Flowers for a new border

[Auricula]

I am revamping parts of a narrow border, which gets quite a lot of sun and is sheltered. It already has in it, a clump of arum lilies, a tall hardy fuchsia, some cannas, some alsteromerias and an acanthus mollis.
To fill the gaps I want some plants, preferably between 1 ans 2ft high and no more than that in width. I would like them to flower in April and May, and not to include tulips,daffs or similar, which abound in other parts of the garden. We can see this border fro the house, so I would like the plants to be colourful. Most of the garden flowers between June and November, so we ( especially OH i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/GWDAdmin1/Smilies/Default/rolleyes.gif ) wants something colourful in the spring.
Please help i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/GWDAdmin1/Smilies/Default/cheesy.gif

[Tig]

Personally I would stick with some bold blocks of tulips even if you have got them elsewhere. Perennial wallflowers like bowles mauve would provide some early colour too, but most of the other colour early in the year is from taller plants and shrubs. White dicentra is lovely, but may be too tall and wide eventually for your border

Hope you get some more suggestions

x Tig

[Auricula]

Thanks Tig - I was considering dicentra and I like perennial wallflowers. Tulips rot off in the winter wet.
Any more ideas??? pleeeease??

[Barbara]

Can I suggest some?
Corydallis, Pere david and china blue, are very nice, easy to split as well so you get lots of plants for free.


Anemone Blanda are a lovely spring flower, not expensive from J Parkers , so you could replant any that don't make it through, I
think you have sandy soil, and they love that , you can get loads of different colours.

And Primulas, :)and Polyanthus, are an early show still going on in my garden, and all colours and sizes. what about some of those.

I hope I have been of some assistance M'aam

[Jasmine]

I have been looking through a few books and came up with:
the smaller phloxes like clouds of perfume and candy stripe
the shorter alliums
camassia
Dutch irises
anemones (De Caan Group)
Nectaroscordum siculum (Allium siculum)

[bagpuss]

How about

Heuchera's. www.barnsdalegardens.co.uk/cgi-bin/sh000001.pl?REFPAGE=http%3a%2f%2fwww%2ebarnsdalegardens%2eco%2euk%2fshop%2ehtml&WD=heuchera&PN=Heuchera%2ehtml%23a1919#a1919

or Bergenia

[Auricula]

Thanks everyone -I'll investigate your suggestions and look forward to a colourful border. A big to all who helped

[Ladygardener]

You could also sow some stock in the autumn and overwinter it. Harden it off and plant it out march/april and it would be ready to bloom in may. You've not mentioned aquilegia but they're in bloom at the moment, most years earlier than now and have a wide variety of colours. There are some early flowering geraniums too. I saw one yesterday in someone's garden. :)A bright variagated hosta would add something too Auricula.

[Ladygardener]

Just thought, if you sow Nigella in the autumn they'll bloom about now too and their foliage is as nice as the flowers. Mine are just in bud at the moment.

[magrich]

what about geranium johnson's blue? As they spread (slowly) you can make friends by giving them awaym or speread them to other parts of the garden.

[carolann]

How about an Alpine Clematis I have seen one called Pixi which is only small and has beautiful Greenish/lemon flowers and it flowers early.