Jeff Layman wrote in
:

On 04/02/2012 23:03, Jim xzy wrote:
Jeff wrote in
:

8 possibilities he
http://apps.rhs.org.uk/plantselector...s?nm=&sn=188&a
s= 183&st=163&ms=166&aa=171&gdt=69&hg=135&op=2

Thank for the suggestions. The lavender and wormwood might suit. I'm
also very interested in these:

Aegopodium Variegatum
Dianthus Tiny Rubies
Isotoma fluviatilis
Thymus coccineus
Delosperma cooperi (hardy ice plant)
Vinca minor (periwinkle)

Does anyone know any pros and cons of the above? Are any unsuitable
for poor, alkaline, dry soil and full sun?

Thanks..


Don't touch the Aegopodium with a bargepole. It may be a variegated
form, but it's still Ground Elder. It can revert - that''s all you
need to know! I doubt it would grow well in dry soil anyway.

The Isotoma would need damp soil.

The Delosperma might be OK. Depends on how cold it gets where you
are.
"Hardy" is a relative term...

You might also like to consider Carpobrotus edulis (Hottentot Fig).
That is a bit invasive down in Cornwall, but might be better behaved
elsewhere.

Jeff,
Thank you kindly for your comments on my list. I looked at some photos of
the Hottentot Fig, and it certainly appeals to me, visually. I think the
flowers look particularly attractive and unusual. Thanks for that one!

Re the hardy ice plant: Winters here are about as mild as any in the UK.
We typically get a few frosty nights and about one day of snow, on
average.) It does get pretty windy for much of the year, as I am only a
few hundred yards from open sea.

I'm trying to determine which of the plants mentioned would serve well as
an anti-erosion measure. That's because one of the boundaries of my
garden is marked by an ancient dry stone wall, going along the top of an
earth bank of dry clayey, soil . That bank needs something permanent
growing on it, (a) to prevent erosion and (b) to smother weeds, and (c)
shade it from the full sun so that it doesn't dry out so severely in
Summer. Every time I pull a weed out of that bank, I'm aware that I am
weakening it a tiny bit. One day, the wall will collapse, but if I can
delay that event by a few years with some suitable ground cover, I'll be
happy. The bank gets very, very dry and powdery in Summer. It's almost a
miracle that the wall is still standing; I'm sure it has no foundations.
Whatever I plant on that bank, it probably shouldn't have roots that go
too deep. Otherwise, if the plant dies, the wall will be undermined when
the roots rot away.

Jim