Cutting Back The Tired And Faded Herbaceous Border

Herbaceous Border (Left), 7th June 2018

Herbaceous Border (Right), 7th June 2018

Herbaceous Border (Left), 5th July 2018

Herbaceous Border (Right), 5th July 2018

Herbaceous Border (Right), 21st August 2018

Herbaceous Border (Left), 20th November 2018

The perennial and annual plants in the herbaceous border have put on a colourful display throughout the summer months despite the hot, dry weather but, as can be seen by the photograph above, these plants are now tired and their colours have faded.

Cutting down and clearing the border (Left)

Before the cutting down of the herbaceous border could begin the wooden plant supports had to be removed. As these structures were lifted out from around the plants the rest of the team moved on to the first section of the border (left) to commence the cut down. Armed with hand shears and secateurs to cut the plants down to ground level, rakes and leaf pickers to clear the border of plant material and a blower to clear off all the debris, they worked their way along the border. By the end of the day both sections of the border had been cleared, the plant supports had been taken to the chipper pile and all the plant material and debris to the compost heaps. This is the first border to be cut back, there are another seven within the gardens, these will be completed during the next few months.

Blowing off the debris

 

Herbaceous Border (Left), Cleared

Cutting down and clearing the border (Right)

 

Herbaceous Border (Right), Cleared

Herbaceous Border (Left and Right), 20th November 2018