Are you looking for plants to create a beautiful north-facing border in your garden? North-facing borders can be a challenge to plant, but with the right selection of species, you can create a stunning border that will thrive in the cooler, shadier conditions.
In this blog, we’ll explore some of the best plants for a north-facing border, including their characteristics, benefits and tips on how to care for them. So, if you’re ready to get your north-facing border looking its best, read on!
Benefits of planting a north-facing border
When it comes to planting a north-facing border, the experts recommend some unique choices for consideration. Depending upon the region and climate you live in, the choices can vary.
A north-facing border offers benefits such as increased artistic value, low maintenance, and a diverse palette of colors and texture. Choosing plants for this border is an art as well as a science. The key to success is choosing the right varieties and colors that can thrive in the cooler temperatures, shorter days, and lower light levels.
Shrubs that thrive in full sun to light shade make good candidates while bedding plants or ground covers work well to add an accent of color along the edge of the border. Ornamental grasses and ferns add texture and interest. A few evergreen trees or shrubs, like holly or viburnum, can provide more of a barrier for heavier growth areas.
When it comes to unfolding the garden’s colors, colors from the blue-violet end of the spectrum work best, as we can see with forget-me-nots, irises and hyacinths. Primroses and violets provide the more subtle colors of pastel pinks and lavender.
Other springtime bulbs that can add depth and contrast, such as winter aconite, snowdrops, daffodils, and even tulips can be planted along the border. Alliums, such as drumstick and star-of-Bethlehem also add delicate contrast and color. When it comes to planning a north-facing border, the options are varied.
From evergreen trees and shrubs to perennials and annuals, there are many choices to suit every garden style. With careful consideration of the climate and environment, plants chosen for this border will bring years of beauty and season-long color.
Tips for planting a north-facing border
For anyone looking to add a bit of flair to their garden, planting a north-facing border can be a great way to add color and texture to an otherwise dull landscape. However, when it comes to picking the right plants for a north-facing border, there are some important points to consider.
In this blog, I’ll provide a few tips on how to create a stunning border for those tricky north-facing spots in your garden. The first thing to bear in mind is that the sunlight hours in a north-facing position are limited. This means that your plants will receive only partial sun at best, and this can be problematic for some species of plants.
For this reason, it is important to select plants specifically adapted to partial sun and shade conditions. Good choices include plants such as rudbeckias, euphorbias, hostas and hellebores, all of which are reliable and colorful plants which will thrive in a north-facing border.
It is also worth avoiding too much variety in a north-facing border. By limiting the number of varieties, you can ensure that your plants will have enough room to grow and won’t compete for vital resources. Taller plants make the best choices for the back of the border, as they will provide shelter for the shorter bedding plants.
These could be anything from daisy-like asters to towering Delphiniums or Salvia. It is also worth adding a variety of foliage colors, from green to purple, to give your border a diverse look throughout the year.
Finally, it is important to remember that plants in a north-facing border will require regular watering, as their access to sunshine will be limited. Mulching your border is essential to help retain the moisture in the soil, and regular pruning and deadheading will keep your plants healthy over the long term. With these tips in mind, you can create a vibrant, eye-catching north-facing border that will bring life to your garden.
Recommended plants for a north-facing border
Having a north-facing border in your garden can be tricky when it comes to choosing the right plants. While some plants thrive in the shade and cooler temperatures associated with such locations, others struggle in the absence of sun.
To make the most of the conditions of your north-facing border it is important to select plants that are best suited to the environment. In general, plants for a north-facing border should be hardy and able to withstand colder temperatures. Shrubs and hedges such as berberis, boxwood, and yew are all good choices as they are able to thrive in shady conditions and rarely require pruning.
For further texture and structure, add foliage plants such as Solomon’s seal, ferns, and ivy to your north-facing border. Hostas are another great option and come in a wide range of colours and sizes, making them perfect for filling gaps in larger areas or adding a touch of colour to a shadier space.
While evergreens are an obvious choice, a variety of other colourful perennials can also flourish in a north-facing border. Planting hellebores and woodland-type flowers such as astilbes, foxgloves, and bleeding hearts can create a wonderfully delicate look in such areas. For a splash of vibrant colour, tall columbines, lupines, and foxglove will stand out against the darker foliage and provide a stunning display in the spring.
As you can see, there are many plants that can thrive in a north-facing border. By selecting plants that are best suited to the colder, shadier environment of such sites, you can ensure that your border remains vibrant and colourful throughout the year.
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Bottom Line
This article provides an overview of plants suitable for a north-facing border. It includes ornamental grasses, ferns, and flowering plants such as hellebores and foxgloves. These plants thrive in the cooler temperatures and indirect sunlight of a north-facing border, creating a beautiful and unique garden.
With the right selection of plants, a north-facing border can be a stunning and rewarding addition to any garden.
FAQ
What plants are suitable for a north-facing border?
Some plants that are suitable for a north-facing border include hellebores, hostas, ferns, heucheras, and evergreen shrubs such as boxwood and holly.
What are the best flowering plants for a north-facing border?
Some of the best flowering plants for a north-facing border include: Foxglove, Columbine, Pansy, Primrose, and Bleeding Heart.
What are the best evergreen plants for a north-facing border?
Some of the best evergreen plants for a north-facing border include boxwood, yew, holly, juniper, and cypress.
What are the best shade-tolerant plants for a north-facing border?
Some of the best shade-tolerant plants for a north-facing border include Hostas, Japanese Painted Ferns, Heucheras, Astilbes, and Lamium.
What are the best drought-tolerant plants for a north-facing border?
Some of the best drought-tolerant plants for a north-facing border include lavender, rosemary, thyme, sedum, yarrow, and artemisia.
What are the best low-maintenance plants for a north-facing border?
Some of the best low-maintenance plants for a north-facing border include hostas, ferns, hellebores, and heucheras.
