Showcase · Three bay lollipops behind pink roses, lavender and violas on a gravelled bed
Topiary Twins · Aromatic Bay Lollipop Topiary 40-60cm & 7 fragrant border plants per metre across 4 species

The Fragrant Path — Border by the Metre with Aromatic Bay Lollipop Topiary

RRP£520.00 £494.00 Save £26.00Pair price · incl. VAT
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Quality-checked and photographed before dispatch · 24 hours to review

6 moThrive Guaranteea struggling plant replaced at half the single-plant cost
∞Lifetime Caregrower answers within 24 hours — forever, free
14–21Working dayskerbside pallet delivery — upright, tracked, UK-wide
Quick Specifications
Quick Specifications

  • Coverage: 1m length × 0.6m depth per unit
  • Total Plants: 8 plants per metre (1 topiary + 7 companions)
  • Topiary: Bay Lollipop (40-60cm stem, 8-10cm girth)
  • Companion Plants: 7 plants across 4 species
  • Planting Density: ~13 plants per m²
  • Establishment: 10-14 months to mature fragrant appearance
  • Sun Requirements: Full sun to partial shade
  • Hardiness: H4-H5 (hardy across UK, protect Bay in severe frost below -10°C)
  • Seasonality: Peak fragrance May-September, aromatic foliage year-round, winter-spring Viola scent

Delivery

All Border by the Metre orders dispatch on a single pallet via specialist courier. Delivery window 8am-5pm—driver calls 1 hour before arrival. You'll receive pre-dispatch photos of your topiary for approval before shipping. Orders are delivered in 2–4 weeks. Free UK mainland delivery included regardless of length ordered.

Meet the Twins

This border creates sensory fragrant planting designed for pathways, entrances, and positions where scent will be appreciated—where you'll brush past aromatic foliage, where fragrance drifts into sitting areas, where approaching the entrance involves passing through scented borders. The composition is designed for full sun to partial shade positions prioritising fragrance above visual spectacle—this is olfactory garden design where scent is the primary design driver. Bay lollipops provide aromatic evergreen structure whilst companion plants deliver waves of fragrance: Lavender's classic summer scent, Rose perfume, Nepeta's aromatic foliage, Viola's delicate winter-spring fragrance.

WHAT'S INCLUDED:

Anchor Topiary:

  • Bay Lollipop (40-60cm stem, 8-10cm girth)
  • Elevated ball canopy on clear stem providing eye-level aromatic presence, dark green evergreen aromatic foliage (leaves release scent when brushed or crushed—culinary bay used in cooking), periodic trimming stimulates fresh aromatic growth, provides architectural punctuation whilst contributing to overall fragrance scheme through foliage scent, containerised and ready to position

Companion Plant 1: Lavandula angustifolia 'Vera' (True English Lavender)

  • Role: Classic summer fragrance and purple colour
  • Mid-blue flowers July-August, intensely aromatic grey-green foliage year-round (both flowers and foliage fragrant—foliage scent released when touched), compact habit 50-60cm mature height, traditional English Lavender variety prized for essential oil production (highest fragrance intensity of English Lavenders), provides quintessential summer garden scent—instantly recognisable and universally loved
  • Quantity: 2 per metre (3L pots)

Companion Plant 2: Nepeta faassenii (Catmint)

  • Role: Aromatic foliage and violet-blue flowers
  • Violet-blue flower spikes May-September, aromatic grey-green foliage releasing mint-like scent when brushed or crushed (foliage fragrance as important as flowers), mounding billowing habit 30-45cm height spreading 45-75cm, exceptionally long flowering season, provides continuous aromatic foliage presence—every time you pass border and brush against leaves, mint scent releases
  • Quantity: 2 per metre (2L pots)

Companion Plant 3: Viola odorata (Sweet Violet)

  • Role: Winter-spring fragrance and ground cover
  • Violet-purple flowers February-April with sweet violet fragrance (delicate nostalgic scent—one of few plants providing fragrance late winter when scent rare), evergreen heart-shaped leaves, low spreading ground cover 10-15cm height, naturalises via seed creating expanding colonies, provides rare winter-spring ground-level scent carpeting pathway edges
  • Quantity: 2 per metre (P9 plugs)

Companion Plant 4: Rosa (compact variety - to be specified)

  • Role: Rose fragrance focal point
  • Fragrant pink or white flowers June-September (repeat flowering through summer—exact variety may vary but all selected for exceptional fragrance and compact habit suitable for 0.6m border depth), compact shrub habit 60-80cm height, provides classic rose perfume—different fragrance character from Lavender/Nepeta creating layered scent experience, attracts bees and beneficial insects
  • Quantity: 1 per metre (2L pot)

HOW THE COMPOSITION WORKS:

This border prioritises fragrance as primary design driver—visual aesthetics secondary to olfactory experience. Colour palette happens to be harmonious (deep green Bay, purple-blue Lavender and Nepeta, violet Viola, pink/white Rose, silver-grey aromatic foliage) but colour scheme emerges from fragrance plant selection rather than being the starting point.

Fragrance progression ensures scent year-round with peak May-September: late winter-spring Sweet Violet (February-April—delicate sweet scent when few plants fragrant), late spring-summer Nepeta begins (May-September—aromatic foliage releases mint scent when brushed), early-midsummer Rose perfume (June-September—classic rose scent overlapping), midsummer Lavender peak (July-August—most intense period when Lavender flowers fully open), with aromatic foliage (Bay, Lavender, Nepeta) providing background scent year-round whenever touched or brushed.

Scent release mechanisms vary creating layered experience: some plants release scent passively without touch (Rose, Lavender flowers, Viola—scent drifts on air), others require touch or bruising to release oils (Bay, Lavender foliage, Nepeta—scent releases when brushed past or deliberately crushed). This combination creates both ambient fragrance (appreciated from distance) and intimate fragrance (discovered when moving through border touching plants).

Positioning for fragrance is critical: this border designed for pathways or entrances where you'll pass close enough to touch plants (releasing aromatic foliage scents) and where air movement carries passive scents towards sitting areas or entrance doors. Fragrant borders work best in enclosed or semi-enclosed positions where scent concentrates rather than dissipating—against walls, along pathways with hedges, in courtyard positions.

SCALABILITY:

Each metre is a complete fragrant unit. When ordering multiple metres:

  • Topiary rhythm: 1 aromatic Bay lollipop every metre creates scented architectural colonnade—elevated canopies mean brushing past at head-height releases aromatic oil from leaves
  • Aromatic carpet: Lavender, Nepeta, and Viola create continuous scented ground layer—walking along border means constant contact with aromatic foliage
  • 2-metre order: Intimate fragrant entrance or short scented pathway
  • 5-metre order: Substantial fragrant border creating genuine scent corridor—multiple fragrance sources create layered olfactory experience
  • 10+ metre order: Grand fragrant colonnade—extended length means prolonged immersion in scent when walking along border, creates memorable sensory experience

The design scales from charming (2-3m providing pleasant fragrance) to immersive (10m+ creating genuine scent journey where fragrance becomes defining experience of the space).

Care & Maintenance
ESTABLISHMENT PHASE (First 6-12 Months):

Topiary (Bay Lollipop):

  • Watering: 2-3× weekly during summer (Bay vigorous fast-growing—needs consistent moisture in containers). Check moisture regularly. Winter: once every 10-14 days dry weather only.
  • Feeding: Once annually spring (March-April) with slow-release shrub fertiliser, 50g per container. Bay responds well to feeding with vigorous aromatic growth.
  • See Complete Care Guide including winter protection (Bay hardy to -5 to -10°C, may need fleece protection severe frost).

Companion Plants:

  • Watering: 2-3× weekly first spring/summer. Lavender requires excellent drainage—let dry between waterings (Mediterranean plant dislikes wet). Rose needs consistent moisture (don't allow to wilt particularly first season). Nepeta moderate moisture. Viola minimal water once established.
  • Mulching: Use grit/gravel mulch (2-3cm) around Lavender—NOT organic mulch which retains moisture. Rose benefits from organic mulch (5cm bark/compost). Nepeta and Viola adapt to either.
  • No feeding Year 1—planting compost contains nutrients.

ONGOING MAINTENANCE (Year 2 Onwards):

Topiary (Bay Lollipop):

  • Water 2-3× weekly summer, minimal winter
  • Feed once annually spring (slow-release fertiliser, 50g per container)
  • Prune 2-3× annually May-August (fast-growing—frequent trimming maintains tight aromatic ball, releases aromatic oils during pruning)
  • See Pruning & Trimming Guide for lollipop techniques

Lavandula angustifolia 'Vera':
Drought-tolerant established—water only extended dry spells (3+ weeks no rain). Minimal feeding (light balanced fertiliser spring optional—excess fertility reduces fragrance intensity and flowering). Trim after flowering (August) removing spent stems plus 2-3cm foliage (maintains compact habit and stimulates aromatic new growth). Light spring tidy-up (April) removing winter damage. Avoid hard pruning into old woody stems (won't regenerate). Lifespan 8-12 years before replacement. Provides classic Lavender fragrance July-August flowers plus year-round aromatic foliage—one of most reliably fragrant garden plants.

Nepeta faassenii (Catmint):
Extremely low maintenance. Drought-tolerant established—water only extreme dry spells. Light spring feed (balanced fertiliser) optional. Cut back hard after first flowering (midsummer, July) to 10-15cm—encourages vigorous second flush autumn and stimulates fresh aromatic foliage. Tidy late autumn (November) or early spring (March)—cut all growth to ground. Virtually pest/disease-free. Aromatic foliage provides continuous mint scent when touched May-October—one of best aromatic foliage plants requiring minimal care.

Rosa (compact variety):
Weekly deep watering first 2 years, then drought-tolerant established. Feed twice annually—spring (March) and after first flush (July) with rose-specific fertiliser. Prune late winter (February-March): light pruning for compact varieties—remove dead/diseased/crossing stems, reduce stems by one-quarter to one-third maintaining compact shape. Deadhead spent flowers to encourage repeat blooming (maximises fragrance period June-September). Annual spring mulch (well-rotted compost). Watch for aphids (May-June), blackspot, powdery mildew—treat promptly if seen. Compact Rose varieties generally disease-resistant but monitor. Provides classic rose perfume—different fragrance character from Lavender/Nepeta creating layered scent.

Viola odorata (Sweet Violet):
Very low maintenance. Thrives in partial shade (under shrubs, around topiary bases). No watering needed after establishment—tolerates dry shade. No feeding required. Remove tatty leaves autumn/spring. Spreads naturally via runners and seed creating fragrant ground cover—divide every 3-4 years spring if becoming too vigorous or to create more plants. Virtually indestructible. Provides rare winter-spring fragrance (February-April)—delicate sweet scent highly valued when few plants fragrant. Self-seeds creating expanding fragrant colonies over years.

FRAGRANT BORDER MAINTENANCE PHILOSOPHY:

This bundle prioritises fragrance preservation and enhancement—maintenance practices support maximum scent production. Key principles:

  • Trim Lavender and Nepeta regularly (stimulates fresh aromatic growth—young foliage most fragrant)
  • Deadhead Rose consistently (maximises repeat flowering and continuous fragrance June-September)
  • Allow Viola to self-seed naturally (creates expanding fragrant ground cover—more plants = more scent)
  • Avoid overfertilising (excess fertility reduces fragrance intensity in many aromatic plants—Lavender particularly)
  • Position maintenance: ensure plants remain accessible for brushing past (releases aromatic oils—pathway clearance important)

Reward: year-round fragrance with peak May-September, multi-layered scent experience (different fragrance notes from different plants), sensory immersive border transforming everyday approach into memorable olfactory journey, low maintenance once established despite luxurious fragrant effect.

COMPREHENSIVE CARE GUIDES:

For detailed care covering all seasons, pests, diseases, and troubleshooting:
→ Complete Care Guide
→ Seasonal Care Calendar
→ Pruning & Trimming Guide
→ Container Care & Repotting Guide
→ Pest & Disease Management Guide
→ Winter Protection Guide

GETTING HELP:

Lifetime email support: hello@topiarytwins.co.uk (24-hour typical response). No time limit, no cost. Species-specific guidance for all plants in your border available forever.

Botanical Specifications
SITE REQUIREMENTS:

Light: Full sun to partial shade. Topiary (Bay) tolerates partial shade. Lavender requires full sun (6+ hours daily) for best flowering and fragrance intensity—insufficient sun reduces both. Rose prefers full sun but tolerates light shade. Nepeta tolerates sun to partial shade. Viola tolerates sun to partial shade (actually prefers some shade—suited to woodland edges). Ideal position receives sun most of day—maximises fragrance production (most aromatic plants produce strongest scent in warm sunny conditions).

Soil: Well-drained essential, moderate fertility. Lavender particularly requires excellent drainage—avoid waterlogged positions or heavy clay without amendment. Rose prefers well-drained rich soil. Nepeta needs good drainage. Viola and Bay adaptable. Amend heavy soils with grit (20-30% by volume) before planting, particularly for Lavender. Slightly alkaline to neutral pH ideal (6.5-7.5) but plants tolerate 6.0-8.0 range.

Space: 1m length × 0.6m depth per unit minimum. Fragrant borders benefit from proximity to pathways or seating—plant where you'll pass close enough to touch plants (releases aromatic oils) and where scent drifts towards frequently used areas.

POSITIONING WITHIN EACH METRE:

Step 1: Position Topiary Lollipop
Place Bay lollipop centrally or slightly to back within 1m width, positioned 15-25cm from back edge. Elevated canopy (total height ~100-120cm including stem and ball) positions aromatic foliage at head-height—perfect for releasing scent when brushing past. Aromatic Bay foliage contributes to overall fragrance scheme (leaves release scent when touched).

Step 2: Plant Lavender
Position 2 Lavender plants in mid-ground, 30-40cm from front edge. Space 50-60cm apart. Plant in slightly raised mound or on level ground with excellent drainage—critical for Lavender success. Position where you'll brush past plants walking along border (releases foliage scent) and where flower scent drifts towards seating/entrance (July-August peak fragrance).

Step 3: Plant Rose
Position 1 Rose plant prominently in mid-ground where flowers will be at nose-height and fragrance appreciated. Space 40-50cm from topiary and other plants (compact Rose varieties typically 60-80cm width—needs room). Position where rose perfume will drift towards seating areas or entrance doors—consider prevailing breeze direction (scent carries downwind).

Step 4: Plant Nepeta (Catmint)
Position 2 Nepeta plants at front edge or slightly behind (15-20cm from edge). Space 50-60cm apart. Billowing habit (spreads 45-75cm) creates soft aromatic edge—perfect for brushing past releasing mint scent from foliage. Position where pathway traffic means frequent contact (every pass releases scent).

Step 5: Plant Viola (Sweet Violet)
Position 2 Viola plants at front edge creating low fragrant ground cover. Space 40-50cm apart (will spread naturally creating colonies). Position right at pathway edge where flowers (February-April) will be at ground level releasing delicate sweet scent—rare winter-spring fragrance highly valued. Naturalises via seed creating expanding fragrant carpet over years.

REPEATING FOR MULTIPLE METRES:

Continuous borders (2m+):

  • Topiary positioned at 1m intervals creating aromatic architectural rhythm—walking along border means passing multiple elevated aromatic canopies at head-height
  • Lavender positioned consistently creating aromatic ribbon—when flowering (July-August) creates continuous scent corridor
  • Nepeta positioned to create continuous aromatic front edge—ensures constant contact with aromatic foliage when walking border
  • Rose positioned consistently but can vary placement slightly (alternate left/right) creating balanced distribution of rose perfume
  • Viola spreads naturally between units creating fragrant ground carpet—allow natural spreading via seed

Pathway integration:

  • Fragrant borders work best alongside pathways where you'll brush past plants—consider pathway width ensuring comfortable passage whilst allowing plant contact
  • Position most touch-reliant fragrance plants (Bay, Lavender foliage, Nepeta) where pathway traffic ensures frequent contact
  • Position passive fragrance plants (Rose, Lavender flowers, Viola) where scent drifts towards seating/doors

DETAILED LAYOUT PLANS:

For visual top-down diagrams showing plant positioning within 1m × 0.6m unit and how multiple metres create continuous cottage border, see our Border Planting Guide.

[View Border Planting Guide →]

Guides to Help You Plan
The Fragrant Path — Border by the Metre with Aromatic Bay Lollipop Topiary £494.00

Your scheme's plants — photographed before dispatch · 24 hours to review

With Every Metre

Bought by the metre.Backed plant by plant.

Six things that arrive with the scheme.

N° 01

A metre is a module

Each metre is a fixed module — 1m long, 0.6m deep, eight to ten plants depending on the scheme. The variant you choose names the exact count. Order three metres and three of everything arrives, so the run repeats down the bed exactly as it was drawn.

N° 02

A clipped evergreen in every metre

Every module carries one topiary anchor — an Ilex crenata ball or cube, an English yew ball, a bay, photinia or variegated holly lollipop, or a blue Arizona cypress spiral, according to the scheme. It is the part still standing in January.

N° 03

The layout plan

Everything for the run arrives together with a plan showing where each plant sits inside the module. Nothing has to be designed on the lawn with the pots still in their trays — that work is already done.

N° 04

You see the plants first

Your scheme's plants are photographed before dispatch, and you have 24 hours to review them before the pallet is built. The evergreen anchors and the supporting planting, as they actually are.

N° 05

Upright, tracked, palletised

The whole scheme travels standing up on its own pallet — never boxed, never laid flat — fully tracked, with a timed kerbside delivery and a call from the driver about an hour before he turns in. Allow 14–21 working days.

N° 06

They thrive or we step in

Six months of backing on every plant in the scheme, individually, and unlimited grower support long after that. The full terms and numbers are set out immediately below — no asterisks.

Backed, Supported, Delivered

Promises withnumbers attached.

The terms, in full — no asterisks a lawyer would love.

6 mo

The 6-Month Thrive Guarantee

A border scheme is a lot of plants, so this works per plant, not per order. If an individual plant fails to thrive in its first six months despite reasonable care, we replace it at 50% of that plant's own single price — half what that one plant costs on its own, whether it is the evergreen anchor or one of the perennials around it. Email hello@topiarytwins.co.uk, subject line “Thrive Guarantee Claim – [order number]”, and eligibility is reviewed within 48 hours.

If a whole stretch goes at once rather than one plant here and there, tell us that too — planting that fails together usually points at the ground rather than the stock, and drainage, a wind funnel or a buried rubble layer will do the same thing to a replacement. That is exactly the conversation Lifetime Care Support exists to have, and we would rather fix the ground than send the same outcome twice.

∞

Lifetime Care Support

Unlimited email guidance from the people who grew your scheme, answered within 24 hours, free, forever. Send a photograph of one sulking plant in the third metre, a question about when to cut the grasses back, or a picture of the shears you are about to take to the anchor — there is no expiry date and no limit on how often you ask.

14–21

Delivery, kerbside and palletised

Kerbside pallet by a specialist plant haulier, UK-wide, in 14–21 working days from order. The plants travel upright and are never boxed, the consignment is fully tracked, and the driver phones about an hour ahead so you can be there.

Your scheme's plants are photographed before dispatch, with 24 hours to review them before the pallet is built. Delivery is to the kerb, so plan the carry from kerb to bed before the pallet lands — a five-metre scheme is forty to fifty pots.

How to claim, step by step → in the questions below.

Placing The Run

Three decisionsbefore you order.

Three chapters. One pinned frame. Scroll.

Tape measure run along an empty garden border bed to read its length in metres
Planted garden border with clipped evergreen balls set at even intervals along the run
Three-tier border with clipped evergreen balls, salvia and low hedging along a path edge
01 / 03
01

Measuring the run — and what to do at a corner

Take a tape along the bed and read the length. That is the only measurement the order depends on: depth is fixed at 0.6m per module, so a bed deeper than about a metre simply takes a second module behind the first, offset, and a bed shallower than half a metre is edging rather than a border. Round up, never down — a run that stops a hand's width short of the corner is the one mistake you cannot plant your way out of later. Curves get measured along the front edge with a hosepipe laid where you want the line, then the hosepipe gets measured. At a corner, treat the two arms as two runs and order each to its own whole metre, so the join lands where you decided rather than where the maths left off.

02

The rhythm the anchors make

The spacing inside a metre is already settled — it comes drawn on the plan — so the only rhythm you are choosing is the one between the metres. Because every module carries a single clipped evergreen, a three-metre order lands three anchors down the bed at even intervals, and that repetition is what makes a loose planting read as designed rather than accidental. Set those anchors first on planting day and let everything else fall in around them. If you want the anchors to pull the eye rather than just hold the line, the taller ones do that work: the blue Arizona cypress spiral in The Silver & Blue and the bay lollipop options stand above the perennials all season, where a 30–40cm ball sits down in the planting and reads as punctuation.

03

An edge, a bed, or the strip by the door

A single module run tight to the front of a path or drive behaves like an edge: one row deep, the anchors carrying the line, the planting softening it — which is the same job the driveways and pathways planting does, in scheme form. Two modules front-to-back, offset, behaves like a proper bed, and that is where the taller schemes earn their keep. Around a seating area or a small paved garden, one or two metres is usually the whole planting budget of the space, so pick for scent and evening colour rather than mass — the logic behind the courtyard and patio planting. And if the run you are measuring is the strip either side of a front door, the entrance schemes are built for exactly that frontage instead.

After The Pallet Leaves

What clients noticea season in.

They grow into the house. Every year the structure looks a little more like it was always meant to be there.

David · The Cotswolds

Neighbours stop to ask about them. We've handed your name over the fence more times than we can count.

James & Priya · Kent

Drag · Scroll

Once your border is in, share it with #TopiaryTwins or tag @topiarytwins — and if you film it, our referral programme pays 20% of your order back, rising to 100% if two friends order with your code.

The Border Family

Ten schemes.One module.

Same 1m × 0.6m module every time — the palette and the evergreen anchor are what change. Each length is its own price; read the one on the length you want.

The Formal Edge border by the metre with a clipped Ilex crenata ball, lavender, salvia and allium

N° 01

The Formal Edge

Lavender, silver carpet, salvia and allium round an Ilex crenata ball — or a bay lollipop instead.

1m–5m £275 – £1,924 · ball or lollipop

The Cottage Drift border by the metre with an Ilex crenata ball, geranium, alchemilla and nepeta

N° 02

The Cottage Drift

Geranium ‘Rozanne’, alchemilla, nepeta and penstemon — blush, lilac and lime, May to November.

1m–5m £275 – £1,306 · 10 plants a metre

The Silver and Blue border by the metre with a blue Arizona cypress spiral, festuca, agapanthus and perovskia

N° 03

The Silver & Blue

Festuca, agapanthus, stachys and perovskia — steel blue and silver, exceptional drought tolerance.

1m–5m £275 – £1,710 · yew ball or spiral

The Autumn Gold border by the metre with a photinia Red Robin lollipop, crocosmia, rudbeckia and miscanthus

N° 04

The Autumn Gold

Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’, rudbeckia, sedum and miscanthus under a photinia lollipop — peaks August to October.

1m–5m £295 – £1,401 · 9 plants a metre

The Naturalistic Grass border by the metre with clipped topiary, pennisetum, molinia and echinacea

N° 05

The Naturalistic Grass

Pennisetum, molinia, verbena bonariensis and echinacea — prairie movement and see-through texture.

1m–5m £295 – £1,544 · yew ball or Ilex cube

The Shaded Woodland border by the metre with an English yew ball, astilbe, brunnera, fern and hellebore

N° 06

The Shaded Woodland

Astilbe, brunnera ‘Jack Frost’, male fern and hellebore under a yew ball — partial to full shade.

1m–5m £300 – £1,425 · 8 plants a metre

The Warm Meadow border by the metre with a photinia Red Robin lollipop, rudbeckia, helenium and echinacea

N° 07

The Warm Meadow

Rudbeckia, helenium, echinacea and crocosmia — gold, bronze and orange, sun-drenched, July to October.

1m–5m £330 – £1,568 · 9 plants a metre

The White Garden border by the metre with a bay lollipop, hydrangea Annabelle, white aster and foxglove

N° 08

The White Garden

Hydrangea ‘Annabelle’, white aster, geranium ‘Album’ and foxglove — it glows at dusk.

1m–5m £330 – £2,066 · yew ball or bay lollipop

The Winter Structure border by the metre with a variegated holly lollipop, hellebore, carex and cyclamen

N° 09

The Winter Structure

Hellebore, carex ‘Evergold’, cyclamen coum and scented sweet box — peaks November to March.

1m–5m £400 – £1,900 · 9 plants a metre

The Fragrant Path border by the metre with an aromatic bay lollipop, lavender, catmint and fragrant rose

N° 10

The Fragrant Path

Lavender ‘Vera’, catmint, sweet violet and fragrant rose round an aromatic bay — scent all year.

1m–5m £520 – £2,470 · 8 plants a metre

Border schemes start from £275 for the first metre. Every price above is the RRP for that scheme's shortest and longest run, including VAT.

Prefer to compare them side by side? The whole border family.

Clipped evergreen balls anchoring a modern planted border against black timber cladding

Designed as a scheme · photographed before dispatch · delivered kerbside

Before You Order

Your border.Straight answers.

How many metres should I order?

Run a tape along the bed and read its length — that is the only measurement the order depends on, because the module is a fixed 0.6m deep whatever you buy. Round up to the next whole metre rather than down; schemes are sold in whole metres, one to five per order. Then read the price shown against the length you actually want. Each length is its own variant with its own published RRP, and the schemes are not priced at a flat rate — several of them shift as the run gets longer — so scaling the single-metre figure in your head will give you the wrong number. Border schemes start from £275 for the first metre.

What actually arrives in a metre?

Between eight and ten plants, depending on the scheme, all in pots and ready to go straight in the ground, plus the layout plan showing where each one sits. The split is always the same shape: one clipped evergreen topiary anchor plus seven to nine supporting perennials, grasses and bulbs. The variant title spells out the count for the length you pick — a metre of The Cottage Drift is ten plants, one topiary and nine border; a metre of The Fragrant Path is eight, one topiary and seven border. Order three metres and three of everything arrives, so the scheme repeats down the run exactly as designed.

Which scheme suits my aspect and my colours?

Aspect first, palette second. Partial to full shade takes The Shaded Woodland, where a single metre is £300 — astilbe, brunnera, male fern and hellebore under an English yew ball. Hot, dry and sunny takes The Silver & Blue, a metre at £275 with the yew ball or £360 with the blue Arizona cypress spiral. For late colour in full sun, a metre of The Autumn Gold is £295 and a metre of The Warm Meadow is £330. For clipped formality, a metre of The Formal Edge is £275 with the Ilex ball or £405 with the bay lollipop. For the months nothing else performs, a metre of The Winter Structure is £400; for scent beside a path, a metre of The Fragrant Path is £520. Longer runs are priced individually, so check the length you want on its own listing.

What do I do about corners, curves and awkward gaps?

At a corner, stop thinking of it as one border. Measure the two arms separately, round each up to its own whole metre and order them as two runs — that way the join lands where you chose it, with an evergreen anchor near the turn to hold the angle, rather than wherever the arithmetic ran out. For a curved front edge, lay a hosepipe along the line you want, adjust it until it looks right from the house, then measure the hosepipe rather than the straight line behind it. And for a gap too small to take another whole metre, do not stretch the scheme to fill it: a single clipped specimen from the topiary collection closes a short gap far better than thinned-out planting, and matches the anchors already in the run.

How is it spaced and planted, and what happens afterwards?

The spacing inside the metre comes drawn on the plan, so there is nothing to work out: clear the bed of perennial weeds, fork over the full 0.6m band with compost rather than digging individual holes, then set the evergreen anchor first — it fixes the rhythm of the whole run — and stand the rest out in their pots to the plan before anything goes in the ground. Most people plant a metre in under an hour. Afterwards: soak deeply once or twice a week through the first summer rather than sprinkling daily, cut the perennials and grasses to the ground in one pass in late winter, and give the anchors one or two short trims a year. That is the entire calendar. The step-by-step method is in our planting guide.

How does a border scheme get delivered?

Kerbside, on its own pallet, by a specialist plant haulier, UK-wide. The plants travel upright and are never boxed, the consignment is fully tracked, and the driver phones about an hour ahead so you can be there when he arrives. Allow 14–21 working days from order — your scheme is being selected, photographed and documented in that window, and you get 24 hours to review the photographs before the pallet is built. Because delivery is to the kerb, work out the carry before the lorry lands: a five-metre scheme is forty to fifty pots, and the taller anchors are two-handed. Full terms are at delivery & returns.

What happens if a plant fails in the first six months?

Tell us early. The 6-Month Thrive Guarantee works plant by plant, which is what a multi-plant scheme needs: if an individual plant fails to thrive in its first six months despite reasonable care, we replace it at 50% of that plant's own single price — half what that one plant costs on its own, anchor or perennial. Email hello@topiarytwins.co.uk with the subject “Thrive Guarantee Claim – [order number]” and eligibility is reviewed within 48 hours. If a whole stretch fails together rather than one plant here and there, say so — that usually points at the ground rather than the stock, and replacing plant for plant would only repeat it. That is what Lifetime Care Support is for: unlimited email guidance from the growers, answered within 24 hours, free, forever, so we can fix the conditions instead.

The Topiary Twins Difference

Measured once.Planted in an afternoon.

Ten schemes, each one worked out to the plant — so the only decision left to you is how long the bed is.

Structure in every metre

A clipped evergreen anchor in every module — the border still reads in January.

Backed plant by plant

The 6-month Thrive Guarantee covers each plant in the scheme through establishment.

Growers for life

Lifetime Care Support — a photo gets grower answers for as long as you own the plants.