Herbaceous

I have until recently only encountered the word "herbaceous" in "Spotted and Herbaceous Backson" in Winnie-the-Pooh. I guess I have never even thought it was a real word, more like Woozle and Wizzle. Now that I have seen a herbaceous border at Anglesea Abbey I not only know what it is, but also that I have never really understood how to plant flowers. I have always mixed sorts and colours. But both at Anglesea and all the wonderful college gardens, flowers are planted in groups to produce bright patches of colours constrasting against each other.

I took my friend Alyona to a garden centre to buy some border flowers. She suggested buying seasonal, because, she said, "you can plant a new pattern every year". I didn't tell her she knew nothing about gardening, but she realised it afterwards. She thought the humongous amount of plants I bought would last three times over the garden. As it was, it was just about enough for two inside lengths of house and a tiny Herbaceous Border by the pond. She hadn't thought seasonal flowers had to be purchased anew every year. She hadn't thought it takes a lot of time and effort to plant them.

Today I took another trip to the garden centre and bought just a much as last time. Both seasonal and perennial.

There is a very good reason for planting seasonal. What you see is what you get.