Herbaceous Border Plant List

When annual seasonal flowers are grown in long beds made parallel to lawn, road or paths, then the borders made in this way are called Annual Herbaceous Border.

"Herbaceous border is a group of strip like beds of flowering annuals grown in a succeeding line along with lawn, road or paths.”.

Border or strip is different from the beds planted with different flowers. By making separate beds, one type of plant (one year or perennial) is grown in each bed, whereas in the less wide and longer beds made in the form of borders or strips, only species of annual flowering plants are planted according to their height (tall, medium, short) and attractive colour scheme of the flowers.

There are two types of herbaceous borders-

1. Single Fronted Herbaceous Border

2. Double Fronted Herbaceous Border

(1) Single Fronted Herbaceous Border - This type of herbaceous border is usually made along the edge of the lawn or along the road/wide path. In this type of border, tall plants are planted at the back, medium height plants in the middle and low height plants are planted at the front or front. While walking in the lawn or paths, the plants planted in the strip can be seen from dwarf to tall. In this type of borders, the beauty of flowers can be enjoyed only from one direction. That is why they are called single direction herbaceous borders.

(2)Double Fronted Herbaceous Border - This type of herbaceous border is usually made in the centre of the lawn. In this type of border, plants are planted in five row groups in which tall plants are planted in the centre, medium plants on both sides and small plants on the edges. The beauty of the plants/flowers planted in this type of border can be enjoyed by walking on both sides (dwarf to tall plants). The effect of two direction herbaceous border is for two parts of the lawn.

Importance of Herbaceous Border

1. Empty land between shrubbery or fence or wall and lawn or road can be utilized by planting annual herbaceous border.

2. Planting herbaceous border parallel to big plants or wall enhances the beauty of the garden.

3. If there is no sufficient open space or field, then space is available to grow annual flowering plants in the form of herbaceous border.

4. The width of the border is less and length is more as compared to a big bed, due to which it looks more beautiful in the form of stripe.

5. Different species of annual flowers are grown inside the border according to their length and flower colours, so that many species/varieties of flowers can be collected.

6. Knowledge is gained about the nature, habit and requirements of all the plants grown in the border.

7. Flowers of different types and colours are readily available as per requirement for making garlands/bouquets and for worship etc.

Herbaceous Border Planting Plan

Principles of Herbaceous Border Establishment

1. For making herbaceous border, a place should be chosen where morning sunlight reaches easily.

2. One direction herbaceous border should be made on the side of lawn or road and 'two direction herbaceous border' should be made in the middle of greenery (lawn).

3. There should be a hedge or shrub border or wall as the background of herbaceous border. 4. A zigzag paved path for walking in front of the border enhances the beauty of both the garden and the border.

5. An edging of bricks or living plants should be made between the front line of the border and the stone path.

6. The width of the border should be about 4 meters in which the back beds are made large (2 meters wide), the middle beds are medium wide (1.25 meters) and the front beds are small (0.75 meters).

7. All the beds should be made adjacent to each other so that the plants planted in them appear as a group.

8. Tall plants should be planted in the large back beds, medium height plants in the middle beds and small plants in the front beds. That is, the plants should be planted in the order of their height.

9. Plants that flower at the same time should be planted in one bed or in a group (tall-medium-short).

10. Plants should always be planted according to colour scheme and rhythm of colours.

11. Plants that flower late should be planted early and plants that flower early should be planted later so that all the plants in the group start flowering together.

Colour Scheme

The six colours visible to the naked eye in nature are VBGYOR (Violet, Blue, Green, Yellow, Orange and Red) which are divided into primary colours (blue, yellow, red) and secondary colours (Violet, Green, Orange).

All other colours visible in nature are made up of these which are called tertiary colours.

Planting plants in a sequence according to these colours is called colour scheme.

Generally, three types of colour schemes are used.

Best Plants for Herbaceous Border

(1) Single coloured colour scheme— In this scheme, plants having flowers of a particular colour (such as only white or yellow or blue or red or purple) are planted in the border according to their height.

(2) Related Colours scheme— In this scheme, two or three close colours are included; such as- purple-blue-light blue; orange-yellow-light yellow. This colour scheme looks very pleasing; hence it is also called Harmonious colour scheme.

(3) Contrast colour scheme— In this scheme, plants having flowers of opposite colour are planted according to their height. In nature, blue and orange; purple and yellow; and red and green are opposite colours to each other. Planting opposite colours together enhances the beauty of the border.

List of seasonal flowers according to their height for making winter season herbaceous border

1. 1.Tall plants (plants more than 2.5 feet tall) –

Common Name

Botanical Name

Flower color

1. Annualchrysanthemum

2. Helichysum

3. Cosmos

4. Annual Dahlia

5. Holly hock

6. Sunflower

7. Poppy

8. Sweet Pea

9. Saponaria

10. Lark spur

11. African marigold

12. Corn flower

Chysanthemum segetum

Helichnysum bracteatum

Cosmos bipinnatus

Dahlia hybrid

Althea rosea

Helianthus annus

Papaver rhoeas

Lathyrus odoratus

Saponaria calabrica

Delphinium ajacis

Tagetes erecta

Centauria cyanus

Yellow

White, Yellow, Orange

White, Pink, Red

White, Yellow, Pink Red

Yellow

White, Pink, Red

Blue, White, Pink

White, Yellow, Pink

White, Yellow, Pink. Blue

Yellow, Orange

Blue, White, Pink, Purple

2. Medium height plants (1-2.5 feet tall plants) –

Common Name

Botanical Name

Flower color

1. Linum

2. Antirrhinum

3. Petunia

4. Callendula

5. Sweet william

6. Salvia

7. Coreopsis

8. Gaillardia

9. Lupin

10. Nemesia

Linum grandiflorum Antirrhinum majus

Petunia hybrid

Callendula officinale

Dianthes barbatus

Salvia splendens

Coreopsis tinctoria

Gaillardia pulchela

Lupinus tricolor

Nemesia strumosa

Pink, Red

White, Yellow, Pink, Red, Orange

White, Pink, Blue, Purple

Yellow, Orange

Red, Pink, Purple

White, Red, Blue, Purples

Yellow, Orange

Yellow, Orange, Purple

White, Blue, Red, Pink

Yellow, Pink, Red