The Amazing Secret Of Year-Round Garden Design
Lessons from Christopher Lloyd
I think it’s safe to say that every gardener dreams of creating a space that looks great not just for a few fleeting weeks in midsummer, but throughout the entire growing season.
If you’ve ever walked through your garden in early spring or late fall wishing it had more interest, you’re not alone—and that’s exactly why I’ve been diving into the world of year-round garden design.
Over the past year, I’ve been studying gardens, reading design books (some old, some legendary), and spending more time than I’d like to admit peeking into borders to see what works. One book in particular completely changed how I think about succession planting and garden planning: Succession Planting for Year-round Pleasure by Christopher Lloyd.
This isn’t just any garden book. And Christopher Lloyd wasn’t just any gardener. He spent decades cultivating Great Dixter in Sussex, England—one of the most renowned gardens in the world.
The front cover of the book says it all: “Week after week, year in, year out, visitors flock to see Christopher Lloyd’s exuberant plants… wondering how on earth he achieves the continuously exciting and ever-changing displays.”
What is Year-Round Garden Design?
Year-round garden design is about creating a garden that evolves beautifully through the seasons—from the first green shoots of spring to the last frost-kissed foliage of fall (and yes, even some winter interest if you’re lucky).
The idea is to design a space that always has something happening. That might be structure, texture, bold foliage, or even well-placed seasonal color from bulbs or blooms. All these features create a garden that looks great all-season long. Achieving every gardener’s dream for a year-round garden design.
Lloyd’s book digs into how to achieve this using a clever combination of anchor plants, perennials, bulbs, climbers, bedding plants and even self-sowers. It’s not just about what you plant—it’s about how everything grows together over time.
This is how you achieve a year-round garden design. A space that looks great. Even in winter.
The Importance of Anchor Plants for Year-Round Garden Design
One of the biggest takeaways from the book is the importance of anchor plants. These are the structural elements that provide visual stability throughout the seasons. They’re often not the flashiest plants in the garden, but they’re the ones that make your design feel intentional and grounded.
Here are four anchor plants from the book that I think would work beautifully in a Midwest garden:
- Cornus alternifolia ‘Argentea’ (Variegated Pagoda Dogwood)
A small tree with stunning variegated foliage and a horizontal branching habit. It’s tough to find but worth the search for the layered texture it adds to a border. - Acer palmatum ‘Sango Kaku’ (Coral Bark Japanese Maple)
Beautiful green foliage in the summer, fiery color in the fall, and that signature coral bark in winter—it’s got four-season interest written all over it. - Ilex aquifolium ‘Golden King’ (Variegated Holly)
This one’s a bit tricky in colder climates, but with the right variety (check out Southern Living’s version), it might be worth experimenting with, even if we don’t get the berries. - Spiraea x Bumalda ‘Gold Flame’
A small, low-maintenance shrub with colorful foliage and spring blooms. This one’s new to me, but it looks like a real gem for season-long color.
Planting with Purpose
How to Achieve Year-Round Garden Design
What I loved most about Lloyd’s advice is how practical it is. He shares specific planting combinations and even talks about how to avoid accidentally digging up bulbs when adding perennials to a border (been there!). His solution? Either plant companions that naturally protect the space, or mark bulb spots with bamboo sticks. Genius.
And here’s a tip I hadn’t considered until reading this book: not all daffodils are equal when it comes to mixed borders. Lloyd recommends avoiding broad-leaf types, which can overwhelm nearby plants. Instead, go for more refined varieties like:
- Cyclamineus daffodils – with curved-back petals and narrow leaves
- Triandrus daffodils – dainty blooms that nod from multiple-flowered stems
These types blend better with neighboring plants and help keep the garden looking polished as the seasons shift.
Why This Book Matters
What makes this book—and this whole approach to year-round garden design—so inspiring is that it encourages us to be thoughtful observers of our own spaces. Lloyd writes, “You need to study your border year-round, pretty well every day… ever criticizing, ever assessing, and working out how things might be better. You must never be afraid of change.”
Gardening, after all, is an evolving art form. The more we learn about how plants grow together, the better our designs become.
Coming Next Week…
In my next post (and video!), I’ll be sharing four specific perennial and bulb combinations inspired by Lloyd’s book—adapted especially for Midwest gardens. These are practical, beautiful combos that can give your garden season-long appeal.
Have you read Succession Planting for Year-round Pleasure? I’d love to hear what you thought—or which plants you’re trying in your own garden. Leave a comment below and let’s keep the conversation growing 🌿
