Drought Tolerant border
Cambridgeshire
2018 - current
The border in mid-summer
Including Stipa gigantea, Molinia ‘Windsaule’, Salvia nemorosa ‘Caradonna’, Eryngium yuccifolium, Phlomis cashmeriana and Eryngium ‘Miss Willmott’s ghost’.
A garden within a garden, this border is interesting all year.
In 2018 I redesigned this long, sun-baked border in collaboration with plantsman and gardener Vic Impey. We continue to work on developing this garden together on an on-going basis.
Planting for The dry, Cambridgeshire climate
We selected and planted a mix of drought tolerant perennials, shrubs and grasses. We included some native British wildflowers such as Centurea cyanus (cornflower), Echium vulgare (viper’s bugloss) and Cichorium intybus (chicory) to add a naturalistic element. As these biennials naturally grow in grasslands they worked well with the various grasses we included in the border such as Stipa gigantea, Anemanthele lessoniana, Molinia caerulea subsp. arundinacea ‘Windsaule’, Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Waldenbuch’, Briza media ‘Golden Bee’ and Pennisetum orientale ‘Karley Rose’.
Slightly earlier in the summer the irises take centre stage. These are Iris ‘Benton Lorna’, a variety bred by the artist Cedric Morris at his Suffolk home at Benton End.
Successional planting for colour and texture
The grasses add movement to the border as well as catching the light throughout the day. Pops of colour are provided throughout the year by alliums, tulips, Lupinus ‘Persian Slipper’, Lychnis coronaria, Eremurus ‘Cleopatra’, Dianthus carthusianorum and Penstemons.
Some unusual shrubs such as Gomphostigma virgatum and Indigofera pendula add a graceful presence to the border.
The successional planting ensures there is always something of interest in the border throughout the year.
“Our garden has been transformed by Maeve’s imaginative designs and knowledgeable choice of planting.
It is a delight throughout the year with wonderful colour, foliage and structure.
What a joy!”