"Mel" wrote
I want to revamp my mixed border to make it less mixed and more perennial
flowers. ...

"Sacha" replied
If your borders are that size you're going to be pushed to find enough
room
to let herbaceous perennials grow, too. Could you make e.g. an island bed
for those or grow them in pots? It sounds as
if you've got some nice shrubs there and if you can, take off their lower
branches and plant spring and autumn flowering bulbs underneath them.
Keith
Wiley who used to run The Garden House called this "lifting their skirts"!

Hi, Sacha. Many thanks for your reply. My garden is very challenging --
it's quite small, it's on a steep slope, it's very shallow and it's on the
north side of the house! Maybe I should move !! I think I'll try your
suggestion and "lift the skirts" of some of the shrubs and underplant with
bulbs I've just bought.

Thanks again.