How to create a border

A border may bring structure, colour, aroma, and year-round interest to a garden, whether it takes the shape of a wide curve or a tiny strip of soil around the edge.

Getting started

Before you begin work, make some plans to guarantee that your border grows well and looks excellent. Consider the plants that will thrive in the conditions of your garden as well as the size, shape, and design you desire. Before you start working on your border, take a look at our helpful step-by-step guide to planning a border for advice on the practical and artistic issues to consider.

Remember that planting is most productive in the autumn or spring, so schedule your project appropriately. Winter planting and ground preparation are possible as long as the soil isn’t frozen or soggy. Although containerised plants can be planted in the summer, it is advisable to avoid doing so because they will require a lot of additional watering to establish.

Equipment required to draw a border:

• Use a garden hose, rope or string line to indicate the boundary.

• For cutting edges, use a flat-backed spade or a half-moon lawn cutter. 

• Using a border fork and spade, turn the soil.

• Using a shovel, pitchfork, or spade to apply organic matter

• Rake

• Wheelbarrow to transport organic matter and plants (optional) 

• A selection of plants

• Watering can or hosepipe
  

How to create a border in eight simple steps

​1. Position and mark out your border 

Choose a spot in the garden for your border and draw the outline of it. Think about any eyesores you wish to hide, as well as where the border will be seen from.

Use a garden hose to create a curved edge and a string line to create a straight edge. For instructions on marking out, trimming edges, and lifting turf when building a border in an already-existing lawn, go to our detailed tutorial on creating a lawn edge. Verify that the shape works well in your garden and that it is big enough to hold the kinds and quantities of plants you want to cultivate.

2. Begin preparing the ground

Planting in your garden requires careful preparation of the ground, whether you are revising an existing border or clearing a newly unplanted space. Digging over uncompacted soil is not necessary. For additional information, see our guide on soil cultivation. After working the soil until it has a crumbly texture, remove any large stones, old roots, and other debris that you uncover.

3. Improve your soil 

Add organic materials, such as well-rotted garden compost or farmyard manure, to the soil’s surface using a shovel, pitch-fork, or spade. If you have sandy or heavy clay soil, strive for a layer that is at least 5cm (2in) deep; otherwise, aim for 10cm (4in). Toss it into the soil with a fork to ensure even mixing.

4. Prepare soil for planting

Remove any last bits of trash, roots, or stones that have made their way to the surface with a rake. After that, rake over to remove any hollows and mounds.

5. Position your plants

Place your plants on the earth, still in their pots, and move them around until you are satisfied. To get the desired impression, pay attention to their eventual size, colour of the flowers and foliage, and season of interest.

6. Water your plants 

Prior to planting, make sure the plants receive enough water. Soak the root systems in a pail of water for at least ten minutes if the pots feel light or if the plants are bareroot.

7. Begin planting

Dig a hole that is slightly wider than the plant’s pot, or its root system if it is bare-rooted, starting at the back of the border (or in the centre if it is an island bed), and moving forward with each plant in turn. It shouldn’t be necessary to dig the hole any deeper than the root system if the soil has been properly prepared. Fill the planting hole bottom with water if the soil is dry.

Take every plant out of its pot and set it inside the opening. Using your hands to press down the earth around small herbaceous perennials and your heel to press down the soil around larger plants, backfill the area with soil and firmly plant the plant. See our planting guides for shrubs and perennials for more information.

8. Water well after planting

Give the plant a thorough watering, being sure to provide enough water to reach the roots. Instead of using a powerful jet of water that will blast soil away, water the area around the roots slowly and continuously using a hose set on a fine spray or a watering can with a rose attached.

Aftercare

Watering 

Until your plants are well-established, give them water during dry times. For the most part, herbaceous perennials establish themselves in a single growth season (spring and summer). It can take two or three years for trees and shrubs to fully establish. For information on how much and how often to water, see our guide to watering.

Mulching 

Your plants and soil will benefit from mulching your border in late winter or early spring with well-rotted organic materials. For additional information, see our detailed guide on mulching with organic matter.

Editing your border  

With time, your border will enlarge and shift. Certain plants have the potential to spread widely, necessitating annual lifting and division, while others may self-seed and require removal or relocation. It’s possible that the unusual plant won’t grow or establish itself properly in the location you’ve selected. If your planting is sufficiently dense, you may not even need to fill in any gaps; instead, let your aggressive growers take care of the filling in.

Depending on the plant, the best time to lift and divide herbaceous perennials and dig up and move shrubs is in the autumn or early spring. To help you remember this, it’s a good idea to snap pictures of your border when it’s fully grown.