A Garden Designers 5 Most Used Plants
There are a few plants I use over and over again in the gardens I design. They either provide year round, evergreen structure or they are really low maintenance and long flowering or they are just simply loved by everyone! Take a look at my top 5 below.
1. Libertia chilensis (grandiflora)
This evergreen plant has upright, ornamental grass like foliage and so forms an attractive contrast against other evergreens in the garden. Its foliage provides a year round vertical accent to the borders and then in early summer it sends up spikes of beautiful white flowers. Libertia prefers to be planted in full sun - it can take a some shade but the foliage will flop a little and the flowering wont be as strong. I have found it is not too fussy about soil type - it reportedly needs well drained soil but it is growing beautifully in my Warwickshire clay. It has an RHS Award of Garden Merit.
2. Pittosporum Golf Ball
I use this as evergreen structure at the front of the border and often repeat it around the garden to unify the space. I believe it makes a great alternative to Buxus (box) balls, which just aren’t viable anymore due to a combination of blight and the box tree caterpillar. This plant naturally forms a rounded, low growing shrub with bright green foliage. It offers a great year round contrast to Libertia - I often plant multiples of both of them in gardens. Pittosporum can be a little tender so one to avoid in really cold areas of the country and do ensure you plant it in a sunny spot.
3. Alliums
All my clients love alliums and want them in their garden. I tend to plant a lot of Allium ‘Purple Sensation’ (holds an RHS award of Garden Merit), which flowers in early summer and is very attractive to bees. For something different, try planting Allium sphaerocephalon, which tends to flower later than other alliums (mid to late summer). When planted in full sun, its small purple flower heads are so attractive to butterflies that it is a must for anyone wanting to bring wildlife into their garden. Plant in full sun in well drained soil.
4. Astrantia
Perfect for slightly shadier areas of the garden - I find they go brown and look unhappy in full sun, particularly if the soil dries out. A really easy perennial plant, in white or shades of pink. They flower in early summer, with delicate pin-cushion like centres to the flowers. A really pretty plant.
5. Hardy geranium (cranesbill)
You can find a hardy geranium to suit every area in your garden. Perfect for edging borders, giving colourful ground cover or spilling out over raised beds. They are really tough and reliable. They come in a variety of colours and you can find geraniums that are happy in dry shade through to those that like full sun. If you give them a good trim back when they are starting to look tired they will often flower again that same summer. I plant a lot of Geranium Rozanne, which is happy in sun or shade, any soil (apart from waterlogged) and produces beautiful purple flowers for months on end (it was the winner of the RHS plant of the Centenary at the Chelsea Flower Show in 2013). Try Geranium nodosum for trickier areas of the garden, such as in dry shade near trees and shrubs.
