GardenBanter.co.uk - View Single Post - what plant might I help to grow wild on the Isle of Lewis?

Janet · 09-08-2016, 06:56 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening

In article ,
lid says...

I live in a rural area on the Isle of Lewis in Scotland, and there's a
piece of land that while it doesn't belong to me is kind of my
responsibility to keep kempt - a wide verge between my fence and the road.
Although there's no pronounced slope from side to side, it's not flat and I
don't want the bother of having to strim or mow it.

What fast-growing bushes might I sow there? Ideally I would like something
like wild fuchsia. There isn't a lot of it on the island, as there is in
parts of rural Ireland, but there is some. Gorse would also be nice.

I'd be grateful for advice or suggestions. I'm looking for something

* that doesn't require tending or pruning

* that grows fast, perhaps to a height of 3-5 feet (although a shorter
height would also be OK - wild fuchsia is lovely, as is gorse, but what's
most important is ground coverage), and

* that either grows on the island wild already or is similar to plants that
do, or at least fits in with those that do, and

* that I can buy a big bag of seeds for for scattering by hand, or
alternatively if it grows already on the island, that I can gather seeds
for from existing plants growing wild.

I'd suggest single-flower (bee-friendly) rugosa roses.Here on Arran
they grow right down to the beach. They are tough, hardy, fast, salt and
wind tolerant, pest resistant, have a long flowering period followed by
huge red hips (winter food for birds). They sucker freely from the
roots so quite rapidly colonise an area, shading out weeds. If you need
to prune them for height or bushiness just do it with a hedgecutter, but
they need very little attention.
They come in various shades, white, pale pink and deep pink; you can
buy them cheaply in bulk (bare-root) from hedge suppliers or if any grow
locally, they are easily propagated from seed or dug up suckers. ( There
are excellent double forms but those might look a little bit too
cultivated for your strip)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosa_rugosa

Janet