Easy Edge Plants that Work

The edge of your planting bed says a lot about your garden. From a design perspective the edge even determines the style of the garden. A linear or straight edge is formal, while a curving edge is informal. The edge also defines the space by outlining the shape of the lawn, path or patio. A well-designed edge brings a sense of order and uniformity. Choosing the right plant is the key to an effective edge.

Only the most reliable plants belong on the edge of a planting bed. A good edge plant is self supporting, tidy, and compact. The most important character of edge plants is reliable foliage that retains its color and form throughout the summer. It is also important that the plant be disease and insect resistant.

Finding a plant that full fills all these characteristics is not easy. Bearded Iris for example, are often planted on the edge of a border. Beautiful in May, they possess colorful flowers and dramatic sword-like leaves. But by July, they often look tattered and beaten, and are best planted in the middle of the border. I have put together a sample of well-behaved edge plants for sun or shade.

Easy Edges for Sun

Threadleaf Coreopsis (Coreopsis verticillata) is a bit slow to get started in the spring but are worth the wait. They will reward you with two months of continuous flowers. Hundreds of small daisy-like flowers completely cover the dense, compact plant. There are two varieties available, 'Moonbeam' with yellow flowers and 'Rosea' with pink flowers.

Sun Rose (Helianthemum) is one of the best border plants I know. This plant brings evergreen foliage, and an abundance of rose-like flowers to the edge of the border. The foliage varies in color from silver to deep green. The flowers appear in May and last until June and are available in pink, orange, red, salmon, yellow, and white.

Other edge plants for sun include: Lamb's Ear, Artemisia 'Silver Brocade', Hardy Geranium 'Ballerina' or 'John Elsley', and Catmint 'Dropmore' or 'Walkers Low', Wooly Thyme, and any of the creeping thymes.

Easy Edges for Partial Shade

Bergenia has large evergreen leaves and flourishes in the shade. The sturdy leaves stand-up to the worst in winter and provides year-round interest. The plant thrives in almost any soil conditions even dry shade found under large conifer trees like the Western Red Cedar. The flowers bloom early in April and are usually pink.

Epimediums are delicate and unusual in their appearance but deceptively tough. The foliage of this plant is outstanding. The angel-wing shaped leaves form graceful mounds that often have red veins and a dusting of red on the leaf edge. While the flowers are delightful they are not showy. Some varieties are evergreen, and others are deciduous. The most common varieties of Epimedium are 'Sulphureum', and 'Rubrum'.

Other edge plants for shade include: Hosta (small-leaf varieties), Geranium macrorhizum, Lady's Mantle (in moist soil), Coral Bells (moist soil), Corsican mint, Japanese Forest Grass, or Japanese Variegated Sedge.

Keep in mind that edge plants need to be in proportion with their background. Therefore, the height and size of the edge plants are an important consideration. A wide and long landscape bed planted with large shrubs calls for a larger edge plant like catmint (Nepeta). In contrast, for a border with a focus on perennials, a short compact plant like helianthemum is a better choice. Repetition always works with edges. Try planting a solid band of a single plant for strong dramatic effect. Or if you have a curving informal border, create unity by repeating the same two or three varieties along the edge.

Author Mary Jo Buza, is a landscape designer and owner of Gardens by Design. She has more than 20 years experience maintaining, designing, and teaching gardening in the South Sound region. Call Mary Jo at 360-923-1733.