Help please with clay banking!
 

Hi All,
I live in a house thats cut into a clay banking and as such I have a
clay bank which runs all the way round my garden, Its very steep and
holds up the house above (kind of thing). What on earth can I do with
it? It tends to be damp and in shade a lot of the time.
I was thinking of covering it with landscaping fabric just to keep the
brambles and weeds down, but I'd like to plant some low, slow growing
bushes, like heathers or such-like. You'll have to excuse me as I'm
TOTALLY new to this gardening game and I dont know where to start.
Any advice or ideas will be most welcome,
Yours,
Tim.

Welcome Tim,
This is the sort of job that will pay dividends if extra time and money is spent at the outset. I would clear all the existing vegetation and use the black weed fabric you speak of. But with brambles and such like it will not be enough on its own unless you have previously dug up the roots. You will need to mulch with wood bark chips. (If you are near the country try a forest enterprise that can deliver by the trailer).

Choice of planting will be important. If your hillside is as dark as you suggest then heathers (which need quite a lot of light) may not do for the darker areas. Check out my gardening guides section for examples of plants that grow well in clay.

You may want to think more laterally about your planting . . .
For example I grow a ground-hugging conifer up a brick wall with great success. Have you considered climbers that can be left to run?

Help please with clay banking!
 

"supercat" wrote in message
...
Hi All,
I live in a house thats cut into a clay banking and as such I have a
clay bank which runs all the way round my garden, Its very steep and
holds up the house above (kind of thing). What on earth can I do with
it? It tends to be damp and in shade a lot of the time.
I was thinking of covering it with landscaping fabric just to keep the
brambles and weeds down, but I'd like to plant some low, slow growing
bushes, like heathers or such-like. You'll have to excuse me as I'm
TOTALLY new to this gardening game and I dont know where to start.
Any advice or ideas will be most welcome,
Yours,
Tim.

ideas:
- Terrace the slope ?
- Ivy, grows quickly, makes good ground cover and stops weeds.

Jenny