Gardening isn't always easy.
With hundreds of variations of plants to choose from, and each one coming with different wants and needs, choosing the perfect plants for your garden can be tricky.
If you're new to gardening, and looking forward to getting your hands dirty and adding some plants to your outside space, then we've created this handy guide on the best plants to grow in your garden.
Let's take a look.
Geraniums
Most are bomb proof, and flower for ages.
They die back over winter, then put on new growth each spring.
Not only that, an added bonus is that there is a geranium for every area of the garden. This means no matter if your garden is sunny or shady, there is one that will be perfect for you.
Most Geraniums are low growing, so plant in the front of borders or beds, wherever you want a pop of colour.
Tulips and daffodils
The time to plant Tulips and daffodils is November. Over the winter the bulbs establish and come spring you should have a beautiful display. You’ll usually lose a few to squirrels, but they’re a great way to get early season colour and interest.
Plant bulbs 4 - 6 inches apart and group them together between other plants for maximum effect. You can plant some every year to build up to a magical effect come spring time!
Choisya
You may have seen this plant's Ternata variety more commonly referred to as ‘Mexican Orange Blossom’, but there are plenty of other kinds of Choisya that are perfect for every garden.
This includes the lovely narrow leaf ‘Aztec Pearl’.
The leaves smell amazing when crushed and the beautiful aromatic flowers look great in springtime.
Choysia is a structural evergreen plant that is going to give you evergreen shape in your garden all year long. Make sure you choose the appropriate variety for your size of garden as some can get rather enormous and don't plant them too near the front of your beds.
Roses
Who doesn't love roses?
Tough as old boots and available in loads of varieties, colours and scents, whether shrub or standard, climber or rambler.
The options are endless.
We use a lot of climbers in our gardens as they add beauty and scent whilst covering up garden fences (which also provides the added benefit of security).
Standard Roses can add tons of elegance to front gardens.
There are special varieties for different conditions, however, bear in mind that as a general rule, even shade-tolerant roses need at least 4 hrs of sunlight a day to thrive.
Our go to supplier is the wonderful David Austin.
Euphorbias
These are a great backdrop plant.
Some can look a bit other worldly, but their fresh colours bring light and life to any garden. They also have the bonus of being evergreen and shade tolerant which means they can fill spaces and brighten up dark corners of the garden.
One of our favourites is Silver Swan, a relatively small variety that has beautiful variegated leaves and is a great addition to any garden.
A word of warning - Euphoria are rather bold with themselves and love to self-seed. Keep them under control by pulling out new plants when they are seedlings.
Plant them further back in the border to act as a backdrop for your perennials.
Foxgloves
Quintessentially English, foxgloves (or digitalis) come in a range of varieties and signal the beginning of summer. They are great for bringing interest and colour to shady or partially shady beds.
Some of our favourites are Suttons Apricot or Excelsior hybrid.
Plant at the back of borders and beds as most varieties can get rather tall.
Peonies
Peonies really are one of nature's stunners!
Although they only bloom for what is a relatively short time, we think they are completely worth it for their magnificent colours and blooms.
As a bonus, they provide us with beautiful foliage that can be used as a backdrop for other plants throughout the summer season and then gives us subtle reds and pinks as summer turns to autumn.
If you have a decent-sized garden with deep borders, you could even consider a peony tree.
Plant in the middle of the border.
Geum
These little beauties can handle partial shade but do perform better in sunnier spots.
Some will take a few years to catch their feet, but it is worth the wait.
Varieties such as Mai Thai and totally tangerine complement blues and purples beautifully and they are the perfect size for the front of the border as they form evergreen clumps.
If deadheaded, they will keep on blooming from spring to late summer.
Geum Totally Tangerine
Wildflowers
This is one of the easiest plant combinations to grow.
Their very nature means they are designed for all sorts of conditions and can even thrive in shallow poor quality soil.
Wildflower seeds can be unpredictable and frustrating, so it really is worth investing in quality wildflower turf such as UK native “Landscape 34” from wild flower turf company.
This is quality turf that will sustain itself for years to come.
Grass
Grasses are a beautiful complement to perennial herbaceous plants.
They can either be bold and dramatic or soft and floaty. There is so much variety it is all about choosing the perfect fit for your garden!
For best effect, plant them amongst flowering perennials such as thalicturm or echinacea.
The softer golden tones of Deschampsia Golden Dew or Bronze veil provide a beautiful neutral warm background colour against which colourful perennials will pop.
Wild Thomas Gardens
If you love the look of some of these flowers, then it's always great fun to get outside and get planting.
If you need some help, that's where we come in.
We are Teddington based gardeners, so if you live in the surrounding area and need a bit of help transforming your garden, get in touch today for a quote.
Happy gardening!
Jake and Karen.