The herbaceous border is without doubt an important mainstay of any good garden. Whether it be planted from an historical restoration viewpoint, or in contemporary fashion mixed with roses and other flowering shrubs, it never fails to impress. Its origins were in the Victorian era where it became a mainstay of most gardens.
There is nothing more evocative of high summer than a well planted herbaceous border in full bloom. Herbaceous plants have been used to provide colour and interest in the garden since time immemorial, and a well planned border will have something in bloom almost every month of the year. From December flowering Iris unguicularis, through Cyclamen and Helleborus to Crocus tomasinianus which flower en-masse in February, to Spring offerings of Erythronium & Aqueligea, right through to the glorious herbaceous Paeonies, the tall, stately Delphiniums and everything in between. Not to forget the all important foliage plants, the dizzying array of Hosta varieties, Pulmonaria, Stachys and Artemesia; the list goes on and on.
Colour themed borders were popularised by Vita Sackville-West who created the now legendary garden at Sissinghurst Castle., where the ‘White Garden’ is comprised only of white flowered plants and silver foliage to stunning effect. Here can be seen the wide variety of ‘Whites’ that exist. Flowers that are palest ivory, white roses that open cream and age white, and the whites themselves, pristine and pure. Here also can be seen the infinite variety of greens of their foliage, something that can often be overlooked when planting the herbaceous border.