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Old 31-03-2011, 09:55 PM
lannerman lannerman is offline
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First recorded activity by GardenBanter: May 2009
Location: Lanner. Cornwall.
Posts: 359
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lisap470 View Post
Hello

We have just moved into a new house and have inherited uncared for gardens.
The back I'm not to worried about at the moment as it's a quite big and mainly laid to lawn so with a bit of general housekeeping done to it and a few summer pots it will soon look better.
It's the small patch out the front which needs sorting.
It's only about 4ft x 4ft and was a complete mass of weeds, which have now been pulled out. It slopes slightly towards the house and has steps on 2 sides. It's also west facing but is shaded from the south by the storeroom so doesn't get hardly any sun.

I would ideally like to plant something there which can be left to pretty much look after itself but I'm drawn between planting a conifer with ground cover plants or a fern or a hydrangea....

Any inspiration much appreciated!!
BTW I'm in Stevenage Herts

Thanks
Lisa
Hi Lisa, Personally, I think something with foliage colour would be good and if it flowered, so much the better, so yes, a conifer would be good but I'd go for a Pieris 'Flaming Silver' or 'Carnival', attractive foliage all year around, stunning red new spring growths and masses of 'lily of the valley' like flowers in winter. Plant something low growing around it like, Euonymous fortunei 'Emerald and Gold' and it will be easily mantained, look stunning all the year and really make a feature of a dark spot. Obviously thats my own view and really its what you like thats important and isnt this whats the exciting thing about gardening, we none of us are the same so, within reason, go with what you like and nobody can say its wrong !
Mulch with some very dark coloured mulch or even sedge peat to bring out the colour of the foliages !
best of luck, Lannerman