The main function here is to provide a range of plants that, once established will provide a variety of textural sensory interest throughout the year. Some of these plants will also attract pollinators.

The Fatsia has a smooth, shiny, leathery feel, while the Stipa grasses and Artemisia are soft and feathery to the touch, and the succulent leaves of the Hylotelephium are fleshy and waxy. 

In addition, the Nepeta and Artemisia help to cover bare soil, protecting the soil surface, suppressing weeds and reducing soil moisture loss by reducing evaporation from the soil surface. 

Until the plants have filled out, an organic mulch, preferably homemade compost, can help to lock in soil moisture and suppress weeds. Mulches should be spread when the soil is already moist to help trap some of that moisture before it dries out in summer. Avoid spreading bagged potting compost on beds and borders.

1 - Stipa gigantea

2 - Ribes sanguineum ‘King Edward VII’

3 - Fatsia japonica

4 - Stipa tenuissima

5 - Nepeta racemosa ‘Walker’s Low’

6 - Hylotelephium x mottramianum ‘Herbstfreude’

7 - Artemisia schmidtiana ‘Nana’

2 - Ribes sanguineum ‘King Edward VII’ is a deciduous shrub with aromatic leaves and deep red flowers in spring, which are followed by white-bloomed black berries. 

3 - Fatsia japonica is an evergreen shrub with large, palmate, glossy green leaves that have a tropical look, and small white flowers that develop into black fruits in autumn. 

4 - Stipa tenuissima is a short deciduous grass with compact upright leaves and narrow, arching, feathery flowerheads in summer. 

5 - Nepeta racemosa ‘Walker’s Low’ is a deciduous sub-shrub with silvery aromatic leaves and blue-lilac flowers in summer.

6 - Hylotelephium x mottramianum ‘Herbstfreude’ is a herbaceous perennial with fleshy, waxy green leaves and clusters of starry pink flowers in early autumn.

7 - Artemisia schmidtiana ‘Nana’ is a semi-evergreen perennial forming a mound of soft, silvery leaves and heads of deep yellow flowers in the summer.