Ideas for small border ???
By Davey2009
Staffordshire,
United Kingdom 
An area about 12ft x 3ft currently a mess of bamboo's pots & a twisted hazel on the far right which I want to leave ....I was thinking Fatsia Japonica on opposite side a couple of tree peonies with Crocosmia lucifer to add colour maybe a Hellebore near the Hazel, Im trying to use these plants I have from other areas & make a sort of tropical look I could add some Impatients for summer colour - how does this sound to you please be honest but break it gently if it all sounds like a mess, thanks !!
12 Aug, 2009
Answers
I was thinking of staking or making a tripod support for the Fatsia to give a little height, although I like tropicals my other 1/2 likes ye olde cottage garden so some bulbs maybe a drift of anenome's a few day lillies ......I love hardy geraniums got a few the common Johnsons blue & my favourite with dark variagations in the leaf small flowers but later lovely "cranesbill" seed pods.......thanks for you help & advice !!
13 Aug, 2009
You won't need to stake the Fatsia - unless you're meaning Fatshedera - it'll get tall all on its own, but it will take up width as well. Sounds like its gonna look good.
13 Aug, 2009
No its a Fatsia been in a pot for years, Ill post some pictures once its done I have so much to do though ;-(
13 Aug, 2009
Well the mix sounds good, but 3 feet deep isn't really deep enough - a Fatsia will get a good 5 feet all round in width, if not more, so unless there's a path next to the three foot width (which would technically add a bit more for plants to spill onto) then I'd widen it a bit here and there to accommodate the larger plants. Add some bulbs for spring and maybe some Geraniums (not pelargoniums) for ground cover and summer flowers, and perhaps some Verbena patagonica for its flowers too
12 Aug, 2009