Remember though my fellow planting magpies, the lessons learned in the last two planting design 101 lessons: Chelsea planting is designed specifically for a moment in time, namely NOW, so don’t fall into the trap of drawing up your final plant list with exclusively Chelsea plants - that’s a sure fire way to a very boring July to September garden and we don’t want that now do we? So pick a couple, but leave space for the late summer stars and grasses ok? Onwards.

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And of course, even if you aren’t starting from scratch with a border and just want to dodge this trap in an existing planting bed, then there’s a few quick wins you can do right now which will ensure you have a lovely late summer garden - that looks just as good in July/August as it does in May/June. You will be delighted to hear I am giving you an excuse to, a) go to the garden centre and b), plant some things to achieve this. Right, let’s get into it.

Last time, I talked you through the best plants to give you a Chelsea flower show vibe May and June - this is the easiest bit. You can find that here if you want a refresher. But now lets focus on the far trickier bit - dodging the late summer gap, and here’s how you do it:

1. Order and plant some summer bulbs/corms of your choice NOW

These could be Gladioli, Dahlias, Crocosmia (a bit rampant so plant only if you want them forevermore), Cannas, Lilies. I started planting Glads outside last week and am planting a few more each weekend through May. They take about 60-90 days to flower so if you plant through may, they will flower July/August. I’m also hardening off some Dahlia merckii to go into the borders soon too - but any Dahlia of your choice would work. If you haven’t got round to planting any dahlias indoors you can always start to plant them out straight into the garden this month when your frosts are done, they’ll just be a bit behind. These bulbs and corms are going to bring vital summer colour when other things are looking a bit knackered so DON’T SKIP THEM.

These are the exact corms and summer bulbs I have planted:

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We’ll also get into the meat and potatoes: what you want your garden to look like from May to June. (We’ll look at July and August next, then autumn after that) Arguably May-June are the easiest and most fun to pick, but watch out, we can’t choose too many from this season or you will fall into the classic trap of a lovely early summer border and then a whole lot of NOTHING in late summer and beyond. But first, border sizes, let me show you what you can actually fit in to your space:

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As we move into selecting the plants per season for your list, in this session we are going to focus on the heights and forms of plants you will need, as when it comes to choosing your plants, it’s not just about which ones you love, or when they bloom or indeed which colours you like, we also need to be mindful of shape, texture, and height. It’s a long list of tick boxes which the more you practice, the easier and more intuitive it gets. Ignore any of these elements when making your selections and the scheme will feel off, so let’s start with layering and height. I’ve got loads of examples to show you now, and a list if plants to choose from for spring - lets dive in.

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What you will need (it’s all a bit back to school)

• A tape measure

• A scale ruler

• A circle template/stencil

• Graph paper

• Tracing paper

• Boundless enthusiasm

• A soil ph test kit

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Each month we’ll look at the BEST plants for that month, and then hand pick a limited selection to add into an ever growing border plan that will be complete by the end of the year, because by doing it this way, you’re going to make sure you have a truly seasonal garden….not one that looks fabulous in June and rather sad the rest of the time.

We’re going to take this a month at a time, and wouldn’t you know it, January is a fabulous month to start as you are going to be forced to focus on structure and winter bones - not the frothy frivolity of summer - oh no - we’re starting with BONES people.

I can’t wait to dive into the absolute best plants of each month/season, and make sure you have borders that are right for YOU. We’ll look at sun options, shade options and everything in between. We’ll consider soil, and location, colour schemes, oh its a lot and its going to be delicious.

This is going to be a total masterclass in choosing your plants, so you never buy the wrong ones again, no more wasted money, no more languishing plants that aren’t happy, just really epic borders, bursting with colour (or not - we’ll tailor your plant to your colours too).

I cannot WAIT to get started!!! And want some homework so you are ready to get going in January? Well get outside and measure up your borders so you know what size you have to play with - we’ve got planning to do!

This will be for paid subscribers only - it will be very interactive and we’ll discuss ideas and options in the comments workshop style, so please do sign up to join in the fun!

P x

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BUT WHEN SHOULD YOU PLANT YOUR GARDEN?

This is up there as the top question we are asked by clients when we start talking plants, and the answer may surprise you as there are a couple of answers. In this post I am going to talk you through everything you need to know about ordering your plants, when to plant them, how to arrange them, quantities and sizing and how to finish the border off when they are in the ground. Let’s get into it.

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Its not the paving, its not the bells and whistles like kitchens or swimming pools. These are all very lovely to have but having one doesn’t automatically equal a designed garden. But there is one sure fire way to tell a garden has had the input of a professional and its the one thing I want you to consider looking at this season. And we’re going to focus on it now:

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