Tom Stuart-Smith | Sally Wicks

Every year I come across new bulbs and planting stock as I work towards trying to create perfectly balanced borders. I recently visited Trentham Gardens and have finally experienced perfect borders on a grand scale. I think my customers will be experiencing somewhat of a revamp of their gardens over the coming months. The huge borders and spaces created by Tom Stuart-Smith and Piet Oudulf are perfection in their spatial design and planting. I have read about their work at Trentham and seen countless images , but to actually be there to experience it is something else altogether, it was inspirational. The individual elements of the giant borders are exquisite , in its entirety this landscape is stunningly beautiful. To put it bluntly I found it quite an overwhelming and humbling experience to actually be there within this exceptional landscape. You really should make a visit with your cameras.

With so many new ideas from Saturday, I am sure there is some way I can incorporate elements of the landscape at Trentham, into the gardens in my care.

The above image is from 2014 . I have since removed vast amounts of the yellow daisy , as it was beginning to run through the border swamping the Veronicastrum, I am much a happier with the balance this year.

I bought this Persicaria in the winter, when it was looking particularly non-existent in its container. I was running out of spaces for it, so in it went between the Monbretia and Hypericum. I love this combination. I think I will split it up for next year, and bring in some Amenantheles lessoni.

Vast amounts of the same plant, when a border is big enough to take it, does pack a late summer punch. Crocosmia against the blue echinops and the Lysimachia atropurpurea is always a favorite of mine. Next year I intend to incorporate Buddleia Black Knight and the grass Calamagrotis Karl Forester , with its fantastic upright habit that will last all winter.

Even without rain drops on the petals the luminosity of Tithonia the Torch continues to stop me in my tracks on a daily basis in my own garden. Home is very much a self seeded paradise, with many a container wedged in between those self setters. Next year I intend to plant up vast containers of Helenium Herbstonne, an incredibly tall late Summer flowering yellow perennial that I have a great deal of time for.

This kniphofia Mango Popsickle is a recent addition at home I love the colour, the label informs me it will flower right throughout the summer. If only I had come across it earlier.

The above image is from 2014. Since then I have grown on more heleniums , which are ready to go into containers to grow through my favorite grass Amenatheles lessoni. Whichcontinues to self seeding ever so freely at home.

Other images from this week follow in all their late summer beauty.