Layering your borders is the best way to get the most out of them visually and create a more striking display. The best flowerbed ideas will typically have smaller more dainty plants at the front, medium height varieties in the middle, then tall plants and flowers at the back to ensure you get to enjoy the blooms in all of their glory.
Taller plants look particularly striking against garden walls and fences too. Make sure you consider your colorways to create extra impact.
Ready to add some extra height to your planting displays this summer? Here are five of our favorite plants for you to try.
1. Red hot poker
This striking Red Hot Poker plant will certainly create a focal point in your borders. Bright pink and shocking red petals on a tall grass green stem make these look exotic to say the least.
They will flower from April to the end of May and will grow to a height of 30cm with a spread of up to 20cm. You can use them in your container gardening ideas too for a patio display with a difference.
2. Delphinium
Delphinium is a lovely hardy perennial that has the beautiful ‘fluffiness’ that makes it so well suited to cottage garden ideas.
And, it’s tall so this pretty pink variety will add both subtle color and height. It will flower from June until the end of September with a height of up to 150cm, so plant them at the back of your borders and layer other varieties in front of them.
3. Foxglove
This award-winning variety of foxglove has gentle shades of pink and apricot combined in its petals.
There’s still time to sow these seeds this month undercover, or sow direct from May-June. They will flower from May to the end of July.
The more you cut them the more they will flower, so get your vases ready for some tall summer blooms to promote extra growth in your garden.
4. Allium
Allium will add a sculptural element to your borders with their bold and beautiful heads filled with star-shaped flowers. Planting them close together as a group is far more impactful than a few placed in a row. They love a sunny spot too.
They will grow to a height of 60cm and look great when combined with garden wall ideas to add interest to your garden boundaries. Flowering season is May until the end of July.
5. Lupin
For a tall ornamental display look no further than these eye-catching lupins. This particular mix will give you a good selection of colors – pure yellow, orange and bright crimson and some bicolors.
Maximum height will be 90cm and you can companion plant them with other pollinating plants. You can sow the seeds under cover from now until June, or direct sow May-July but you won’t get flowers until next year.
For more ways to add vibrant interest to your plot, check out our garden color schemes.
