New year, new border

JANUARY is the ideal month to give the garden a new lease of life by revamping a tired border or creating a new one. The new bed can be planned, dug and weeded now; it can be enriched and its drainage improved; and shrubs and roses can be planted. Then, in March, when the weather warms slightly, it will be ready for the addition of perennials.

First, choose the style you want to create. You might focus on a specific look, such as prairie (billowing with grasses and perennials such as heleniums) or traditional cottage (abloom with bellflowers, hollyhocks, and delphiniums).