Greenhouse to bird house bed - what's aboot? {the longest plant list for a small space ever}

This post should really read, 'confessions of a plant hoarder' or 'here's what I spent my wages on this year'. But, this is a productive garden and to be productive, we need to know what we're working with. I started a list when I moved in. My plan is to make a garden which is productive and bonnie with plants I think are fit for anyone's garden. As my passion is for propagation, that's where I'm going with my hoarding. Good things, which grow well and are bonnie/useful and above all reliable.

The original garden was none of that. Even this tiny area at the back (zone 4 if you are on weeding duty). But, this border never existed.  It looked like this. Logs and Laburnum. Nowt else.

June 2014 - before the S border.

No greenhouse, no bird house. Two plants only and about a tonne of mulch and a footballs worth of fabric suppressant.  *Link to the original walk about this time two years ago, below. 

Back to the two plants. Because we all know that's why you're here. For the plants.

Start of original plant list.
Laburnum - felled shortly after arriving. There it is sprouting on the right hand side of this picture.
Viburnum x Bodnantense 'Dawn'
End of original plant list.

Just a tiny bit bland and boring and several thousand metres of weed fabric lifted, and a few stones later we created the S border, and in the end nearest the greenhouse, this years plant inventory looks like this......

Laburnum - definitely not dead now coppiced - three flowers and several branches this year. I'd also bought an evergreen Pipthanus nepalensis to replace it. Hey ho, now I have two types I guess, all good!

Virburnum x bodnantense 'Dawn' - bonnie and still lives.

Since these two shrubs in 2014 I've added to this bed in dribs and drabs and in no particular design. A designer I am not. I file myself under plant hoarder. 

So here's that hoarding planters list so far.......and I will add to it as I add to this page as I add to the border.  Instead of two plants we now have at least 27.

Saxifraga × urbium - London's Pride (pink/white) - end of prop material runts (free)

 Lunaria annua - Honesty (purple) - self sow (free)

Tulipa - Negrita (dark purple) - present (huzzah!)

Veronicastrum virginicum 'Fascination' (whorled foliage, purple flowers) - bought full price

Aquilegia dark purple single = who knows but its bonnie. (purple flowers) - self sow (free)

Pulmonaria officinalis 'Sissinghurst White' (speckled foliage, clear white flowers) - end of prop runts (free)

Tanacetum parthenium - Feverfew (white)  - self sow (free)

Hosta 'Patriot' - Variegated hosta that survived the mulching (green/white/lilac flowers) - total survivor! 

Geranium ibericum - Iberian cranesbill (soft hairy foliage, blue flowers) - gift in a bucket from the neighbours.

Sanguisorba menziesii - Ornamental burnett (attractive foliage, dark red flowers) - compost rescue from work (free)

Stachys macrantha -  Giant Betony (large leaves, large purple flowers) - bought full price

Digitalis purpurea - Foxglove (white/purple) - self sow (free)

Ribes uva-crispa 'Hinnonmaki Red' - Rose Blush Gooseberry - Aldi for £2.99

Geranium phaeum - Mourning widow - gift from a friends garden (free)

Phlomis russeliana - Turkish Sage (architectural, yellow flowers) - bought full price

Phlomis samia - (architectural, lavender flowers) - bought full price

Crocossmia 'Lucifer' (red flowers) - moved from other area (free)

Rubus fruiticosus 'Merton Thornless Blackberry' (white flowers, climber, black fruits) - Aldi £2.99

Primula denticulata - Drumstick primula (blue, purple and white flowers) - Orkney (free)

Malus Apple Cox eating (white flowers, red fruits) - gift from Orkney (free)

Myosotis slyvatica - Forget-me-not (blue flowers) - self sow (free)

Galanthus nivalis - Single snowdrop (white flowers early spring) - bought

Aster dumosis 'Starlight' -  (purple flowers) - £1 table at work

Brunnera macrophylla (syn Anchusa myosotidiflora) - Great forget-me-not  (leaf interest, blue flowers) - £1 table at work

Pulmonaria saccharata 'Dora Bielefeld' -Bethlehem sage (mottled leaf interest, pink flower) - £1 table at work

So that's what we've got so far. Some bargains, some gifts and a few full price plants. I've spent £32 on this border. That's not bad. All of these have settled in nicely and I'm hoping will bulk up to release a few to friends/clients as and when they're ready. Its an eclectic mix, but why not.

And, its a lot better than looking at a tonne of mulched bark. Or two tonnes lifted as it turned out. Don't fret this has been rehomed on the veg garden paths.

*First week in the garden link is here