That's a good size of border - are you saying the whole border is east facing? Is it subjected to cold winds, or is there some shelter on the east side?

Not sure you'd want all Acers - they lose their leaves in winter, so you'd be looking at 18 feet of bare stems for around 6 months... Any chance of a photo of the Acer you have? If not, what colour are the leaves? and where is it in the border? (at the end, in the middle...?)

maybe some clump forming bamboo and fatsier and some more acers .

You also don't mention your soil type ?

A nice mixed border would look fab.

Some small trees such as Malus John Downie or Magnolia stellata, some winter bark colour from Cornus alba Elegentissima (varigated leaves in summer), some exotics such as Fatsia, Phormiums and a pollarded golden Catalpa, what about some Euphorbia wulfennii, a few clumps of Phlox paniculata and other long flowering summer herbaceous perennials, some Bergenia to go along the front along with some perennial Geraniums such as Johnsons blue. Don't forget some clumps of grasses to give a bit of movement in the wind....Miscanthus as a taller one and one of the Pennisetum for a lower one.

You could then fill in the areas which are bare during the spring by planting daffodills (both the Jonquilla and cheerfulness varieties smell superb at this time of year), tulips and Anemone blanda.

Just a few things to get you thinking

Hello Moogie and welcome to Goy, if you've been popping in to see us hopefully you will stay and chat, read the blogs too, its the only websit i belong to and i joine 6 years ago! Made some lovely friends and learnt so much too.....not always exactly gardening .......but such fun at times
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