Front Walk Border
Artist's Garden Designs, Design Tips, Garden Design Vignettes, Vignettes
The Front Walk Garden Border by Kelly Schroeder.
With the way our subdivisions are set up, many home owners struggle with a narrow strip of ‘no man’s land’ between neighbouring properties. Instead of simply turfing the area, make a statement with a colourful perennial border. If the space available on your own property is less than 2’ wide, have a chat with your neighbor and collaborate on the border.
If the space is narrow, choose three or four plants to work with and plant them in groups of three or five to make a real statement. If the planting area is quite long, repeat some of the plants, possibly in mirror image to keep continuity.
For wider areas a selection of four or five varieties would work well. Here the plant varieties can intermingle to create a colourful tapestry. It is especially important to plant multiples of each variety in this case to keep the border from becoming a confused jumble of colour. Allow each variety to shine by grouping at least three plants per variety together.
By selecting perennials with multiple seasons of interest and combining them with hard materials, such as rock or brick and possibly a garden ornament or small evergreen shrub, you will create a pleasing vignette for your guests and neighbours to enjoy.
The plants shown in this vignette all prefer a bright location and will provide enjoyment from early spring until late autumn.
PLANTS USED FOR THIS GARDEN ARE:
- Heuchera ‘Obsidian’ – Zone 4
- Carex oshimensis ‘Evergold’ – Zone 5
- Salvia nemorosa ‘Caradonna’ – Zone 3
- Rudbeckia fulgida ‘Goldsturm’ – Zone 3
OR SUBSTITUTE WITH:
- Ajuga reptans ‘Black Scallop’ – Zone 3
- Sedum rupestre ‘Angelina’ – Zone 3
- Liatris spicata ‘Kobold’ – Zone 2
- Hemerocallis ‘Stella de Oro’ – Zone 2