Woodland Style Border With a Touch of the Exotic 🌿

A layered planting scheme designed for shade, texture and seasonal drama.

There are some gardens that feel like a privilege to work in — and this woodland-style border was one of them. Originally designed for Chelsea Flower Show, the space already had beautiful structure: mature stonework, sweeping curves, established trees and a rich, sheltered microclimate.

Being given free rein to refresh and replant this border was a dream project for me.

🍃 Design Inspiration: Woodland Calm, Exotic Flair

The aim was to create a planting scheme that felt naturalistic and serene, with soft textures and dappled colour — but with just a hint of the unexpected. A quiet woodland palette lifted by bold shapes, rich foliage contrasts and a few dramatic blooms.

This border now offers:

✅ All-season structure

✅ Movement and texture

✅ Pollinator-friendly planting

✅ A soothing woodland atmosphere

✅ Surprises of form and colour throughout the year

🌱 Front Row Planting: Soft Groundcovers & Woodland Classics

At the front of the bed, we used a mix of low-growing, shade-tolerant favourites to knit the border together:

• Alchemilla mollis (Lady’s Mantle)

• Heuchera varieties

• Primula veris

• Tiarella ‘Spring Symphony’

• Geum rivale

• Pulmonaria

• Galium odoratum (Sweet Woodruff)

These plants create a gentle carpet of texture while keeping the soil cool and retaining moisture.

🌸 Centre Stage: Deep Colour & Architectural Interest

The middle of the border brings depth and visual weight, anchored by:

• Geranium phaeum ‘Dusky Cranesbill’

• Persicaria bistorta ‘Superba’

• Hakonechloa macra (Forest Grass)

• Aquilegia in mixed colours

• Dicentra (Bleeding Heart)

This layer offers movement, soft mounds of foliage and elegant flowers that float above the planting in late spring and early summer.

🌿 The Exotic Touch: Bold Shapes & Unusual Texture

Further along the curve, we added standout plants that provide a subtle exotic note:

• Lamium ‘Beacon Silver’

• Lunaria annua ‘Chedglow’

• Phlox paniculata ‘Blue Paradise’

• Thalictrum ‘Black Stockings’

• Liriope muscari

• Agapanthus ‘Northern Star’

To top it off, we interplanted Dicranum scoparium ‘broom fork moss’ balls — an unusual, tactile touch that feels straight out of a show garden.

🌧️ Mulch, Moisture & Woodland Conditions

The bed was finished with a deep mulch to enhance the woodland feel and help retain moisture — essential for keeping woodland and exotic blends happy through warm spells.

The sheltered setting and dappled canopy make this a perfect microclimate for mixing shade-lovers with bolder specimens.

🌼 Looking Ahead

This border will only get better with time:

✅ The moss will knit into soft green islands

✅ The grasses will cascade beautifully by midsummer

✅ The perennials will rise and fall in seasonal waves

✅ The structure will remain strong year-round

I can’t wait to see these plants take on a life of their own as the garden grows into its refreshed design.

Inspired by this woodland-style border?

Let’s create your own garden sanctuary — tailored to your space, season and style.