Design dilemma,any help greatfully accepted !
Northants,
United Kingdom 
Hi all.I'm having a nightmare trying to plan shrubs for the left hand side of my new borders.I had planned to start off with a leycestria formosa in front of the shed in the corner with a peony and solomons seal underneath followed by a cornus alba elegantisima so in winter I'd have the green and red cane thickets to look at and this was also where I was planning on placing my water feature so thought the drooping branches would be lovely.I then fancied a purple/red foliage plant and thought about prunus cestina or a smoke bush with an evergreen lonicera covering the two solid fence panels and two roses gertrude jeckyl and charles de milles in front.My scheme for that side is all pink/purples whites and fresh greens.I will move around my perennials next year and have really just thrown things in to fill space but I hate moving shrubs.Any better suggestions? As you can see the bed is on an angle and i dont want anything too big at first or I wont be able to see my beautiful red canes in winter from the house.I'm losing sleep and growing time over this so any help would be welcome.
20 Jun, 2008
Answers
Hi Michelle,thanks for the reply.
A few hostas planned in both beds , (I love them) but I need some woody backbone.I could fill a bed with much loved perrenials but I need a backbone to create a little winter interest.I actually went today to the local nursery and tried my leycesteria with cornus alba sibirica variagata and the prunus cistena and they tone beautifully.Just wondered if it would be better to make the cistus a tree to give some much needed height?
20 Jun, 2008
How about a nandina domestica nice shape would compliment leycesteria.
20 Jun, 2008
That may be worth a try Bonkers.Beautiful plant, but tried it in a garden in our last house on a new estate and it hated it and did badly but now I'm not gardening on builders soil it may do better.The nursery near here has it planted in their lakeside garden.It does get the wind on that side of my garden but it's well worth including and trying as it's evergreen.Lots of great ideas,Many Thanks.:-)
20 Jun, 2008
Previous question
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rue is a perennial herb you could use there as a shrub. they have pretty little leaves and bloom white flowers. also they deter cats well from doing their business there. hostas would also grow well in that area as long as its partial shade.
20 Jun, 2008