Hi
Trying to improve a fairly large area of paving which gets sun in morning only,I am going to take up random paving slabs and plant low growing plants instead, has anyone tried this and can you recommend plants which will survive, under the existing paving is a lot of sand and poor soil.
Stella

In article ,
Chris Hogg wrote:
On Thu, 22 Jul 2010 13:01:30 +0000, StellaH
wrote:

Trying to improve a fairly large area of paving which gets sun in
morning only,I am going to take up random paving slabs and plant low
growing plants instead, has anyone tried this and can you recommend
plants which will survive, under the existing paving is a lot of sand
and poor soil.

We have a flat-growing thyme growing in places between our paving
slabs, also set on sand with subsoil beneath. Does very well.
Aubretia may do OK, as might any Mediterranean plants that succeed on
poor dry soil, such as dianthus species ('pinks'), Erigeron
karvinskianus (aka Vittandinia, Mexican Daisy etc,) osteospermums,
pelargoniums (commonly and wrongly called geraniums), lavenders. Note
that not all are frost hardy.

And there's dry and dry - thyme is a LOT more drought resistant
than (say) aubretia.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Ophiopogon planiscapus looks good in paving, especially against York Stone.

Why restrict yourself to low growing plants? -- Verbena bonariensis looks amazing in paving.

Also effective -- Trifolium repens 'Purpurascens Quadrifolium' , if the conditions aren't too dry.

On Jul 22, 2:01*pm, StellaH
wrote:
Hi
Trying to improve a fairly large area of paving which gets sun in
morning only,I am going to take up random paving slabs and plant low
growing plants instead, has anyone tried this and can you recommend
plants which will survive, under the existing paving is a lot of sand
and poor soil.
Stella

--
StellaH

I did this with an area of very decayed paving around a formal pond in
the garden I ran when I was working. Various thymes will do fine - a
particular favourite of mine and very tolerant of trampling is T.
serpyllum, a british native but quite scarce in nature being
restricted to Breckland. Sea pinks are lovely but they seed very
freely and will soon take over if not dealt with robustly. Look
amongst maritime/alpine species that make compact low mats - really
vigorous competitive things like the hardy geraniums will make great
hummocks that you keep falling over. Some of the Arenarias
(sandworts), Sea campion. Just keep planting things and see what works
- these sorts of plants are usually cheap enough for you to do that.
Avoid buying plants in big pots, they're difficult to plant.

Rod