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Natural Border:
THE BEST WAY of planning a natural border is to work with small groups of plants so you can concentrate on the relationship between the subjects, and so gradually build up the groups into a whole natural border planting. Choose plants with shapes that complement each other and which make an interesting and varied effect.
You will notice that different plants create a variety of effects. Spiky plants, for example, are active and lead the eye upward and onward to neighboring plants, while gentle hummock-forming plants are calming and bland, and lead the eye horizontally along the natural border.
At the same time think of height. Either use a tier system with tall plants at the back and shorter ones at the front, or use tall plants in the middle of the group to create peaks of interest, with shorter-growing plants leading the eye upward toward them. This will divert the eye and prevent it from traveling straight down the natural border, taking it all in at a glance. However, if tall plants are used toward the front of a natural border, they should be wispy enough to allow the eye to pass through them, yet substantial enough to break the line.A natural border needs a certain amount of space to be effective. The minimum requirements are 4 x 12ft. If the natural border is any smaller than this you should restrict the number of plants used to six or seven different types, ensuring that they provide a good mix of flowers and foliage over a long period of the year.
Align the edge of the natural border with your ruled pencil guideline. When you are satisfied that the natural border paper is straight, brush it onto the wall. Until the paste dries, you can make minor adjustments to the position of the paper, if necessary. Just carefully lift a corner, peel back as much paper as you wish to reposition, and then brush it down in place once more. Don't overstretch the natural border paper at this stage. By tugging it, you may get a perfectly flush fit, only to find that it shrinks back slightly as it dries out. This will leave unsightly gaps that cannot then be rectified.
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