Long Border needs filling!

[veggiechicken]

Imagine a border approximately 100' long that varies in width between a couple of feet and 15'. It runs East to West and has a wiremesh fence along one side, with the neighbours' garden on the south side of it.

I guess you'd like some piccies




Its the border in front of the fence!
From the far end looking up to the house...........and from halfway up where its wider.



My question is - how would you fill it with flowers, shrubs, whatever, without spending much money? I have seeds but not much enthusiasm for growing lots of seedlings and pricking out etc.

Any recommendations for low maintenance plants that don't mind being trampled by puppies?

[mothhawk]

You can often pick up decent shrub cuttings at a good price from car boot sales.
A lot of herbaceous perennial and annual seeds will germinate in situ if you give them a good tilth and protection from birds (and puppies), so you can just mark out areas with sand, mix the seeds with a bit of compost, and scatter, then lightly rake in.

I think the important thing is to work out a plan of what you want, colours, shapes, heights, and mark out the ground before you start.

Are you going for a perennial border, or mixed, with annuals in there too? Do you want colours to repeat, or graduate down the length from "cold" colours to "hot" ones?

I know the theory of it (I've watched enough GW in my time!) but I'm hopeless at any sort of design so all my seeds/plants are shoved in willy-nilly wherever there's space, I tell people I'm going for the messy look.

[gardening_gal]

Personally, I'd flatten it and stick another couple of greenhouses there.

[elsie-scot]

Are you planning on filling it all now, or over the course of a year or two? Is the soil ready for planting or does it need quite a bit of work?

I am thinking if it is OK for planting now and you are quick you can get some bare root trees/shrubs/roses, whatever your liking in to give a permanent structure and then can plant around with annuals for quick colour this year. And think about growing some perennials from seed.

[veggiechicken]

No rush to finish it!
Its not completely bare. There are some hazel bushes, a buddleia, elder and some fruit bushes. Underneath there's loads of Montbretia (my fault for throwing all the unwanted corms there, before I bought the land). Also foxgloves, honesty, daylilies and daffs. Some other odds and ends too.

[elsie-scot]

sounds like there is already some structure. Maybe some low ground cover that works with dog foot traffic.

do you like grasses? they are pretty dog tramping proof, although you do need to keep an eye that the seeds don't get stuck in between paw pads.

In my last house I had flowering blackcurrants grown from suckers given to me by my uncle. They grew fast and stood up to both dogs.

[Alison]

Suddenly had flash backs to the bloomin' long borders that Monty used to bang on about the first time he was on GW!

[ancee]

Until you have enough permanent stuff to fill it, why not get a scatter mix, which you can just scatter willy-nilly... perhaps in a flowing gown on a full moon, strewing it hither and yon whilst you practise your chanting... Please make sure you are being filmed if you decide to do my suggestion, people will pay to watch it

[veggiechicken]

When's the next full moon, Ancee? You can come down and chant and strew with me
You can have any film revenue

[boatsman]

I see you didn't use up all your daffodils on March 1st.

[veggiechicken]

No, but I'm always pleased when they're in flower by St David's Day. I've planted lots more too

[ancee]

When's the next full moon, Ancee? You can come down and chant and strew with me
You can have any film revenue

Oh now that would be worth a watch, we could do a series 'grapevine strewers and their wily ways'

[veggiechicken]

For one strange moment I thought you said "their willy ways"

[vixylix]

wildflowers - buy / find / obtain one of the mixed packets and strew with gay abandon. Minimal effort, beautiful and happy bees!

[lolie]

Until you have enough permanent stuff to fill it, why not get a scatter mix, which you can just scatter willy-nilly... perhaps in a flowing gown on a full moon, strewing it hither and yon whilst you practise your chanting... Please make sure you are being filmed if you decide to do my suggestion, people will pay to watch it

This is what I'd do.

It's a big area to fill and I'd just get one of the big packets of mixed flower seeds in whatever theme takes your fancy. Mix them with a lot of sand or similar if you're worried about too many coming up in one place and use a colander or one of those fertiliser distributors to evenly cast the mix.