Starting a new perennial border is an exciting activity in creativity. In the last article about planning a border I talked about height, shape and form and allowing space for plant maturity. All the basic elements were discussed but there is another layer beyond the basic elements of design and that is the art of combining.

How texture, shape, colour and form are combined make all the difference in a stunning border. Trying to make sure each plant stands out in its own right is not always easy and some you don’t want to stand out. Those are the fillers. It is really a matter of what looks good together, the same considerations as when designing a room, an outfit or a house. This is where taste and style really come to the fore. Some like really vivid colours, others pastels, others peaceful greens only. Think about how contrasts in texture, form and colour can work together to form an appealing vignette. There are those who like each individual plant to have its own space and be able to develop to its full potential.  I love that clean look but unfortunately I have a very difficult time ever achieving it in my own garden.  My brain just forces me to fill a space with another plant that would look terrific next to the one already there. I admit my garden is a crowded somewhat chaotic space but that is my style and many of my gardening friends have very different styles. It is rather like pastry, no one person makes it the same as another. This is the joy of gardening admiring others creations. Many lovely combinations are happy accidents, which is another joy of gardening as nature also has a way of doing things and sometimes plants will move and pop up elsewhere. Hollyhocks are like that. So is Cushion Spurge, Sweet Rocket, Campanula, Nepeta and  Lady’s Mantle. Like independent children, how much you control them is up to you but their strong will frequently creates great beauty.

Like people, another factor at play is that some plants just have a hard time getting along. Maybe one is too pushy and grows faster than another, crowding the other out or the roots of one spread too quickly depriving the plant next door of nutrients. Sometimes when a plant is not thriving, simply moving it solves the problem. Gardens evolve naturally and are never identical two years in a row. A very formal planting will need more maintenance than a free flowing planting.   

Here a selection of combinations, I personally like in my garden. Some are happy accidents and some deliberately planted. Some look good one year but not so great the next. That is the nature of plants.

The following photos show several blue and grey, yellow or white combinations. They always work. Combinations of vivid colours work but a pastel next to a bright frequently fades the pastel into non existence, unless it is a play on shades of one colour. Contrasts or similarities in flower shapes can work well. Greys and greens create a cooling peaceful look. Sometimes all you need are interesting leaf forms and patterns.