[mumofstig]

I am planning a border with a few shrub roses, a few hydrangeas and i have some penstemons in pinks and mauvey reds. So the theme is soft pinks blues and mauves i suppose oh don't forget white 

I want to fill it up with some other long flowering plants, preferably ones i can grow from seed, short and tall.....don't ask for much do I?  

The far end of the garden already has the early summer stalwarts..... digitalis, foxgloves etc, so I wanted a change for the new border.

Soil is reasonable and it's in the shade in the morning, but sun in the afternoon.
So if anybody has any reliable favorites to recommend..........I'd love to hear about them

[tode]

Some of the old favourites that I love are Phlox (lovely colours, no trouble, scented), Pinks( 'specially the strong-scented clove ones, for the front), and Sweet Williams (not really perennial, but seed themselves, so almost that).

[veggirl]

What about asters? and cosmos self seed, so they come back every year, and cornflowers.

[Sue33]

bleeding heart is pretty for springtime, comes in white as well as pink    maybe escallonia for back of the border??  cranesbill (hardy geranium) for ground cover. also vinca for ground cover, although it can get out of hand!

[sclarke624]

carnations
geraniums
gladioli
shasta daisies (although white)
osteospermums (fleece protect)
californian poppies although hardy annual mine came up again this year and for some extra just sprinkled the seeds din't bother starting off indoors
http://www.thompson-morgan.com/seeds1/product/4228/2.html
http://www.thompson-morgan.com/seeds1/product/6660/2.html
Athough it does say start off in conservatory/greenhouse the summer before, which is well now, for next summer.


Gaillardia although they have a bit of orange in some of them, there are reds maybe some seed company will do them on there own as T&M seem to do mixes.  They are spectacular I have the arizona sun love them.
http://www.thompson-morgan.com/seeds1/search.html?section=seeds1&search=gaillardia
oh here you go nickys seeds Gaillardia Burgundy
http://www.nickys-nursery.co.uk/seeds/pages/page5d.htm
Lavender

[tam]

I have some pink poppies:

They are annuals but self seed. If you send me an sae I'll send you some seeds

Cornflowers also come in white with a hint of pink/purple. I think the variety was called frosty?

[sclarke624]

This might give you some ideas and under attributes you can choose a colour:
http://www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/perennials/plcid.2/vid.13/
I say ideas because although brilliant plant, I've had somw of theirs they are expensive.
We have a ceanothus which is very pretty.

[catllar]

 Mauve verbena bonariensis for the height  (around 5ft )and gaura (any variety) for the pink or white dancing butterfly flowers that seem to go on and on.  Both will selfseed like mad if happy and well-drained.

[HelenK]

I love Lychnis coronaria (Pink Campion), a lovely deep pink. For a bit more ground cover, I love dead nettle, I have a pretty variegated one with pretty pink flowers which spreads quite rapidly. Both of these flower for absolutely ages. Agree about Verbena bonariensis, one of my fave ever plants and the buzzies do love it so!

[agapanthus]

What about putting some tallish grasses in beween the plants? That would add movement and the illusion that there are more plants than you actually have

[mumofstig]

Thanks all, some good ideas there

[tode]

If you plant all that, Mum, it'll keep you busy a while   

[mumofstig]

Worst of it all Tode is that i'm waiting for my autumn raspberries to finish, so that i can dig and widen the bed (yet more lawn to be dug up )
The rasps have to go further up the garden near the veg, before I can even think about what's going to go there
I decided I really do need pretties near the house to improve the view from the window

[tode]

Right    

A few 'pretties' cheer the place up a bit   

[Teen76]

Leucanthemum (Ox Eye Daisy)
Echinacea
Rudbeckia (you can get other colours as well as the usual yellow)
Scabiosa
Lupins

I could go on but I'd have to compete with John and write a book