Judith or David may have an idea, I hope others may as well!

In our little garden in France (Dordogne valley slopes, limestone about
five inches beneath the surface) we have roses, lavender, irises, day
lilies, michaelmas daisies, sage, all abundant. But there is one bed
where I can't seem to grow anything. It's about eighteen inches deep and
eight foot long, against a limestone drystone wall at the gate of the
garden. It faces southeast, but in the winter it's in shadow from the
building on the other side of the path. It gets sun from about nine to
three between April and September. It has quite a slope. It's a dry bed
and we can't get the irrigation system up there.

There's a well-established Kerria at the top end - and I can't get
anything else nice to grow there at all! Thistles, grasses, wild
clematis, and ivy grow with abandon. I've tried canna, which grow like
weeds elsewhere in the village, but the snails ate all the leaves and
they haven't come up at all this year. I sow nasturtiums, which
sprouted one year but not the next. This year I divided up a choked iris
bed and put in some rhizomes, but snails like eating their leaves too,
so I don't hope for much. I also put in some spare daffodil bulbs, but
we're rarely there early enough to enjoy them.

Any ideas? We're there again in June/beginning of July, and again end
of August, so anything that shows in May, June/July, or August/September
would be perfect. It has to be snail-repellent!

There's a page of photos here - the impossible bed is about ten down.

http://www.newcockaigne.demon.co.uk/photos/index.html

--
Kate B

PS 'elvira' is spamtrapped - please reply to 'elviraspam' at cockaigne dot org dot uk if you
want to reply personally

Kate Brown writes

There's a well-established Kerria at the top end - and I can't get
anything else nice to grow there at all! Thistles, grasses, wild
clematis, and ivy grow with abandon.

So have you tried ornamental grasses, thistles, eryngium based on what
already grows there)?

I've tried canna, which grow like weeds elsewhere in the village, but
the snails ate all the leaves and they haven't come up at all this
year. I sow nasturtiums, which sprouted one year but not the next.
This year I divided up a choked iris bed and put in some rhizomes, but
snails like eating their leaves too, so I don't hope for much. I also
put in some spare daffodil bulbs, but we're rarely there early enough
to enjoy them.

Probably not damp enough in winter for daffs.

What about the various succulents? Livingsotne daisies, sedums
(spectabile doesn't get eaten by snails, I don't know about the others)


--
Kay

On May 14, 11:18*am, Kate Brown wrote:
Judith or David may have an idea, I hope others may as well!

In our little garden in France (Dordogne valley slopes, limestone about
five inches beneath the surface) we have roses, lavender, irises, day
lilies, michaelmas daisies, sage, all abundant. *But there is one bed
where I can't seem to grow anything. It's about eighteen inches deep and
eight foot long, against a limestone drystone wall at the gate of the
garden. *It faces southeast, but in the winter it's in shadow from the
building on the other side of the path. *It gets sun from about nine to
three between April and September. *It has quite a slope. It's a dry bed
and we can't get the irrigation system up there.

There's a well-established Kerria at the top end - and I can't get
anything else nice to grow there at all! *Thistles, grasses, wild
clematis, and ivy grow with abandon. *I've tried canna, which grow like
weeds elsewhere in the village, but the snails ate all the leaves and
they haven't come up at all this year. *I sow nasturtiums, which
sprouted one year but not the next. This year I divided up a choked iris
bed and put in some rhizomes, but snails like eating their leaves too,
so I don't hope for much. *I also put in some spare daffodil bulbs, but
we're rarely there early enough to enjoy them.

Any ideas? *We're there again in June/beginning of July, and again end
of August, so anything that shows in May, June/July, or August/September
would be perfect. It has to be snail-repellent!

There's a page of photos here - the impossible bed is about ten down.

http://www.newcockaigne.demon.co.uk/photos/index.html

--
Kate B

PS 'elvira' is spamtrapped - please reply to 'elviraspam' at cockaigne dot org dot uk if you
want to reply personally

First of all, you have a beautiful home and garden Kate. I, too, have
problem areas in my garden; heavy sticky pottery clay, it would seem
that a vine would be suited to that area in my garden. For yours, you
could also try a vine, they are more than happy in a dry soil but I
don't know whether you would have adequate sunshine hours to make it
fruit, maybe? You could get one in espalier mode so that it could be
supported against the wall. Apart from that; geraniums would be
happy there, lots of different types, trailing etc and when you are
away, they tend to look after themselves. Sorry I'm not too much help
but there are others here who will advise you.

Judith

On Thu, 14 May 2009, K wrote
Kate Brown writes

There's a well-established Kerria at the top end - and I can't get
anything else nice to grow there at all! Thistles, grasses, wild
clematis, and ivy grow with abandon.

So have you tried ornamental grasses, thistles, eryngium based on what
already grows there)?

There's a lot of grass around the garden already,so no - I was looking
for flowers, really, something a bit colourful.



I've tried canna, which grow like weeds elsewhere in the village, but
the snails ate all the leaves and they haven't come up at all this
year. I sow nasturtiums, which sprouted one year but not the next.
This year I divided up a choked iris bed and put in some rhizomes, but
snails like eating their leaves too, so I don't hope for much. I also
put in some spare daffodil bulbs, but we're rarely there early enough
to enjoy them.

Probably not damp enough in winter for daffs.

What about the various succulents? Livingsotne daisies, sedums
(spectabile doesn't get eaten by snails, I don't know about the others)


Livingstone daisies are annuals, so too late for this year, but I could
sow some next spring. Sedums are a good idea, though, thank you. Will
look for some in June - you don't happen to know if there are any tricky
local French words for it, do you?

--
Kate B

PS 'elvira' is spamtrapped - please reply to 'elviraspam' at cockaigne dot org dot uk if you
want to reply personally

On Thu, 14 May 2009, Judith in France wrote
On May 14, 11:18*am, Kate Brown wrote:
Judith or David may have an idea, I hope others may as well!

In our little garden in France (Dordogne valley slopes, limestone about
five inches beneath the surface) we have roses, lavender, irises, day
lilies, michaelmas daisies, sage, all abundant. *But there is one bed
where I can't seem to grow anything. It's about eighteen inches deep and
eight foot long, against a limestone drystone wall at the gate of the
garden. *It faces southeast, but in the winter it's in shadow from the
building on the other side of the path. *It gets sun from about nine to
three between April and September. *It has quite a slope. It's a dry bed
and we can't get the irrigation system up there.

There's a well-established Kerria at the top end - and I can't get
anything else nice to grow there at all! *Thistles, grasses, wild
clematis, and ivy grow with abandon. *I've tried canna, which grow like
weeds elsewhere in the village, but the snails ate all the leaves and
they haven't come up at all this year. *I sow nasturtiums, which
sprouted one year but not the next. This year I divided up a choked iris
bed and put in some rhizomes, but snails like eating their leaves too,
so I don't hope for much. *I also put in some spare daffodil bulbs, but
we're rarely there early enough to enjoy them.

Any ideas? *We're there again in June/beginning of July, and again end
of August, so anything that shows in May, June/July, or August/September
would be perfect. It has to be snail-repellent!

There's a page of photos here - the impossible bed is about ten down.

http://www.newcockaigne.demon.co.uk/photos/index.html

--
Kate B

PS 'elvira' is spamtrapped - please reply to 'elviraspam' at
cockaigne dot org dot uk if you
want to reply personally

First of all, you have a beautiful home and garden Kate. I, too, have
problem areas in my garden; heavy sticky pottery clay, it would seem
that a vine would be suited to that area in my garden. For yours, you
could also try a vine, they are more than happy in a dry soil but I
don't know whether you would have adequate sunshine hours to make it
fruit, maybe? You could get one in espalier mode so that it could be
supported against the wall. Apart from that; geraniums would be
happy there, lots of different types, trailing etc and when you are
away, they tend to look after themselves. Sorry I'm not too much help
but there are others here who will advise you.

Judith

Thanks, Judith! Our soil is dry and very limey, not much clay, and we do
have a lovely vine, which shelters the terrace from late May onwards
(see cour july 2). It does produce grapes and the chap who does the big
work in our garden (mowing the meadow, pruning the trees, etc) picks
them every year and adds them to his own to make a fairly nasty and not
very alcoholic, but wonderfully organic wine. The wall of the problem
bed is very low, it drops down from the tarmaced road above, a couple of
feet or so.

We already have a lot of geraniums - about eight pots just down from the
entrance (see cour july 1). Also, they never survive over winter, so
are effectively annuals, and ideally we'd like something that smothered
the grasses and thistles and came up every year...!



--
Kate B

PS 'elvira' is spamtrapped - please reply to 'elviraspam' at cockaigne dot org dot uk if you
want to reply personally

On 2009-05-14 11:18:03 +0100, Kate Brown said:

Judith or David may have an idea, I hope others may as well!

In our little garden in France (Dordogne valley slopes, limestone about
five inches beneath the surface) we have roses, lavender, irises, day
lilies, michaelmas daisies, sage, all abundant. But there is one bed
where I can't seem to grow anything. It's about eighteen inches deep
and eight foot long, against a limestone drystone wall at the gate of
the garden. It faces southeast, but in the winter it's in shadow from
the building on the other side of the path. It gets sun from about
nine to three between April and September. It has quite a slope. It's
a dry bed and we can't get the irrigation system up there.

There's a well-established Kerria at the top end - and I can't get
anything else nice to grow there at all! Thistles, grasses, wild
clematis, and ivy grow with abandon. I've tried canna, which grow like
weeds elsewhere in the village, but the snails ate all the leaves and
they haven't come up at all this year. I sow nasturtiums, which
sprouted one year but not the next. This year I divided up a choked
iris bed and put in some rhizomes, but snails like eating their leaves
too, so I don't hope for much. I also put in some spare daffodil
bulbs, but we're rarely there early enough to enjoy them.

Any ideas? We're there again in June/beginning of July, and again end
of August, so anything that shows in May, June/July, or
August/September would be perfect. It has to be snail-repellent!

There's a page of photos here - the impossible bed is about ten down.

http://www.newcockaigne.demon.co.uk/photos/index.html

What a lovely place you have - lucky you! Had you thought of geraniums
- the cranesbills, not the pelargoniums. They tolerate most soils and
don't seem to troubled by pests. Some types don't miind a fair bit of
shade. One that we especially like is called Geranium Jolly Bee and it
flowers for ages here, well into October, spreading quickly into
sizeable mounds. You could try just one or two as an experiment this
year and then add more if it works.
--
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
Exotic plants, shrubs & perennials
South Devon

On Thu, 14 May 2009, Sacha wrote
On 2009-05-14 11:18:03 +0100, Kate Brown said:

Judith or David may have an idea, I hope others may as well!
In our little garden in France (Dordogne valley slopes, limestone
about five inches beneath the surface) we have roses, lavender,
irises, day lilies, michaelmas daisies, sage, all abundant. But there
is one bed where I can't seem to grow anything. It's about eighteen
inches deep and eight foot long, against a limestone drystone wall at
the gate of the garden. It faces southeast, but in the winter it's in
shadow from the building on the other side of the path. It gets sun
from about nine to three between April and September. It has quite a
slope. It's a dry bed and we can't get the irrigation system up there.
There's a well-established Kerria at the top end - and I can't get
anything else nice to grow there at all! Thistles, grasses, wild
clematis, and ivy grow with abandon. I've tried canna, which grow
like weeds elsewhere in the village, but the snails ate all the
leaves and they haven't come up at all this year. I sow nasturtiums,
which sprouted one year but not the next. This year I divided up a
choked iris bed and put in some rhizomes, but snails like eating
their leaves too, so I don't hope for much. I also put in some spare
daffodil bulbs, but we're rarely there early enough to enjoy them.
Any ideas? We're there again in June/beginning of July, and again
end of August, so anything that shows in May, June/July, or
August/September would be perfect. It has to be snail-repellent!
There's a page of photos here - the impossible bed is about ten
down.
http://www.newcockaigne.demon.co.uk/photos/index.html

What a lovely place you have - lucky you! Had you thought of geraniums
- the cranesbills, not the pelargoniums. They tolerate most soils and
don't seem to troubled by pests. Some types don't miind a fair bit of
shade. One that we especially like is called Geranium Jolly Bee and it
flowers for ages here, well into October, spreading quickly into
sizeable mounds. You could try just one or two as an experiment this
year and then add more if it works.

that's a good idea, thank you Sacha - herb robert grows everywhere so
other cranesbills should too. As long as they're not blue - we have
blue ones here in Blackheath and are getting very fed up with them, they
are so prolific!



--
Kate B

PS 'elvira' is spamtrapped - please reply to 'elviraspam' at cockaigne dot org dot uk if you
want to reply personally

On May 14, 11:18*am, Kate Brown wrote:
Judith or David may have an idea, I hope others may as well!

Any ideas? *We're there again in June/beginning of July, and again end
of August, so anything that shows in May, June/July, or August/September
would be perfect. It has to be snail-repellent!

At the risk of being accused (again) by Martin of being a blood
thirsty, creature destroyer, why don't you just kill the snails?

On Thu, 14 May 2009, moghouse wrote
On May 14, 11:18*am, Kate Brown wrote:
Judith or David may have an idea, I hope others may as well!

Any ideas? *We're there again in June/beginning of July, and again end
of August, so anything that shows in May, June/July, or August/September
would be perfect. It has to be snail-repellent!

At the risk of being accused (again) by Martin of being a blood
thirsty, creature destroyer, why don't you just kill the snails?

Oh, I do, but we're not there enough to keep an eye on things. Did I
mention we have a problem with cat poo too?

--
Kate B

PS 'elvira' is spamtrapped - please reply to 'elviraspam' at cockaigne dot org dot uk if you
want to reply personally

Kate Brown writes
On Thu, 14 May 2009, K wrote
Kate Brown writes

There's a well-established Kerria at the top end - and I can't get
anything else nice to grow there at all! Thistles, grasses, wild
clematis, and ivy grow with abandon.

So have you tried ornamental grasses, thistles, eryngium based on what
already grows there)?

There's a lot of grass around the garden already,so no - I was looking
for flowers, really, something a bit colourful.

Some of the grasses are quite colourful ;-)
(red, orange, steely blue)
But not point having anything that you won't enjoy in that spot.


I've tried canna, which grow like weeds elsewhere in the village, but
the snails ate all the leaves and they haven't come up at all this
year. I sow nasturtiums, which sprouted one year but not the next.
This year I divided up a choked iris bed and put in some rhizomes,
but snails like eating their leaves too, so I don't hope for much. I
also put in some spare daffodil bulbs, but we're rarely there early
enough to enjoy them.

Probably not damp enough in winter for daffs.

What about the various succulents? Livingsotne daisies, sedums
(spectabile doesn't get eaten by snails, I don't know about the others)


Livingstone daisies are annuals, so too late for this year, but I could
sow some next spring. Sedums are a good idea, though, thank you. Will
look for some in June - you don't happen to know if there are any
tricky local French words for it, do you?

No sorry.

Pelargoniums are tolerant of neglect (in this case, a soil that is well
drained to the point of drought), at least the scented leaved ones. But
they do like *some* water in the autumn. Take cuttings before the winter
and grow fresh each year.

Or you could try the aloes, agaves, haworthias - some with bright orange
flowers. Probably have to bring them in over winter.

--
Kay

Sacha writes
What a lovely place you have - lucky you! Had you thought of geraniums
- the cranesbills, not the pelargoniums. They tolerate most soils and
don't seem to troubled by pests. Some types don't miind a fair bit of
shade. One that we especially like is called Geranium Jolly Bee and it
flowers for ages here, well into October, spreading quickly into
sizeable mounds. You could try just one or two as an experiment this
year and then add more if it works.

Don't the ones that tolerate shade prefer soil that is a bit damper? Or
are there ones that cope with both dry soil and shade?

G endressii (French geranium) is a possibility - that seems to grow
anywhere, sun and shade and rubbish soil, ad once it starts flowering,
it flowers pretty well for the whole summer. Bright pink flowers, not
blue!
--
Kay

On Thu, 14 May 2009, K wrote
Sacha writes
What a lovely place you have - lucky you! Had you thought of
geraniums - the cranesbills, not the pelargoniums. They tolerate most
soils and don't seem to troubled by pests. Some types don't miind a
fair bit of shade. One that we especially like is called Geranium
Jolly Bee and it flowers for ages here, well into October, spreading
quickly into sizeable mounds. You could try just one or two as an
experiment this year and then add more if it works.

Don't the ones that tolerate shade prefer soil that is a bit damper? Or
are there ones that cope with both dry soil and shade?

G endressii (French geranium) is a possibility - that seems to grow
anywhere, sun and shade and rubbish soil, ad once it starts flowering,
it flowers pretty well for the whole summer. Bright pink flowers, not
blue!

Sounds just the thing. Thanks!

--
Kate B

PS 'elvira' is spamtrapped - please reply to 'elviraspam' at cockaigne dot org dot uk if you
want to reply personally

On Thu, 14 May 2009, K wrote
Kate Brown writes
On Thu, 14 May 2009, K wrote
Kate Brown writes

There's a well-established Kerria at the top end - and I can't get
anything else nice to grow there at all! Thistles, grasses, wild
clematis, and ivy grow with abandon.

So have you tried ornamental grasses, thistles, eryngium based on
what already grows there)?

There's a lot of grass around the garden already,so no - I was looking
for flowers, really, something a bit colourful.

Some of the grasses are quite colourful ;-)
(red, orange, steely blue)
But not point having anything that you won't enjoy in that spot.


I've tried canna, which grow like weeds elsewhere in the village,
but the snails ate all the leaves and they haven't come up at all
this year. I sow nasturtiums, which sprouted one year but not the
year I divided up a choked iris bed and put in some rhizomes, but
snails like eating their leaves too, so I don't hope for much. I
also put in some spare daffodil bulbs, but we're rarely there early
enjoy them.

Probably not damp enough in winter for daffs.

What about the various succulents? Livingsotne daisies, sedums
(spectabile doesn't get eaten by snails, I don't know about the others)


Livingstone daisies are annuals, so too late for this year, but I
could sow some next spring. Sedums are a good idea, though, thank
you. Will look for some in June - you don't happen to know if there
are any tricky local French words for it, do you?

No sorry.

Pelargoniums are tolerant of neglect (in this case, a soil that is well
drained to the point of drought), at least the scented leaved ones. But
they do like *some* water in the autumn. Take cuttings before the
winter and grow fresh each year.

Or you could try the aloes, agaves, haworthias - some with bright
orange flowers. Probably have to bring them in over winter.

The problem is that we haven't got anywhere to bring them in - there's a
dark room under the house where we store garden furniture, but although
it's damp, there's no way to water anything, and our visits in spring
are either too early to bring things out - Easter - or too late - May,
and we pack up in September or October - we often do try and preserve
things, but it rarely works...


--
Kate B

PS 'elvira' is spamtrapped - please reply to 'elviraspam' at cockaigne dot org dot uk if you
want to reply personally

In article ,
says...
On Thu, 14 May 2009, Judith in France wrote
On May 14, 11:18*am, Kate Brown wrote:
Judith or David may have an idea, I hope others may as well!

In our little garden in France (Dordogne valley slopes, limestone about
five inches beneath the surface) we have roses, lavender, irises, day
lilies, michaelmas daisies, sage, all abundant. *But there is one bed
where I can't seem to grow anything. It's about eighteen inches deep and
eight foot long, against a limestone drystone wall at the gate of the
garden. *It faces southeast, but in the winter it's in shadow from the
building on the other side of the path. *It gets sun from about nine to
three between April and September. *It has quite a slope. It's a dry bed
and we can't get the irrigation system up there.

There's a well-established Kerria at the top end - and I can't get
anything else nice to grow there at all! *Thistles, grasses, wild
clematis, and ivy grow with abandon. *I've tried canna, which grow like
weeds elsewhere in the village, but the snails ate all the leaves and
they haven't come up at all this year. *I sow nasturtiums, which
sprouted one year but not the next. This year I divided up a choked iris
bed and put in some rhizomes, but snails like eating their leaves too,
so I don't hope for much. *I also put in some spare daffodil bulbs, but
we're rarely there early enough to enjoy them.

Any ideas? *We're there again in June/beginning of July, and again end
of August, so anything that shows in May, June/July, or August/September
would be perfect. It has to be snail-repellent!

There's a page of photos here - the impossible bed is about ten down.

http://www.newcockaigne.demon.co.uk/photos/index.html

--
Kate B

PS 'elvira' is spamtrapped - please reply to 'elviraspam' at
cockaigne dot org dot uk if you
want to reply personally

First of all, you have a beautiful home and garden Kate. I, too, have
problem areas in my garden; heavy sticky pottery clay, it would seem
that a vine would be suited to that area in my garden. For yours, you
could also try a vine, they are more than happy in a dry soil but I
don't know whether you would have adequate sunshine hours to make it
fruit, maybe? You could get one in espalier mode so that it could be
supported against the wall. Apart from that; geraniums would be
happy there, lots of different types, trailing etc and when you are
away, they tend to look after themselves. Sorry I'm not too much help
but there are others here who will advise you.

What about proper Geraniums (hardy cransbills) never found a place you
can not grow one or other of them
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea

On May 14, 12:44*pm, Martin wrote:

At the risk of being accused (again) by Martin of being a blood
thirsty, creature destroyer, why don't you just kill the snails?

Where's the sport in that?

With a bow and arrow by candlelight? Do try and keep up, Martin.