By Noideaman
West Midlands,
United Kingdom 
Hi guys its me again.As of today my two triangular raised beds are (i think) ready for planting,My first question has to be,Am i to late for anything i plant to get established before winter.I want colour so i am hoping to plant most anything that may stay green in winter flower in spring summer mebe at different times so i have flowers longer.The beds are filled with soil 1 ft deep onto soil and rubble (Hard ground),All grass and weeds have been removed as advised.The soil i have put in was from Hollybush Garden Center and is said to be screened,So at this point i hope i have done all i need to do to complete this project.Now my user name is noideaman and it needs to be taken litteraly,I dont have a clue what to get so i'm hoping you guys can put me on the right track.If you can give me names and types i can write them down and make another trip to Hollybush. Thanks guys up to now you have been a godsend to me all advise is most wellcom i dont think i could have done this without your help.....Cheers...
16 Jun, 2011
Answers
I would plant helabores or turn into an alpine bed noideaman.
Good luck look forward to seeing photos .
16 Jun, 2011
Anchorman's blog is lovely. I would be careful about planting shrubs if your useable soil is only a foot deep and the ground is hard and rubbley underneath - if you do want them try to break up the ground at the bottom of the planting hole if you can.
If you want spring colour perhaps you would like to plant some bulbs. Daffodils come in many varieties, early, mid season and late and are pretty reliable. Crocuses too are reliable and very bright in March in a sunny spot. You can plant bulbs very close to perennials that disappear in winter - as the bulbs leaves die down, the perennials come through in their place.
Near the edges of your beds you might like some golden marjoram. It has bright yellow foliage and stays bright all winter. In summer is has lilac flowers for ages, which attract lots of bees and similar insects. It quickly makes a big reliable clump, and you can use it as a herb in cooking.
Dutch Irises are grown from bulbs and although they don't have a particularly long flowering season they are beautiful and their long sword shaped leaves are attractive in themselves and make a nice contrast with the more usual leaf shapes.
As well as planning for a long flowering season its a good idea to look out for plants with different shapes and colours of leaves.
Don't worry about having everything staying green in winter. It is so exciting to see new growth appearing in the spring from perennials that disappear underground for the bad weather!
16 Jun, 2011
Noideaman, I've checked back because I had a vague memory you said some of this area was shaded - I'd also ask roughly how large the beds are, can't seem to find that info. If you could post a photo of the beds it would be really useful, but if not, an idea of the size and how much of the area is in shade. Knowing you are disabled, I imagine you require the lowest possible maintenance but attractive planting we can all think of.
17 Jun, 2011
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I wrote a blog on long flowering season plants and added suggestions from other Goyers. You might find it interesting.
Here it is
http://www.growsonyou.com/anchorman/blog/12681-plants-with-a-very-long-flowering-season
16 Jun, 2011