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Advice? Low shrubs for sunny patch
I have a patch of garden, 3m by 1.1m in front of my house. Following
ruthless pruning back of rampant lavendar last autumn, it's gone to weeds this summer. I'd like to dig it all out, put in some new compost and plant a few low-growing (1m or less) shrubs to fill it. The situation is south-facing, i.e. sunny, dry and fairly exposed, and I would like to get it reasonably maintenance-free. I'm not a gardener, but have moved into a corner house with lots of bushes, shrubs and roses, which I'm quite getting "into" and enjoying. I need to do something with this patch, which has become a bit of an eyesore! Flowers and colour would be very nice, but basically I'm looking for something I can control! My mum was great and would have told me exactly what to do with it, but unfortunately she has passed on to the Big Garden In The Sky ....! What do you think? Any suggestions are welcome! Thanks .... Barb |
#2
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"Barb" wrote in message
.. . I have a patch of garden, 3m by 1.1m in front of my house. Following ruthless pruning back of rampant lavendar last autumn, it's gone to weeds this summer. I'd like to dig it all out, put in some new compost and plant a few low-growing (1m or less) shrubs to fill it. The situation is south-facing, i.e. sunny, dry and fairly exposed, and I would like to get it reasonably maintenance-free. I'm not a gardener, but have moved into a corner house with lots of bushes, shrubs and roses, which I'm quite getting "into" and enjoying. I need to do something with this patch, which has become a bit of an eyesore! Flowers and colour would be very nice, but basically I'm looking for something I can control! My mum was great and would have told me exactly what to do with it, but unfortunately she has passed on to the Big Garden In The Sky ....! What do you think? Any suggestions are welcome! Thanks .... Barb This is my favourite shrub http://www.creativegardener.com/spireagf.html A better view of it: http://tinyurl.com/ct5a2 Regards, Emrys Davies. |
#3
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In article ,
Barb wrote: I have a patch of garden, 3m by 1.1m in front of my house. Following ruthless pruning back of rampant lavendar last autumn, it's gone to weeds this summer. I'd like to dig it all out, put in some new compost and plant a few low-growing (1m or less) shrubs to fill it. The situation is south-facing, i.e. sunny, dry and fairly exposed, and I would like to get it reasonably maintenance-free. Don't bother with new compost. Try rosemary, thyme, helianthemum ('rock rose') or, for larger plants, sage, cistus ('sun rose') etc. They all like poor soil, excellent drainage and sun. Given that, they are all very tough - and several are useful. All can be cut back as necessary. Oh, and you can add winter savory and hyssop, plus many others. Regards, Nick Maclaren. |
#4
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Nick Maclaren wrote:
In article , Barb wrote: I have a patch of garden, 3m by 1.1m in front of my house. Following ruthless pruning back of rampant lavendar last autumn, it's gone to weeds this summer. I'd like to dig it all out, put in some new compost and plant a few low-growing (1m or less) shrubs to fill it. The situation is south-facing, i.e. sunny, dry and fairly exposed, and I would like to get it reasonably maintenance-free. Don't bother with new compost. Try rosemary, thyme, helianthemum ('rock rose') or, for larger plants, sage, cistus ('sun rose') etc. They all like poor soil, excellent drainage and sun. Given that, they are all very tough - and several are useful. All can be cut back as necessary. Oh, and you can add winter savory and hyssop, plus many others. Nick's right about no new compost. If you don't fancy his herbs etc, it sounds to me like a natch for ericas: long-lived, tough as old boots, winter-flowering, no maintenance. I'd plant them in groups of five or six of the same variety for best effect. They don't in my opinion, mix very well with other plants in the same bed, though I've grown them with old-fashioned pinks round the edge for summer flowers and scent, and liked the result. You have to renew the pinks every three years or so for best results: this is easy, but may seem more of a task if you're not a big gardener. -- Mike. |
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