Flowering border plants to last all spring and summer, please advise.?

Question

I have a strip of earth between the edge of my patio and a panel fence about 6 metres long and about 100mm wide. I would like to plant all along it and was wondering what would be nice plants to mix so that we get some colour from spring through to the end of the summer. I dont know that much about gardening and fancied buying some aubretia but they alone will only flower april to may. I am on a tight budget so ideally i would like to know plants that are very common so that i could pick them up cheaply.The area gets direct sun for a couple of hours in the morning and is then in shade, it is sheltered from the wind.I live in southern england. Thanks for your help

Answer 1

I think you want some annuals.
the choice-
aster- novae angliae
cleome spinosa
cosmos bipinnatus
schizanthus pinnatus
echeveria gibbiflora
zinnia elegans nicotiana affinis
venidium fastuosum
salvia splendens
kochia scoparia
tagetes erecta
verbena hybrida
ageratum houstonianum
antirrhinum majus
lobelia erinus
delphinum ajacis
helianthus annuus
impatiens glandulifera
salvia horminum
godetia grandiflora
iberis amara
gypsophila elegans
alyssum maritimum
I have missed a lot out but there should be enough for you to get started, these are all very common annuals that you should be able to buy at any garden centre or even supermarket.
Good luck.
Professional Gardner for 30 odd yrs.

Answer 2

You have had some good tips here. In limited space where long bloom season is reguired, go with annuals. Usually reasonably priced and generous with the blooms. That is enough sun for geraniums but they cost more than , say begonias. Under the circumstances, begonias are cheap, easy to care for, can even skip waterings. They come in white pink and red, and the leaves can be either green or a dark red. Nice contrast. In cool rainy weather, they may rot though, so if you have lots of cloudy rainy days, try impatiens, wider color choice and need the water. If you just want color, but it doesn't have to be blooms, it sounds like a good place for caladiums. You can plant them from bulbs when it gets warm,and that's not too pricey. They can share the space with allysum or some other ground covering low annual.
Good luck to you. Here is a site to show you the colors you can get.
http://www.bizrate.com/seeds_bulbs/products__keyword--caladium+bulbs.html

Answer 3

Annuals: Cosmos, Zinnia, Marigold, Petunia, Impatiens among others. Perrenials: Tall Garden Phlox, Coneflower, Balloon Flower (Platycodon), Sedums ( sort of, they bud early but take a long time to really bloom. They look cool anyway though, especially the variegated ones ).These are all pretty tough plants with a wide range of hardiness.

Answer 4

Hello from Cleve., Ohio! If you have impatients in your country, they are wonderful and beautiful flowers. They will mound as the season goes on. They are self-seeding, and spread throughout the season. They come in shades of pinks, reds, oranges, whites, and variegated varieties. They don't really have any fragrance, but are gorgeous. You don't have to deadhead (remove dead blossoms). They are very easy to grow. Just get the regular plants, not the New Guinea ones. Impatients will thrive in most soils, and love a shade/lsun location. I plant them every year, and each year they are gorgeous. They are also resistant to diseases. They usually grow around 4-8 inches tall. If you have Miracle Grow in England, fertilize them every 2 weeks for beautiful results. They will bloom from spring till frost. Happy Gardening. Happy Easter!

Answer 5

Marigolds, marigolds, marigolds. These hardy plants will bloom all summer long. I live in the south USA and had two marigold plants blooming at Christmas, quite by accident, after unseasonably warm fall and early winter. Marigolds are very inexpensive, and grow easily. When the flowers die and dry up in fall, be sure to gather the dried flower heads, as these are FULL of new seeds for your next spring's planting! Free plants! What could be better?

I usually mix my marigolds with assorted colors of petunias, as well, for variety.

Answer 6

Potentillas are very nice and bloom most of the summer. This is a site with some information, but the pictures don't do justice to the plants, they are very pretty and have almost any color of flowers white , yellow, pink, red, and peach.

woodyplants.nres.uiuc.edu/plant/potfr

Answer 7

I would plant various colors of New Guinea Impatiens,, Petunia's, and maybe some miniature daisy's . You can also mix in some tulip,daffodil's, snow crocus, and thrift. All of the flowers and bulbs will re bloom every year, giving you more time for fun and less time digging in the dirt.

Answer 8

Look for a border plant like alyssum which is low and blooms all the time. I have had a perennial version that came back year after year. It comes in white and purple shades and maybe more.

Answer 9

I plant merigolds mixed with purple petunias. It makes a striking color mixture. Also mix in a few tall snap dragons for height. They are all easy to care for and produce all season. These are annuals but inexpensive.