What to plant?
By Nicolly
United Kingdom 
We recently moved and have restructured the garden. I currently have new large flower beds to fill and am unsure what to plant, so that I have something all year round. The garden is south facing, has very good deep top soil (clay like below that). I want it to be cottage style and love things like lupins, hollyhocks, lavender and will plant bulbs later.
Any ideas what else to ensure all year interest?
18 Jun, 2009
Answers
I agree with Bamboo yellow, varigated and green evergreens. of varying heights such as Euonimus Emerald'n' Gold, & Silver Queen for 2. For Winter Perenials, Helleborus and Euphorbia for Winter Colour Perenials, Under planted with Bulbs, Space them for Balance all the year around then add your Summer flowering perenials between, amongst, and in front of. I'm sure you will get plenty of other suggestions to go along with ours.
18 Jun, 2009
You should put in a "skeleton" of shrubs, a mix of evergreens and deciduous, large and small, and plant the perennials you mention around these - otherwise, you'll have a garden full of nothing when it all dies back in the winter!
And I can't stress enough the importance of leaves - what colour, size and shape they are at various times of the year, whether they're variegated, purple, dark green, feathery, grey, yellow - a lot of the time, that's mostly what you'll be looking at, and it is possible to have a garden that's very colourful even if there's not much in flower.
18 Jun, 2009