A border that is alive all year, even in winter
Flowers are not everything. Grasses and seed heads keep their structure even under hoar frost.
Leave the dried stems and seed heads standing in autumn. In winter they are covered in frost and the border looks magical, and the birds have something to peck at. Tidy up in early spring.
For professionals
Winter structure comes from combining grasses (Calamagrostis, Miscanthus, Molinia) with perennials that have sturdy seed heads (Echinacea, Sedum, Phlomis). Leaving the biomass over winter protects the base of the plants and provides shelter for invertebrates. Cut back from late February to March, before growth starts.