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24 November 2009
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how to be a gardener - The complete online guide

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Planting schemes and themes

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Combining plants

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3 - Planting styles

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In a smaller garden, one of the following could be a better bet:
Mixed borders
Have a permanent backbone of shrubs, among which are planted perennials , bulbs and bedding plants. Pick your plants carefully and you’ll get a changing display all year round.

Mixed border
©

Cottage garden
An informal style: beds/borders filled with self-seeding annuals and perennials that live happily without much attention. It’s also a style where vegetables and ornamentals grow well together.

Cottage garden
©

Prairie garden
©   Prairie garden
This is a recent fashion that does away with lawns and beds. Instead, paths of bark or gravel wind through a dense carpet of low-maintenance perennials, through which pop occasional clumps of taller ornamental grasses and perennials.

Attribute quiz
Take a break. Try our attribute quiz to see which style of garden might suit you.

Watch clip
Watch clips on planning new borders and planting styles .

Plant list
Find a list of suggested plant types for any style of garden here .

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3. Planting schemes and themes

Introduction
Planting styles
Combining plants
Do your research
Test your knowledge
Go further


Highlights

Plant lists

Plant lists

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Find thousands more plants in the BBC Gardening database .


Video

Video

The supreme challenge of planting is getting the right style. Find out more here.




Interactive

Interactive
Experiment with the colour wheel feature , or take a fun attribute quiz to see what style of garden may suit you.
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