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Post by owainglyndwr on Apr 7, 2007 10:18:07 GMT
I'm helping a friend to claim back some waste ground that had become overgrown with Bracken and 'infested' with Rhododendrons. He's asked me to sort out the planting of shrubs and perrenials. The site has full sun all day but is exposed to some pretty rough winds in the winter. Most importantly Low Maintenance is essential. (For my sake) The ground will have to be improved in places ( including Jack Hammering) as some of the site is on a solid slate bank (... not something I'm looking forward too  ...) I'm looking to you good people to help me from making costly mistakes ;D I've thought of Cistus and Ceanothus so far, mainly because I like the plants and they're evergreen Suggestions on a postcard please ... Looking up at the site: Left Hand Side:
Right Hand Side: The House:
The View from Top Garden: |
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Post by 4pygmies on Apr 7, 2007 19:31:11 GMT
That's a lovely place but a bit of a challenge! If it grows Rhododendrons that well the soil must be acid which means your Ceanothus and Cistus prolly won't like it....if it's exposed and gets a lot of sun it must be quite dry too. You could think about Escallonia, Azaleas, Hydrangeas, Gaultheria, Heathers, Ferns and perhaps underplants with rock plants like Corydalis, Gentians, maybe some of the Primulas. I don't know much about acid plants as I garden on sandy chalk but I'm sure someone else has lots more ideas. I think you may have to spend some time enriching the soil WB, after you've jackhammered the slate out!
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Post by owainglyndwr on Apr 8, 2007 20:34:25 GMT
Thanks 4P. I'll pass your suggestions on. I'll have to get the tight wad to invest in some soil testing kits  As for the Jack hammering ... I'm not going near that thing again, making that path on Friday nearly shook me to bits. Hopefully on the patch where the slate runs through he'll take my advice and bed some rocks in to make 'raised beds' |
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Post by andy on Apr 9, 2007 8:50:46 GMT
I'd do something along the lines of what 4P suggested....maybe a woodland walk with some taller trees such as silver birch, gleditsia and taller japanese maples and an underplanting of rhodos, azaleas, pieris, camellias, smaller japanese maples and then some smaller ferns, heathers and shade loving plants.....with big drifts of woodland anemones, bluebells, narcissus, snowdrops, crocus and celandines.
Or....you could turn it into a large rockery depending on your budget. get some large limestone rocks in...or use the existing slate if it's any good, add loads of grit to the soil and plant up with some of the bigger rock plants such as helianthemum, pinus mugo, junipers etc.
Or you could have it as a coniferous area....grow slow growing conifers, pines, spruces and cedars etc and underplant with heathers, ferns and bulbs....very 1980's but it works really well and there are some incredible colours and shapes with conifers.
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Post by Chuckles on Apr 9, 2007 20:31:11 GMT
Lovely place, keeps us posted on progess and with pics ;D
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Post by Deleted on Apr 9, 2007 21:09:54 GMT
Please be careful because if you have cleared all the bracken and Rhododendrons away,there is nothing holding that large mass of earth behind the house.Was is always that cleared?
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