SIT back in the sunshine, scan you borders and create plans for the coming year

WITH the height of summer now with us, we can revel in the jewel-like displays offered by perennial beds and borders, as the hot orange and red tones of Heleniums sing out across the garden alongside pink Echinacea and dazzling yellow Rudbeckia.

The mid to late summer season is when these plants come into their own and with the warmer days and evenings we have been enjoying, we can sit and be amazed by their beauty and vibrancy.

There is no better time to consider any changes you may want to make and to plan ahead for the coming year. So take a moment, grab a cup of tea and a pad and pen– or the more modern technological equivalent if you prefer – and take a proper look at the display in front you. Try to be both fair and critical at the same time and ask yourself this question: is the planting achieving what you wanted or hoped to see?

It may be that some plants have struggled or even failed to come through the last winter, so you may need to consider the reasons for this before making decisions about what you may replace them with. For example, check if the ground suffers from a pocket of water logging that has resulted in winter rot, or if the area is prone to drying out excessively. Identifying and rectifying these problems now will give you more scope and greater chance of success when replanting.

Some perennials are known to be more shortlived; plants such as Echinacea may only last around five years, relatively fleeting compared to many other perennials, and some can be temperamental: Monarda for example, with its shallow roots, may struggle with competition or heavy handed mulching.

Always be on the lookout for the garden thug; every border has one. Some are just too good to remove completely but be sure to stay on top of its progress through your planting.

Having identified any gaps, you may want to look at adding to your display. You can always look to purchase new plants or divide current stocks, and many will establish well if planted late in the year. I personally prefer to do this in the spring when plants are much more actively growing. This is especially the case with ornamental grasses within the border, as the failure rate is greater in the autumn as they can struggle to settle their roots before winter.

Positioning within the border is another factor to look at: many traditional borders retain larger plants at the back with graduating height to the smallest at the front. Styles are often about personal choice and your garden should be exactly that - ‘your’ style. Seeing how the border performs now can give you much-needed inspiration to create the display you are seeking.

If the border is relatively new to you, I would advise against being too critical in your approach, live with a new garden space first and view it at least over one whole season before making any large scale changes, especially given how one summer can differ so significantly from another. The weather this year has had a dramatic effect on growth rates and different plants are affected in very different ways. One thing evident within our Main Borders at Harlow Carr is how the continued dry spell has created a significantly shorter display – in height - than we would usually see. A number of plants have gone over relatively quickly and we have also seen plants collapsing due to weakened stems. It’s therefore essential that you don’t jump into making rapid changes without understanding the causes behind it.

Above all else though, the process of border editing should be an enjoyable one. Make your borders as creative or simple as you want to. Photographs may help you to visualise the display later, but you could use mood boards for colours and plant combinations, as well as drawings and sketches. Enjoy.