"Courgette" wrote in message
...

I'm a real beginner & would like to start planning my summer garden
porject. any advice is gratefully received!
I have two small gardens, one front & one in back of the house... The
front garden is very rarely used but has some fantastic old (really
old) rose bushes which I have pruned according to advice from a
colleague. I'd like to know what to plant in our borders to create a
cheap Wow factor. I need plants which are brightly coloured and fill up
the space nicely.
In the back garden we have more rose bushes and a composter, this is
the family garden where my one year old will play in the summer. The
space is communal and our plot backs onto the drying green. All that
stops the wee man running away is a strip of border (and a few vicious
old roses). In the back garden I'd like to plant seeds that will grow
tall and create a fence-like effect while still being colourful, fun
and above all safe for the baby to eat as he insists on doing
occasionally. Again I'd like the plants to grow quite wild and big to
fill the space ( and surround the roses) rather than being uniorm and
structured. But they also have to be cheap and not adverse to a bit of
Scottish rain!
Any advice given will be really gratefully received. This is my first
garden where I have had full creative license and I'd love to both
impress the neighbours and create a little summer haven for my family.
Many thanks!
Courgette


Browallia's another really nice flower. A little tricky to start from seed,
though. Try it, but if they're not doing well by planting time, pick up a
few at a garden center. They bloom non-stop until frost kills them,
especially if you trim them back by a third every now and then when they
look ratty.