We installed a few tall perennials and annuals in the center and back of the border and sprinkled a little controlled-release fertilizer under each plant. Ornamental maiden grass (Miscanthus sp.) and fountain grass (Pennisetum sp.) add attractive mounding forms to the border. Three 'Tropicanna' cannas were also included for their striking foliage and bright flowers.
Don't think you have to use only flowers in a border. Trees and shrubs give year-round structure. We opted for bridal wreath spiraea (Spiraea prunifolia) and a dwarf chartreuse barberry (Berberis thunbergii). We chose the spiraea for its white, early-spring blooms and the barberry for its glowing green leaves. A small chaste tree (Vitex agnus-castus) placed on the back side will produce blue summer flowers.
Once the taller plants were in place, it was time to pick a few flowering annuals. Two flats of orange cosmos and white narrow-leaf zinnias were set out on the front side of the border. We used seven 'Gold Mound' lantana plants in the middle. We also set out three variegated lantanas. They didn't bloom quite as well, but the yellow- and green-marbled foliage was quite attractive.
Friends gave us plenty of gift plants, including a few sprigs of white coneflower, yellow columbine, Louisiana iris, and some hot pink dianthus for the open areas. After each planting, the garden was watered thoroughly. Always water bedding plants immediately after setting them out. We soaked the border three or four times a week the first two weeks, then reduced watering to twice a week.
We spent every other day observing the new plantings and hand weeding. As summer heated up and the plants became established, we fed the border with a water-soluble liquid fertilizer, and the plants quickly grew together.
All the hard work and soil preparation paid off in this over-the-summer success. Many of the plants were showy well into the fall, and each year the border will take on different looks as the seasonal plantings change.
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