Rebecca Govier: A mixture of plants to transform your garden

Published on Wednesday 22 February 2012 19:27

OVER the coming weeks I will be speaking to nursery folk around Scotland about how to mix new plants with old favourites in a way I hope will inspire you to transform or create borders in your garden. Remember, don’t think of plants in isolation – good plantings are about smart partnerships of colour, texture and shape.

Perennial Performers: Astrantia major ‘Ruby Star’ (masterwort) – a relatively new cultivar that is proving popular and that Gavin McNaughton from Macplants (www.macplants.co.uk) believes is the best red Astrantia around. Dark red flower heads with black-tipped bracts appear from June to August. It looks good planted with Salvia nemorosa ‘Caradonna’ and Aquilegia vulgaris var. stellata ‘Ruby Port’.

Agastache ‘Black Adder’ (hyssop) – another long-flowering perennial with attractive scented leaves and purple flowers, and loved by bees. Reliably hardy, it adds height to a border and works well with ornamental grasses and echinaceas.

Rudbeckia fulgida ‘Goldsturm’ (black-eyed Susan) – easy-to-grow, reliable, long-flowering plant that doesn’t need staking. Debbie McIsaac of Maclarens Nurseries (www.maclarensnurseries) says: “Anyone can grow this.” It works well with the Calamagrostis ‘Karl Foerster’ and the Russian sage (Perovskia atriplifolia) which come into their own in late summer.

Scabiosa ‘Crimson Cushion’ (pin cushion flower) – Stan Green of Growforth (www.growforth.co.uk) is a fan of this low, compact, hummock-shaped plant which produces crimson button flowers from June to August. It works well with vertical flowers of Veronica, Lupinus (lupines) or Antirrhinum (snapdragons).

• Rebecca Govier, Garden Designer (0781 750 5571; [e-mail]; www.greenedgegardendesign.co.uk

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