Reshaping the Lawn/Borders

Daylily, your garden looks like a model of restraint to me, I could take a leaf out of your book! I think you have some lovely plants and understand your dilemma about choice! I don't know if they would suit your soil but pinks would be lovely for scent and colour. The old favourite 'Doris' flowers and flowers for me and we're on clay! I also love geranium 'Dragonheart' which sprawls a bit with its flowers but is an eye-watering magenta. I wouldn't be without it.
Good luck with the rest of your grass. The garden is a real credit to you. I wish I was closer for some tips on how to do it!!

lovely ongoing development Daylily. I know what you mean about colours in beds. I try to have themes in most cases.

have you thought of some of the herbaceaous potentillas Monarchs Scarlet and Flamenco are two excellent reds and flower mid summer.
Scabiosa, Centaurea {blues and mauves available}, Agapathus, Achillea and Monarda.

Consider summer bulbs too Allium, Galtonia, Gladioli, Sparaxis, Eremuris.

Ahh thanks Anget your very kind but probably right to be fair that is probably why I can never decide what to do apart from the things I know I would like on my wishlist, but i get annoyed with myself lol we were looking at the pinks at the garden centre too so might get some of those i have a small one in an alpine pot, and I have geranium psilostemon which is fab like dragonheart but might be taller but again I love the geraniums too need some more I like the look of Anne Thompson/Folkard. I picked up on a tip from Toby Buckland to try and place shrubs 6ft apart and have tried to do that then underplant, as far as tips go, I am sure you would know more than me, but I do love it as we all do, 😍

Thanks SBG, yes I am a bit like that I think I don't want one colour in one border but will in another, it is on going isn't it but would nice one day to think ahh that's how I want it! I used to have monarchs velvet but it got a bit straggly I think and I got it out, but it was lovely and I do like the foliage, I love agapanthus I have a good white one and a smaller one needs to get going, and Achillea is on my shopping list although the ones I've had before don't seem to come back for me but hope to get those soon, and have a red Monarda too but maybe another colour would be nice. I never think of bulbs either so thank you for all your suggestions, would love to try eremuris, much appreciated😍

Ps both, my soil is pretty good acidic and probably bit clay moisture retentive, the previous owner told us they used to dig leafmold in every year so it is pretty friable

I have the potentilla 'Flambeau' and that doesn't sprawl about at all, so would recommend that. It's a lovely colour too.
I have 'Anne folkard or Thompson' (can't remember whch) and it is very close in colour to Geranium 'Dragonheart'. I have a soft spot for the latter 'cos it flowers on and on.
As for keeping shrubs 6ft apart, how much easier my life would have been if I had done that. I never learn, even at my advanced years!!

The potentilla sounds lovely, and anything that flowers forever can't be at all bad, I have Geranium Rosemoor which says it should flower longer but I don't think it does, flowers the same as magnificum so far anyway I cut it back but didn't get anymore flowers, but I think this year I am going to do more watering and feeding as I don't think I do enough, mind you I have Geum Totally tangerine and scarlet tempest which are very good. There is always something new to learn or realise 😊

Beautifully manicured, Daylily! Love your neatly shaped edges. Attractive mix of shrubbery, foliage and flower. You’ve a really lovely collection of different sizes and shaped plants.

Thanks so much Kate, hoping to add a few more ;-))

You have done a lovely job there,Daylily, and it looks so well cared for and healthy. This is just what I want to do,reshape all borders in our front garden,but like you,it's knowing just how far to go,and what to buy,as there are so many lovely plants I would like to have,but so hard to decide which ! I do like the sound of the Potentilla,'Flambeau' as recommended by Ange,so that might be a good place to start ! I still have a G.Centre voucher to spend ,from my Birthday last October,so I'm sure I will find something,very soon.It's burning a hole in my purse ! :o) x

The reshaped lawn is a very great improvement! Had you thought of putting little cyclamen in the new space? I've seen them nestling up to trees and they would tuck nicely in to that area. Cyclamen hederifolium leaves stay longer than H coum but both are lovely.

Thanks Bloomer it certainly makes a difference and needed doing, it is pretty hard to choose plants and then you think ohh it won't match that etc well that's what I do anyway. Hope you find something there's so much to choose from but we like to be selective don't we. Enjoy spending it! :-))

Yorkslass thank you, no I hadn't really thought of them I do like them, good idea they may fit amongst the roots of the tree :-))

Thank you Klahanie that's very kind of you to say, the 'wedding cake' is cornus argentea alternifolia I believe as there was no label on it, it looks slightly different to the tree, we decided to raise the canopy and shape it as it has grown pretty big and very wide, so at least I can plant underneath, hopefully any way 😀

Thanks all for your comments, much appreciated 😍