Surrey Homes | SH55 | May 2019 | Extensions & Outdoor Living supplement inside

Border Basics
Jo Arnell strips back the foliage to put in the
groundwork for beautiful borders
When we look at a beautiful garden border, packed
full of shapely shrubs and perennial colour
it’s hard to imagine that they haven’t always
been there and even harder to imagine that we could create
such a thing in our own gardens. Few things (let’s make an
exception for Mary Poppins and Father Christmas), appear
fully formed and we all have to start somewhere. The soil is
the best place to start, as this will dictate the basic growing
conditions, but there are other considerations too and it
pays to think about these before you start planting. It is
daunting if you’re looking at a bare patch of earth right now,
or worse; an inherited space filled with brambles and wayward
bushes, but time and tide – and all those weeds – wait for
no man, so grab your fork and spade and let’s get started.
Situation and aspect
Which way will the border face – will your plants look into
the bright morning sun and then be in shade in the afternoon
– or the direct opposite? Morning sun is east facing, afternoon
is west. If the border is drenched in sunshine all day then
it is south facing and if it plunged into shade for much of
the day it faces north. Watch how the sun moves across the
garden through the day, whether there are buildings, walls or
trees that cast shade. If next door has a huge Leylandii hedge
on their boundary it will be sucking moisture, goodness
and light from your side too. Perhaps you are exposed to
the elements, or in a frost pocket. The surrounding micro
See Jo Arnell in the
Home &
Garden Hub
at Wealden Times
Midsummer
Fair this June
climate will have a huge impact on the
growing conditions and may restrict the
plants you’ll be able to happily grow.
Soil
Improve the soil in which the plants will put down
their roots and they will reward you with healthy
growth and plenty of flowers. Easy to say, sometimes hard to
accomplish. Soil is a complex mixture of particles and living
organisms that has formed over many millions of years, so it is
almost impossible to change its fundamental nature, but you
can improve what is there by adding organic matter. Most of
the soil’s qualities will be dictated by the ground rock that lies
beneath, including the pH (how acid or alkali it is), and the
size of the rock particles. Large particles, like sand, will allow
water (and nutrients) to drain quickly through them, whereas
small particles like clay tend to stick together and hold onto
water, becoming a mud bath in winter, but as hard as concrete
in a long, dry summer. The best soil is somewhere in the
middle. This is known as loam, or the gardeners’ Holy Grail.
You don’t need a soil testing kit necessarily, although this
will give you a good idea of the soil’s pH. Go into the garden
and pick up a handful of soil. Squeeze it firmly, then open
out your hand again. If the soil stays in a ball, or feels sticky
to the touch, it is clay. If, on the other hand, the handful
feels gritty (you can easily see the particles) and it won’t stay
in a ball, even when wet, then it is sandy. Loam (and lucky
you if you have it), will almost form a ball when squeezed
and then crumble nicely into a heap again. These are the
three main types of soil, but yours could also be silty (silky,
almost soapy to the touch) or peaty (spongy and fibrous).
Preparing for planting
All plants need soil that contains air, water and nutrients in
order to grow. The structure of the soil needs to be hospitable
to the plants’ roots – waterlogged soil will kill the fine roots
and may cause disease. Soils that dry out too quickly in the
summer will equally stress the plant, especially in its first
two years, while root systems are establishing. Incorporating
organic matter will help the soil structure, opening up a
compacted soil and helping a poor, sandy soil to hold onto
moisture and goodness. Applying a mulch after planting will
also help to conserve moisture and keep the weeds down.
Weed seeds are lying in wait under the soil – some may
have waited for many years – and will germinate as soon as
they are brought near the surface by digging or cultivating.
Perennial weeds need to be completely removed (including
the roots), but annuals can just be hoed off. Do this with
a sharp hoe and you’ll avoid disturbing the soil.
Top: A joyful jumble of cottage garden plants Right: Adding a
mulch in spring will help the soil structure, conserve moisture
and help to keep the weeds down
surrey-homes.co.uk
124