Our front garden is essentially an overgrown patio with a number of small square planting areas into which I’ve primarily planted herbs. In the cracks of the paving I have no choice but allow stuff to grow which significantly increases our growing area. The crack planting is a little like a miniature stone plateau.
In spring three Cytisus ‘All Gold’ brooms firmly make the main colour yellow in a very bright statement. I’m leaning into this colour because dandelions, buttercups and Welsh poppies bring it regardless of what I want. From late-May, the broom flowers begin to fade and the paler Potentilla fruticosa take the batton.
Among them are some white flowers, I like white flowered rosemary, Salvia rosmarinus ‘Alba’, though unfortunately its stems are too brittle in our exposed windy spot, often snapping in winter storms. One has survived. I don’t shape our shrubs too much, I prefer them to be freer and natural.
Allowing plants to grow between cracks of paving creates a unique habitat favouring plants that struggle in a competitive border because here they have more space. In our patio self-sown Aquilegia bring welcome purple alongside the white of ox-eye daisy and yarrow. To this I’ve encouraged chives, oregano and thyme. I’d like musk mallow and lady’s bedstraw here too.
The main theme of these beds is edibility. Almost all plants have to be edible in some way for us to use in the kitchen - the exception being the Potentilla, though apparently even its leaves can be used as a tea, not that I ever will. Buttercup and Welsh poppy aren’t edible either. Everything I intentionally add is edible.
Last year I added a new bay, two different sages and tougher rosemary. These are all settling in and by the end of this summer will bring a new and stronger structure to these borders. Around them I’ve added flowering salvias for colour pops, which are pink and purple.
Although I like the yellow spring colour pops, I’d be lying if I said I love it just yet. I much prefer our front herb garden in summer when it is much more colourful. But despite that, I do love how it is shaping up overall. And the yellow goes well against our charcoal grey door and windows, as well as natural stone walls.
Although I don’t quite love the yellow palette, I am really enjoying playing around with it to make it work. While the contrasting purple flowers are a classic combo, I’m more interested in steering these beds towards rust colours - the colours of the lichens on the walls - with reds and oranges to see how that works. Though, in summer I’m going to have no colour rules at all - any colour goes, which I think is best with herb beds.
I’ll share an update in summer so you can see how different this space looks across the seasons.
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How lovely it looks Jack I like the plants in the paving. I have been leaving my “lawns” front and back from May until later in the year, and this year have buttercups self heal with red campion and oxeye homegrown plants and am loving it.
Love the different yellows Jack; we get a lot of customers saying they don't like yellow (except daffodils, of course), so I am going to show them how much it can add in spring. Thanks :-)