Oooooh! Decisions, decisions! Help!

hi ya hun, found this out about solomons seal for you hope it helps

Cultivation: Typical growing conditions are light shade to partial sun, mesic levels of moisture, and fertile loamy soil. This plant is fairly rugged and tolerates less than ideal conditions. The foliage persists all summer and is rarely bothered by disease.
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when you say "formal" do you mean it doesnt look like its naturally grown, like its been "placed" Im having that same feeling with some of my areas.

its all looking really really good though, id say put the plants you have in places in there pots then step back and look that way you wont need to keep digging them up

x x x

I would love to advise yo but it would be wrong for me to tell you how your garden should be planted CN. (phew, that's me off the hook).
The last one is Solomons Seal.
Good luck with your design, or lack of it, whichever way you prefer.

Thanks Mookins! Right, that's the Solomon's Seal off the list then! I think I'll move it to the fern side then, where it gets a bit more sun.

Oh Toto! It's only ideas I was after, lol! I would't mean to offend anybody if I didn't take up their idea!

I suppose I'll probably have to dig up the evergreen fern and put it in the empty space, as most of the other plants are evergreen.

Thanks anyway!

If you want my opinion well here goes..........I haven't go a clue...LOL. I think that's why I like veggies...nice straight rows, no colour clashes, easy peasie just right for me but I do think it's beautiful though, good luck ......Ian

What you have done already looks good to me! As for formal, I haven't really thought about this before.

I think planting in clumps rather than in straight rows will give this effect - usually in nature you have several of the same plant together.

Making a border edge undulating or an irregular shape gives an impression of informality.

I think getting a couple of biggish rocks of the same type would set off the plants beautifully and also make it more informal. Alternatively a small patch of smooth pebbles beside or around a clump of plants can look very effective and you don't tend to see this in formal beds.

I think a couple of ferns would be great for an informal look too. Personally I would tend to go for evergreen as I love being able to have something to look at in winter, but it depends what you like the most.

the formal look is just from them 5 plants at the front in a row and the same size.maybe that will change with time though as they merge.i find with plants you have to think of the future realy rather than the now.

I agree with NP, its the 5 in the front that make it look formal, also they have the same leaf shape, u need something in between them or plant them closer together, not in a row :) hope this helps craftcutter, Dee..

in a bunch maybe hello daisy how are your furns this lovley summers day

Hiya
I would be dubious about putting rhubarb there as it tends to take over and it does grow quite quickly.
Andy

Looking good, CraftN.

I don't 'do' formal or give it much thought either. If you hadn't told me the problem, I could have stared at that pic for a lifetime and not picked up on it.

I see where the others are coming from though with the 5 front plants, so I know what I'd do. Exactly what you were going to do in the first place. Put your original choice in there as you know in your own mind that they will look good. As they grow and merge, the formal look will naturally disappear anyway.

Just my humble opinion mind. Go with your instincts. :o)

Hi NP, my ferns are unfurling as we speak haha..

Hehe Ian! You're right there sweetie!

Weedfingers, I hadn't thought of putting rocks there, that is an idea. I'll mention it to hubby as we've got rocks round the pool, so I could get some of the same. I'll see what he thinks.

Np and Ydd, You're right about planting the 5 plants in a straight line, I hadn't realised that!

Thanks Andy for that! I'd hate to have to move them at a later date, as I know they don't like being moved!

Llew, as I hadn't "planned!" this on paper, I think I sorta got in a muddle, as the evergreens are nice, but I realised I wouldn't have any summer colour. So then I looked for plants in the shade and fell in love with these, lol!!

Thanks everyone for your suggestions! I will show hubby after tea! Then I'll post a piccie when I'm done!

Oh, Ydd! I love ferns, it's so exciting seeing them come to life, and it happens so quickly doesn't it? Send us a pic!

To be honest i like to mix both but then i'm a 'stick it there it'll be reight' kind of gardener!! LOL My solomons seal are in shade and seem to love it

Thanks Sewingkilla! Hubby won't agree with me where to put 'em, so will "work"! my "womanly wiles"! on him and by the weekend, we'll see where he digs them in for me, lol!!

candles at dawn craft lol

candles at dawn? mookins pulls a confused face...

x x x

Hehehe! I think Np means me pulling molluscs off plants at dusk! (a different blog, I tink?!?) Lol!!

nope i was wondering about you perswading the old man bottle of wine etc lol

Ahhh, is that what I need to do, lol!!!

could be life is about give and take craft

I know, I'm only messing about hubby, he's wonderful really!!! Wouldn't be without him, he's my "rock!" xoxo

thats the mane thing x