I wouldn't start from here if I had a choice but to dismantle what's
there - remove the gravel and the stone border and replace with a
lawned area - has implications for the rest of the garden which I lack
the resources to undertake.

Here's a pic of it. It's about 10 x 1.5 metres.

http://i665.photobucket.com/albums/v...F2040-crop.jpg

The previous owners obviously liked it looking a bit formal and I've
done nothing yet to change it other than neglect it.

I did take out and replace 8 old leggy lavenders which should be just
about visible, 4 each side. There are additionly 2 mature ones at the
top end of the pic which haven't needed replacing yet.

I was deeply depressed the other day when a friend remarked that the
overall impression was of a military cemetery and I can see what he
means. Those four yellowish pompoms of (variegated privet?) certainly
don't help so I intend to get shot of those pdq and would like to pick
out some shrubs that would at least go some way to de-formalising the
overall effect and lend a bit of grace. I'm happy to keep the
lavender, so for the moment I'm looking for shrubs to slot in between
the lavender plots - that'll be 8 plants.

I know the whole thing is a bit like a cribbage board but, as I say, I
need a quick remedy. My knowledge of shrubs and gardening in general
is parlous so I would be very grateful for all and any suggestions.
Plants that are not too temperamental, and are happy to settle at
about 1 metre high.

Thanks in tense anticipation.

On 2009-05-11 14:41:41 +0100, bob said:

I wouldn't start from here if I had a choice but to dismantle what's
there - remove the gravel and the stone border and replace with a
lawned area - has implications for the rest of the garden which I lack
the resources to undertake.

Here's a pic of it. It's about 10 x 1.5 metres.

http://i665.photobucket.com/albums/v...F2040-crop.jpg

The previous owners obviously liked it looking a bit formal and I've
done nothing yet to change it other than neglect it.

snip

Sorry Bob but where do you live? Climate conditions will make a
difference to suggestions given. My apologies if you've already told
us that and I've missed it! I see some ferns in there so is it a
shady spot or is it mainly sun or half and half. Which way does it
face? Is it under a window and if not, why does height have to be
restricted to 1m?
A quick suggestion would be for Sarcoccas to give intense winter scent
and they get to about 1m. Some of the shrubby Clematis might be nice
for you, too. Hardy Fuchsias, perhaps? Grasses have a nice 'airy' and
flowing feel to them. Personally, I'd avoid roses because it seems as
if you'd be looking at bare twigs for most of the year. Can you pave
the gravel area and perhaps get some water into the middle of it? And
if you can, leave some square gaps between the paving stones and plant
low-growing herbs like thyme and lemon balm in there for colour, scent
and informality. If the gravel is laid on a membrane, you *might* be
able to do that by cutting holes in the membrane and sticking plants in
- it does rather depend on how good, or bad, the soil is under the
gravel. You can underplant with little bulbs like the beautiful little
Narcissus Tete a Tete.
--
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
Exotic plants, shrubs & perennials
South Devon

On Mon, 11 May 2009 15:50:48 +0100, Sacha wrote:

Sorry Bob but where do you live? Climate conditions will make a
difference to suggestions given. My apologies if you've already told
us that and I've missed it! I see some ferns in there so is it a
shady spot or is it mainly sun or half and half. Which way does it
face? Is it under a window and if not, why does height have to be
restricted to 1m?
A quick suggestion would be for Sarcoccas to give intense winter scent
and they get to about 1m. Some of the shrubby Clematis might be nice
for you, too. Hardy Fuchsias, perhaps? Grasses have a nice 'airy' and
flowing feel to them. Personally, I'd avoid roses because it seems as
if you'd be looking at bare twigs for most of the year. Can you pave
the gravel area and perhaps get some water into the middle of it? And
if you can, leave some square gaps between the paving stones and plant
low-growing herbs like thyme and lemon balm in there for colour, scent
and informality. If the gravel is laid on a membrane, you *might* be
able to do that by cutting holes in the membrane and sticking plants in
- it does rather depend on how good, or bad, the soil is under the
gravel. You can underplant with little bulbs like the beautiful little
Narcissus Tete a Tete.

I'm in a Normandy town, so similar weather to the south of UK although
I always suspect a couple of degrees more extreme at both ends.

Thanks for all your suggestions, Sacha, I'll be hovering over the full
range of them at the garden centre when next in the UK. I find scope
for confusion with the centres here, and usually it's pricier.

This pic should explain all:-

http://i665.photobucket.com/albums/v...DSCF2070ps.jpg

So it's a corridor formed by the wall at the left, the house on the
right and the plot in question bang in the middle. This pic is taken
just as you come out of the kitchen and with table and chairs here too
it's the main vantage point. Of course, when sitting, you'll see even
less, hence the concern about height.

The corridor points south so plenty of sunshine at the further end and
maybe 4-5 hours at best at this end, though always bright.

I like the idea of the grasses. There are already 3 roses (sorry,
total ignoramus here - shrubby and grafted on to a 3 cm trunk) and I
take your point about twiggyness. The tallest plants are the rose in
the middle and stellatas at each end chopped to within an inch of
their lives. I'd thought of letting the stellatas go but I don't
think that could make any sense given the layout here.

I'm not at all happy with the gravel/raised bed/rocky border but am
disinclined to change that for the moment particularly since beyond a
drastic/expensive alteration there's not much I can do about the
concrete flag path visible on the right and which is immediately
adjacent to the house.

There are a few azaleas obscured by the rose and furthest stellata so
the whole thing looks unremittingly green but there should be some new
colour soon (honest!)

On 2009-05-12 08:15:29 +0100, bob said:

On Mon, 11 May 2009 15:50:48 +0100, Sacha wrote:

Sorry Bob but where do you live? Climate conditions will make a
difference to suggestions given. My apologies if you've already told
us that and I've missed it! I see some ferns in there so is it a
shady spot or is it mainly sun or half and half. Which way does it
face? Is it under a window and if not, why does height have to be
restricted to 1m?
A quick suggestion would be for Sarcoccas to give intense winter scent
and they get to about 1m. Some of the shrubby Clematis might be nice
for you, too. Hardy Fuchsias, perhaps? Grasses have a nice 'airy' and
flowing feel to them. Personally, I'd avoid roses because it seems as
if you'd be looking at bare twigs for most of the year. Can you pave
the gravel area and perhaps get some water into the middle of it? And
if you can, leave some square gaps between the paving stones and plant
low-growing herbs like thyme and lemon balm in there for colour, scent
and informality. If the gravel is laid on a membrane, you *might* be
able to do that by cutting holes in the membrane and sticking plants in
- it does rather depend on how good, or bad, the soil is under the
gravel. You can underplant with little bulbs like the beautiful little
Narcissus Tete a Tete.

I'm in a Normandy town, so similar weather to the south of UK although
I always suspect a couple of degrees more extreme at both ends.

Thanks for all your suggestions, Sacha, I'll be hovering over the full
range of them at the garden centre when next in the UK. I find scope
for confusion with the centres here, and usually it's pricier.

I've just thought of something you might like. It's a vigorous ground
cover, low-growing and a fabulous colour. Have a look for Persicaria
microcephala Red Dragon. It has little white flowers in summer and is
a perennial. The leaves are beautifully marked. It's hardy, too,
which is a bonus! I've visited Normandy a few times and in many ways
it reminds me of Devon, where we live now and of Jersey where I'm from
originally. The landscapes in the countryside are very similar to
both, as is the lush vegetation. We last spent a few days just outside
Caen and before I knew my husband, I spent 3 days in Trevieres, a
beautiful pastoral, villagey area.


Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
Shrubs, perennials, exotic & rare plants
South Devon

On Tue, 12 May 2009 10:35:25 +0100, Sacha wrote:

I've just thought of something you might like. It's a vigorous ground
cover, low-growing and a fabulous colour. Have a look for Persicaria
microcephala Red Dragon. It has little white flowers in summer and is
a perennial. The leaves are beautifully marked. It's hardy, too,
which is a bonus! I've visited Normandy a few times and in many ways
it reminds me of Devon, where we live now and of Jersey where I'm from
originally. The landscapes in the countryside are very similar to
both, as is the lush vegetation. We last spent a few days just outside
Caen and before I knew my husband, I spent 3 days in Trevieres, a
beautiful pastoral, villagey area.

Ok, Sacha, thanks I'll put that Persicaria on the list - sounds
wonderful. I might use it to replace the little vinca I planted. I
bought it only a month ago - it reminded me of an earlier garden I had
a while back. When I took it out of the pot and looked at the label I
noticed it said - "...ideal for beginners...". It made me feel a
total dunce.

I'm always very aware of being somewhere different from the UK; the
buildings, the language (obviously!) and maybe something subliminal or
my own sense of being a foreigner but I know what you mean about
Normandy and Devon, it's often said. It's likened a lot to Dorset
too. Polanski filmed 'Tess' in Normandy to get that Dorset look - of
course at the time he'd been a naughty boy and was steering clear of
the UK.