alchemilla mollis and other ground covers, are grown. (Many herbaceous borders [also contain bulbs and patches of annuals. Ji ! I I I I 'll I A visit to the Botanical Gardens will ) provide names of suitable plants

and various ; good combinations of) forms. Everybody has J [their own favourites, but for myself the sweet, peppery scent of Phlox paniculata is the essence of the English garden in late summer, and the various blues, violets, pinks land mauves of Michaelmass daisies are 1 deeply reminisent of cooler evenings, ripening apples and harvest festivals: ■ ! y I ; : Maintenance includes tidying up [ the border, thinning some of the plants by breaking up old

clumps in late winter and early spring,: replanting the mpre! viable portions: of the plants; manuring and spraying: during I the growing season: All herbaceous borders need careful staking which is unobtrusive —I see (the [method used in the Botanical Gardens. Some people favour placing ,!a twiggy stick) under floppy) plants Ito give support, i I J: ! |!| I Empty spaces sometimes occur as the herbaceous border diminishes; in) late summer. (Plunge pots containing annuals [ or ireplacemerits, grown elsewhere in! the [garden can help. I Later-flowering plants can replace earlier ones. Gypsophila is very useful in) this respect, also dahlias. | ! J J | J

' Although herbaceous piarits are gaining in I popularity it; is difficult :to 1 !find ( Specialist sap- [ IJ, /' H! ■ jI [I I | Herbaceous plants cant beTpropagdted' from st ed but (they are more; usu- ; ally propagated by sp lit- : ting up the! roots of exi sting (plants. A|few types of herbaceous plants oc:asirirtally appear in gar-1 I den centres. I | ' *1 Regular ; suppliers of some j herbaceous plants ! arfej : ' ,!j !■ ■ ! Parva ' Plants in ! !he North Island Cottage 'Plaints Ltd P.O. Bdii 18-684 Christchur ih ■ Soulhwell Plants, Balclutha) R;D.2 J) J J; I ‘ Bay (Bloom Nurser es, P.O. Box 502, Tauranga.