Designing blooming shrubberies has a long tradition in England. This type of planting was spearheaded by a woman: the landscape gardener Gertrude Jekyll (1843-1932). Although she has been dead for more than half a century, her observations, descriptions and presentations on dealing with plants and gardens remain as valid today as they were in her day. Jekyll believed in the chromatic harmony of blossoms by contrasting red and oranges tones with blues, lilacs and yellows. The strong warm colours are concentrated in the centre, giving way to cooler blue tones and silver-leaved plants on the peripheries.

It's actually not that difficult to assemble the most beautiful combination of blooms for your shrubbery. The secret lies in harmonising colours, shapes and textures. Variously coloured and shaped blossoms in the beds reinforce each other and appear even more brilliant. The Jekyll plan is to plant shrubs and bushes that blossom in winter and spring close to the house; the summer blooms come next and, furthest away, the autumn blooms. A flaming display of orange, red and yellow tones is produced by flowering plants such as echinacea, red-hot pokers, summer sun, small woodland sunflower and wild bergamot. To form a beautiful contrast with long blooming times, the perfect companions are yarrow, golden marguerite and golden tickseed.

A suitable place for a flowerbed could also be a blossoming border bounding the garden, the house wall or as a privacy screen. You can plant your flowering shrubs as soon as the soil has thawed and frost no longer threatens. The shrubs should never be placed alone but always in larger groups. Finally, press down the earth lightly and water thoroughly. The GARDENA Classic SkinTech Hose is a proven and uncomplicated help in watering. Thanks to its special coating it slithers over every obstacle and cannot kink.