Easy to maintain the herbaceous border is a triumph of the gardener’s skill.

Herbaceous Border

The herbaceous border is easier to keep than a bed full of annuals. Once planted the border can last for many years, merely requiring weeding, staking, periodical division of the roots an annual forking over and mulching of the beds.

Skilful planting will result in colour from early spring to late fall. The width of the border has to be in relation to the size of the garden, but should be no narrower than 1.2 metres, and probably double this width.

Best results are obtained if the border is placed against a hedge and facing south. Most perennials will grow in any soil but a deep, rich, well drained loam would be ideal.

Preparation of the site

The herbaceous border will be there for a long time, so thorough ground preparation is essential.

The border is best planted during October / November time, as long as the soil is not too wet or heavy otherwise March / April is more advisable. Prepare the ground just before planting.

The site should be deeply dug incorporating ideally FYM, (farm yard manure). If this is unavailable substitutes can be garden compost, leaf mould, mushroom compost or similar.

Arranging Colours

Arranging the colours and heights of the plants as well as the time of year in which the plants flower is very important and a lot of time should be spent on this part of the project to make sure that you get it right.

Colours should not clash, but blend in with their neighbours. Tints may be made to lead from one to the other so as to blend harmoniously. e.g. The yellows to run into orange to scarlet to deep red. Similarly pale blues would go to darker blues to purple.

Planting Herbaceous Perennials

This is done when conditions allow, preferably in Oct / Nov time. This gives the plants all winter to get established before flowering the following year. In February or March apply mulch the border.

When the plants start growing add a general fertilizer around the plant roots to give them a good start and hoe or rake in the feed. During the spring / summer period keep the weeds down by hoeing.

Keep the plants watered especially during the first year, removing dead flowers as they occur, as once a plant starts to seed it soon stops flowering. When the plants start to die down at the end of the season cut the foliage down to 6 cm from the ground, this helps to keep the site tidy.

About every four years the plants may require lifting and splitting. At this time dig over the herbaceous border adding farm yard manure or similar to the soil.

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