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Our Dream Garden Makeover |
Competition Update
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| Step by step… | How long? see text |
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Bold plant ‘groupings’ provide the best value in terms of the look. |
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1 Working to plants selected by Chris & Marion, Marigold Webb identifies the pockets of plantings within each border. Careful consideration to ‘what’s going where’ avoids unnecessary plant clashes. |
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2 Instead of single plantings, opt for blocks of individual plants. This will not only give you a much quicker result, it will also provide extra structure and form within the area. You’ll very quickly cover the soil. |
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3 Position the plants according to their growth rate and spread. More often than not we simply leave too much space between plants and this is an open invitation to weed seeds and other soil colonising guests. |
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4 Always work in blocks of odd numbers, such as 3, 5 or even 7 – even numbers simply don’t look right! As we were mulching after planting, it’s especially important not to plant too deeply. |
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‘You’re never going to get bored in this garden. We are so pleased, it’s achieved everything and more’ |
| …Adding interest The design (left) gives the impression of extra width |
| 1 Preparing the soil for the groundwork. Bags of organic matter were dug into the top 15cm (6in) of soil. Because of excessive rain, it was difficult to work on the soil and this hampered planting. |  |
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2 When positioning the new plants give them sufficient space to develop. Don’t worry about increasing the density if it’s a full effect you are after. Ensure all plants are firmed in. |
| 3 Some of the plants, such as this red leaved cordyline benefited from extra soil preparation. Certain plants, such as grasses (below) would grow quite successfully without extra soil improvers. Complete with a mulch. |  |
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 The right mix… … remember plants will grow and mature in time! If you have any unsightly gaps after planting, why not fill them with quick-flowering bedding plants, such as begonias. |
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