I can’t imagine what pulled out the Californian poppy like that, not mice so I suppose the pheasant? They really only have that long tap root. Had they grown from seed in situ, or had you grown them as plugs and planted them out, they are quite hard to pull out but I suppose a bird may have wanted the soft ferny foliage for its nest. Your slope is beginning to look full, so patience is what’s needed. Also three’s is probably nowhere near enough for an area this size, think 11’s!

Gosh, I’ve just been whingeing about my sloping garden, it’s a gentle incline compared to yours. It does look lovely though but I think you’re right to think of getting colours that will stand out, just imagine how bright oranges and maybe reds and/or yellows (if you like them) would look against that wonderful array of lush green. You could have your very own Monty Don ‘jewel’ garden. It looks as if you have one or two ornamental grasses there, do you have a stipa gigantea, if not would you consider putting one or two in there? They provide such a wonderful backdrop and height amongst other flowers without obscuring any views beyond them, and they stand up to strong winds really well (apologies if I’m telling you to suck eggs). Anyway if the rest of your garden is anything to go by, whatever you choose to do I’m sure it will look wonderful, good luck. Lorraine

I thought one of our newly planted borders was a failure but two years on and it is looking much better, Hopefully your annuals will self sow for next year,

Just remembered, the plant I know as Monkshood, equally poisonous if not more so.

The Libertia grandiflora looks great and is really showy. Anyway what’ s wrong with green? I think ferns and grasses look great. Would you like some seeds of variegated Honesty later in the year? It really brightens things up and seeds itself about too. That and Brunnera look good in Spring and what about geraniums in Summer? Anyway, I think it is coming along beautifully. Who wants an instant garden anyway?
I love your Iris / Geum combo. Very stylish. As for the Cornus, I am jealous.

Lovely iris and geum, and cornus. We’re having the same issues with scale here – learning that three of each plant just won’t cut it. I’ve got about 30 small Rudbeckia ‘Cherry Brandy’ to plant out interspersed with ornamental grasses. All trial and error though. That’s the fun of it!

I would love a wild garden where I could sow seed with abandon and plant in 11s. Have you tried thalictrum? It self-seeds like aquilegia but is taller and therefore has more presence. I bought a purple-stemmed unnamed one for £2 at a garden we visited yesterday and they literally had dozens for sale so it’s obviously a profligate self-seeder. It’s common name is meadow rue, which sounds just about right for a wild bank. I love the blue of the sibirica with the orange geum. I get a similar effect from Iris sibirica which grows around the pond but hasn’t even begun to flower yet when it combines with the yellow/orange of Primula Bulleyana. But I think everyone is right, you just need to be patient and keep trying and that after all is the fun of gardening.

I was going to be tongue in cheek and suggest astroturf and plastic flowers, but some of your devoted readers might take me seriously and come after me with pitchforks!!

It certainly is filling out well – and I love the orange geum and blue iris combination – accidental or on purpose?

Gosh, it looks as though you are going to need 7’s or 9’s instead of groups of 3!! That is going to be a lot of plants, but I am sure that the effect will be spectacular when you are done, just as the terraces are now after all of your hard work! xx

I think it looks rather good personally, all gardens constantly evolve, and you have plenty of time to add more plants, as you say, Rome wasn’t built in a day….I do get how plants can disappear in a big space though, I have taken out all the hedging and have been buying new largish shrubs, they totally fill the car and yet when planted become instantly invisible! I started my back from scratch two years ago and am now amazed how it’s all growing, patience is what we all need a lot of. Sorry about your poppies, my dogs smashed a new shrub in the new border,it cost 25 quid…. they chase dogs along the railings and smash everything as they go…..it’s frustrating at times for sure!xxx

I take my hat of to you both. I wouldn’t know where to begin! Buying plants in such bulk would be incredibly expensive and as you say patience required. I often think it’s such a pity we can’t go out and buy it 🙂 I’m sure it would be a best seller. Joking aside, love the Cornus and Cistus.
Would Astrantia do well on your slope? Is it something you would like to grow there. I had to lift a good sized clump of Astrantia Buckland to give some plants a bit more room and managed to get 7 pots out of it. Once I know they have recovered I’ll gladly pop them down to you. I’d only give them away to neighbours and friends otherwise. You can let me know.

Planting seed here is similarly challenging, although the raccoons and skunks don’t so much eat the seedlings as trudge over and through them – the effect is the same. Digitalis is toxic to humans so perhaps the mice steer clear of it too. Maybe you could load the bank up with toxic plants?! Even if it’s slower than you’d like, you’re making progress!

It’s just beautiful, Jessica. I completely agree with you, big drifts on that bank are the way to go. Three always seems a reasonable clump until you put them in place, doesn’t it?!

I’m not good at that patience thing either, but you do have a lovely tapestry of green there. And hey, you are a long way off that phase when you have to kick something out in order to be able to find room for new plants… That’s me, always looking on the bright side of somebody else’s challenge 😉 Just don’t get me started on the weedy mess that is currently pretending to be my front garden… As for threes, pah, think sevens!! Or elevens?! Love the geum with the iris though, lovely combination. Aquilegias? Presumably they would self seed like crazy and give large blocks of colour? Hope your annuals do you proud.

Just got home after 12 days away from my out of control garden. Hope to shoot some end of month pix tomorrow. Have you thought about things with colorful foliage as well as flower colors for your bank? I think you are right that you will need big drifts but think about all the changes you’ve made in the garden and how suddenly it all starts to come together. It’s happening already even if it is far from what you hope to achieve eventually. And isn’t it jaw-dropping to watch professional tree pruners?!

Jessica, as Helen who hosts this meme said a gardener needs patients, I don’t know about Mike laughing I’m afraid I was as I can hear the demand of ‘I want it now!’ in your post, as you said you have spent more than a year on the terraces, and if you look back over the years you will see you have come a long way with the slope too, I know and completely understand about blooms becoming lost in the vastness of the garden, it is how I feel about my whole garden, there is nothing flowering, I am glad I decided to join GBBD this year as it is making me realise there are flowers in my garden,
I know you say pastels are not working but try some white, white is different it seems to reflect light and stand out, I planted white bluebells under my large conifers so they can be seen, what has surprised me is how far away from the trees they can be seen, also try some golden foliage, or, variegated,
to me from your photos it all looks as if it is coming on nicely and when I remember the photo of the weed infested bank, you have moved on in leaps and bounds, a word of warning re the red campion, if it is like mine and you don’t want it everywhere in the garden watch the seed, I have found it can make the self seeding of A.mollis look quite tame in comparison,
the flowers that are there are quite lovely, Frances

I am green (or perhaps pink) over the Cornus ‘Satomi’. Be patient, you’ve done wonders – it already looks very pleasing to the eye that doesn’t know it and just wants to appreciate … I think it will be incredible in the end.

Love the Geum and Iris colours together – they look wonderful. As for the slope, it is looking so much better than last month and I am sure it will continue to improve over the summer. Couldn’t read all the comments, but I think geraniums were mentioned. Have you tried Rozanne – it is a lovely blue and spreads a long way in one summer. If you really want colour (puce!) you could try Geranium psilostemon. It grows like mad and you wouldn’t miss it even from an airoplane! I could probably let you have some if you can wait until the end of the year. Of course, it is not everyone’s choice of colour. I bought mine before I knew any better, and have grown to love it.

Dear Jessica, first I have to say that I just love the combination of the iris sibirica and geum ‘Totally Tangerine’, the colors, flower shapes and foliage just go perfectly together, as you said a little bit of Chelsea bling ;-)!
I can understand your frustration with the slope swallowing all these lovely flowering plants, but I think with your three step program (patience, planting in drifts and flowers that have strong colors) you are right on track and I believe following these guidelines will make a difference. I would add a fourth one: planting plants that produce big flowers in addition to the ones that produce smaller ones, since bigger flowers are simply better visible from a distance.
That being said, it is amazing how much your slope has filled out and I like the way it looks right now very much! The different shades of green have a very calming effect and the white flower spikes in the middle give it a little bit of sparkle. What plant do these flower spikes belong to, by the way?
Warm regards,
Christina

It’s such a big project but I’m sure that given a bit of patience it will all work out. I’m still loving geum Totally Tangerine, I must find a place for it in my garden.