Plant list
General information about the planting scheme
Maintenance
Alternative planting schemes

Try this recipe for a planting scheme to be enjoyed by touch.

This scheme provides a range of plant material with different tactile qualities, which can be planted within a relatively small raised bed or container. The gardener can feel their way around the raised bed, noticing the contrast between plant shapes, leaf texture and form. This can add further interest to gardening, especially if you only have a small space in which to grow plants.

While many of the plants have a fragrance, and interesting foliage/flower colours, these features are secondary to their tactile quality.

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All the plants require a well drained soil, in a bed located in a sunny, or partly sunny location. For simplicity and to reduce the cost of planting up the bed, the scheme uses plants of a size that should be available in a 8cm (3") pot, with the exception of the Ballota, which might be available in a 15cm (6') pot.

If you wish to purchase large plants to create a more instant effect, you will need to reduce the suggested numbers of plants. Alternatively, you may like to propagate these plants yourself, and so use this activity as an ongoing project over a longer period of time, perhaps linked to the building of the raised bed.

Initially, when using smaller plant material, there will be gaps between the plants. These gaps could be filled temporarily with small annual plants which have interesting tactile qualities, or spring bulbs.

You may also like to plant small bulbs around the perennial plants to fill the gaps created when these die back in the winter. In addition, and to save too much weeding, a mulch of pea gravel or similar material could be spread around the plants to a depth of about 5cm (2"). Ensure that the gravel selected is 'user friendly' and smooth to the touch. It could also be used in conjunction with large smooth pebbles, around which the smaller growing plants such as thyme and Corsican mint can spread.

A third option to fill gaps is to plunge pot grown plants or bulbs into the bed. These are easily removed and can be replaced by another pot at a later date.

The planting scheme is only a guide; you may prefer to plant alternatives to some of those suggested. However, do consider the ultimate size - there are many plants with interesting tactile qualities, but some can grow very large and may quickly swamp a small bed. These plants could perhaps be used in a larger border area or feature as a specimen plant in an individual container or large pot.

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As with all planting schemes, the finished bed is not completely maintenance free. However, it shouldn't be too labour intensive. In the first year of planting the bed will need watering, but less so in future years. In time, the chives will need dividing and the lavender should be clipped - neither are heavy maintenance tasks. If a topiary shape/design of clipped box is beyond your maintenance capabilities or creative skills, select another plant, extend the area of chives, Alchemilla or Ballota or place a sculpture in the gap.

A yearly application of a general garden fertilizer such as Growmore will help the plants to flourish.

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A simpler, more formal type of raised garden can be created. Divide the bed (using appropriate evergreen plant material, timber or brick) into 30cm (12") squares or smaller, depending on space available. Within each square, plant a different tactile plant.

An even simpler method is to arrange individual tactile plants in pots, on an outdoor raised shelf. The tactile theme can be continued in the pots, using clay pots, glazed pots or pots decorated with sea-shells, rope, buttons or small stones, etc.

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