Eddy wrote:

Well, I'm certainly to consider rhodos on the other side of the fence,
but on the side in the photo there are only two planting strips. One
is the long channel about 4" wide between the fence and the
weatherboard barrier beneath it, dry, riddled with roots of the hedge
on the other side of the fence, so best used for tumbling things like
aubreitia - except that we've got enough of that elsewhere. The
other strip, at the base of the weatherboard barrier, is actually
council property, i.e. it's the verge between our land and the tarmac
of the road, so something natural would be best in there. (When we
arrived it was all thistles and nettles.)

If they'll stand the cold, what about Ceanothus (particularly
impressus or thyrsiflorus)? There are various Sarcococca that would
also fit the bill. An added bonus would be scented flowers in winter.

Ceanothus: a big big and bushy for the two strips above. Sarcococca
hookeriana looks like it could be a good natural-looking evergreen
groundcover for the roadside strip - except that likes shade.

According to the RHS Dictionary of Gardening, "Sarcococca grows best in
partial shade, but will tolerate full sun provided there is sufficient
moisture in the soil". It also days that they flourish in a neutral to
alkaline, humus-rich soil, although frequently tolerating a dry, calcareous
soil. I grow mine in a 12" pot in partial shade, and it does very well.


If shrubs aren't what you want, and you are in a very cold winter
area, then I seem to remember a thread on hardy evergreen climbers a
few months ago (try Google groups for this newsgroup). I think the
conclusion was that only Hedera would stand most situations, and
even that might suffer with a severe frost.

Indeed! Hedera would be fine provided it didn't start clasping itself
to the weatherboard barrier and creeping upwards. . . is there a
sub-species that can resist the temptation? :-)

Not sure, but Hedera comes in so many forms there must be something! What
about an Ilex? Something like the crenata cultivars can be pretty dwarf, or
at least slow growing. Even bog-standard holly can be kept in bounds by
trimming it.

I doubt the council would be too concerned about plants in their space
provided they represented no danger, and they didn't have to do any
maintenance (I'd be more worried about spray drift if they used weedkillers
to keep the pathside growth down).


--
Jeff
(cut "thetape" to reply)