Summer's edge
Above: Delphiniums add height to a border
Above: .
Above: .
Brilliant borders give your summer garden an edge with their waves of colour and form. Using a mix of annuals, perennials and shrubs, you can create either complementary or contrasting tones in a succession of blooms and foliage, from spring right through to autumn.
In summer’s stronger light, vibrant colours give real impact, as demonstrated beautifully in Sue Corfe’s garden at Rock Farm, Nettlestead. Sue’s passion, energy and knowledge are reflected in the expressive plantings that surround the 250-year-old farmhouse. “I love colour and to mix them all together, planning the flowering from early spring to October,” she enthuses.
Stars of the show
The two-acre garden includes a plantsman’s collection of shrubs and trees, bog and pond gardens and a vegetable area. However, the main focus in summer is the large, densely planted herbaceous border, measuring 11 metres wide by 27 metres long.
Stars of the show are the towering spires of delphiniums with their varying shades of blues and purples. Contrasts with rich golds from the achilleas and kniphofias, along with touches of the warm pinks of erigeron and roses, create a cheerful picture.
The apparently artless profusion is carefully planned, with Sue making comments each year in her notebook to change or add new plants, many of which she propagates herself.
It comes as no surprise to learn that Sue has a horticultural background, which has been put to good use as the garden evolved over the past 40 years. Until a few years ago, Sue and her late husband, Paul, ran the property as a working fruit and vegetable farm.
The apparently artless profusion is carefully planned
Sue’s connection to the land, however, goes back even further. “From childhood, I have always loved gardens and produce, growing both vegetables and flowers as a child during the war,” she explains.
This interest led to her taking a degree in horticulture at Wye College, working at the East Malling Research Station on apple scab and bacterial canker on cherries, before marrying the farmer next door.
After farming at Igtham, the Corfes moved to Rock Farm to pursue fruit growing. Alongside the farm, Sue created the garden, starting with a vegetable patch and gradually extending out to the two acres. Over time lawns have diminished, engulfed by plantings of alkaline loving plants.
One vision
Sue always had a vision for the garden, enjoying how it has developed and looking forward to its further evolution. From a bench at the top of the garden, surrounded by layered foliage and with a cup of tea in her hand, she likes to look down the garden to the house, contemplating new ideas.
Sue also gets great pleasure from sharing the garden with visitors to her guesthouse and through the National Gardens Scheme, relishing the chance to chat about gardening.
Sue's top tips for delphiniums
- Sunny, open site
- Fertile, moist soil that drains well
- Stake when about 46 cm, April/May
- Heavy mulch in April
- Don’t water in summer
- Thin them out: Five or six shoots per plant to keep them tall and sturdy
- Grow them first in vegetable garden, select nice ones and then plant out in flower garden
- Seed from Blackmore and Langdon is reliable
Planning your borders
- Plan overlapping seasons of bloom
- Include spring, summer and autumn annuals and perennials
- Look for plants with interesting foliage
- Choose long-blooming species
- Bright colours work well in summer
Related links:
What do you want to do next?