A traditional herbaceous border can be described as blocks or drifts of non-woody flowering plants, organised according to height and colour – taller specimens at the back, short at the front, hot or cold colour schemes grading seasonally and spatially. A challenge to this long established order came about, some decades ago now, with the ‘New Perennial‘ movement, a development of ecological, naturalistic or ‘praire’ style planting schemes.

Gareth and his team designed and planted this herbaceous border back in 2021 so its still a youngster only 3 years old.

Its setting is a Regency lodge house, overlooking picturesque Monmouthshire hillsides, woodland, meadow, pasture and strong hedgelines. The setting seemed appropriate to go for a naturalistic planting style with mixed combinations and a strong framework of tall grasses.

Has it worked? The border is strongly geometric in outline which maybe doesn’t sit easily with the naturalistic (ish) planting styles? I love some of the dynamic combinations of colourful perennials, from the greens and spring bulbs (Daffodil Thalia the star turn) to colours that get hotter as the year progresses. The seedheads remain all winter long and are succesively chopped down as they become too moribund. There is no organised height structure, instead mimicking the mozaics you see in the meadows over the wall. This works well as you catch glimpses individual plants suddenly appearing through the tall herbs; it is more of a tall herb community rather than a sparse, open, praire meadow grouping which can appear, to some people, too dense and be difficult to read. The Anthemis (Cota?) tinctoria (the white chamomile) was a later addition and jars a little bit.

There were no shrubby plants giving height in the original planting plan but we have introduced some willow cuttings (Salix daphnoides) that will be pollarded. The link to the countryside beyond is important.

There is a discussion whether to start re-arranging the plants, grouping varieties more closely together and giving a stronger height arrangement. We might try this whilst keeping the meadow theme and resisiting the urge to organise it into a more traditional flower border, thought the lines between the two classic styles can merge.

Work in progress. It keeps the discussion with the client and the rest of the garden team lively if nothing else.