7 beautiful border plants to plant in spring (plus planting tips!)

Hello and happy Monday, GPODers!

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I have grown alliums for their stunning architectural form for years, but one is by far my favorite: ‘Ambassador’. Although its bulb is related to garlic, onions, and shallots, this ornamental garden variety is a show-stopper. There are many other allium cultivars out there, ranging in size, color, and form, but ‘Ambassador’ rises to the top of my list for a lot of reasons.

Jade is one of the most resilient plants you can have in your collection. Though it doesn’t mind a bit of a neglect, it will surely appreacite a right placement where it can multiply in size!

Late spring is the perfect time to give your borders a little attention, in order to keep them in good shape throughout summer. At this time, there’s still room between plants to negotiate a way through, so you can access plants at the back of the border before everything grows and knits together.

Today we’re exploring more of Jay Sifford‘s lesser-seen back garden. We’ve toured and featured the award-winning landscape designer’s immaculate stylized meadow front garden, but now we’re wondering why the blooming bogs at the back of his home aren’t getting more attention.

Irvin Etienne is the curator of herbaceous plants and seasonal garden design at Newfields, a 152-acre campus with art galleries, performance spaces, world-class public gardens, and a nature park in Indianapolis. Irvin has been a frequent contributor to Fine Gardening, sharing his horticultural expertise through informative articles like A Bright Idea for Spring Containers, Big and Bold Plants for the Back of the Border, and Bring It In!, a primer on overwintering all kinds of tropical plants. In this episode he delves into the path that brought him to horticulture, the lessons learned from decades of gardening in public, and some of the (many, many) plants that earn their keep in his home garden.

Grasses add an unmistakable green appeal to any place and if you have some in your collection that bloom, well, that’s like having the best there is!

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If you are bored with green foliage all around and want a dash of royal hue in your plant collection, well, these calatheas are the way to go!

In the world of gardening and home décor, some trends come and go like fleeting whispers in the wind. However, there’s one classic element that has stood the test of time: the humble terracotta pot. Its rustic charm and earthy appeal have graced gardens and windowsills for centuries, offering a timeless elegance that never fades. Despite the ebb and flow of trends, the terracotta pot has remained a steadfast symbol of natural beauty and understated sophistication.

Putting plants together is the most creative and joyful part of making a garden. With colour, shape and texture, you can conjure up a living work of art, something that not only gives you sensory pleasure but also benefits wildlife and the environment. But with so many options available to us, where do we start? I always think back to the plantswoman Beth Chatto and her mantra ‘right plant, right place’ when conceiving a plan, because there is no point in rushing to place your favourite sun-loving flowers in a shady spot at the back of a north-facing house. ‘Plants, like people, have their preferences and don’t like being thrust into the nearest available hole,’ she observed.