Tumbleweed wrote:


Bit of a loser here maybe, but here goes. I have a brick wall that faces
close to N (NE if anything, so it gets sun until 11 or so, depending upon
time of year), and as of today, a slightly raised bed (4 or 5 inches above
ground level max) in front of it, about 18 inches wide.
Suggestions for planting? I told my better half we should cover it with
concrete but she wasn't best pleased :-)
Just to add insult to injury, the soil is not good, its dry, stony, clay.
I'm looking for things we can train against the wall that will not expand
out too much, and ground cover. I suppose grapes or fruit trees are out if
its not S facing? (something I can eat rather than just look at is always a
bonus)
Is concrete sounding better?

Mebbe a trained ornamental currant Ribes speciosa, or one of the
fruiting cultivars (these are pretty dry tolerant though you would need
to water to establish) or a Chaenomeles (quince) . OR one of the
cultivars of ivy.. (Before everyone goes Oh NO No ivy!) There are
ivies with many varied leaf shapes/and growth habits..

I also have a Parthenocissus henryana that is doing pretty well in a
similar position. In fact a very similar position... It climbs a fence
facing approx NE, in a raised bed several brick high probably less than
18 inches wide.. Grown from a cutting I obtained elsewhere-)

Grapes will grow just about anwyhere but can be very very vigourous..
Might be well worth looking at suitable cultivars for you're area
though.
//
Jim