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Replacing a heather bed
I have a steeply sloping bed, close to the north west
corner of the house. It slopes downwards towards the house and receives little or or sunshine being shaded by the house. It was planted with heathers some 18 years ago, and they have now gone very straggly and where they've been cut back off the wall/path unsightly. SWMBO has decided that they need replacing, but before doing this I was wondering if there is any other plant that would provide ground cover for this very shady, cold slope. It is too steep to work regularly or for lawn, and the lawn above it is more of a moss bed than a grass bed! Thanks for any ideas -- Roger T 700 ft up in Mid-Wales |
Replacing a heather bed
On 2013-02-02 17:07:27 +0000, Roger Tonkin said:
I have a steeply sloping bed, close to the north west corner of the house. It slopes downwards towards the house and receives little or or sunshine being shaded by the house. It was planted with heathers some 18 years ago, and they have now gone very straggly and where they've been cut back off the wall/path unsightly. SWMBO has decided that they need replacing, but before doing this I was wondering if there is any other plant that would provide ground cover for this very shady, cold slope. It is too steep to work regularly or for lawn, and the lawn above it is more of a moss bed than a grass bed! Thanks for any ideas It might be worth your while to have a look through the hardy Geraniums. And also take a look at Hypericum calycinum, as well as the Vincas. -- Sacha www.hillhousenursery.com South Devon www.helpforheroes.org.uk |
Replacing a heather bed
On Sat, 2 Feb 2013 17:07:27 -0000, Roger Tonkin
wrote: I have a steeply sloping bed, close to the north west corner of the house. It slopes downwards towards the house and receives little or or sunshine being shaded by the house. It was planted with heathers some 18 years ago, and they have now gone very straggly and where they've been cut back off the wall/path unsightly. SWMBO has decided that they need replacing, but before doing this I was wondering if there is any other plant that would provide ground cover for this very shady, cold slope. It is too steep to work regularly or for lawn, and the lawn above it is more of a moss bed than a grass bed! Thanks for any ideas I once rejuvenated an old heather bed by simply lifting the plants and burying them deeper. Last I heard was that some 5 years later they were still growing and flowering happily. Cheers, Jake ======================================= Urgling from the East End of Swansea Bay where sometimes it's raining and sometimes it's not. |
Replacing a heather bed
On 02/02/2013 17:07, Roger Tonkin wrote:
I have a steeply sloping bed, close to the north west corner of the house. It slopes downwards towards the house and receives little or or sunshine being shaded by the house. It was planted with heathers some 18 years ago, and they have now gone very straggly and where they've been cut back off the wall/path unsightly. SWMBO has decided that they need replacing, but before doing this I was wondering if there is any other plant that would provide ground cover for this very shady, cold slope. It is too steep to work regularly or for lawn, and the lawn above it is more of a moss bed than a grass bed! Thanks for any ideas If they have done 18 years and you liked then then why change? |
Replacing a heather bed
In article danqg891rp3hvpdt4rthvtve3f4qhfdbgk@
4ax.com, lid says... I once rejuvenated an old heather bed by simply lifting the plants and burying them deeper. Last I heard was that some 5 years later they were still growing and flowering happily. These are abot 24-30inches high and the though of trying to dig them in even half that depth worries me! -- Roger T 700 ft up in Mid-Wales |
Replacing a heather bed
|
Replacing a heather bed
On 02/02/2013 17:07, Roger Tonkin wrote:
I have a steeply sloping bed, close to the north west corner of the house. It slopes downwards towards the house and receives little or or sunshine being shaded by the house. It was planted with heathers some 18 years ago, and they have now gone very straggly and where they've been cut back off the wall/path unsightly. SWMBO has decided that they need replacing, but before doing this I was wondering if there is any other plant that would provide ground cover for this very shady, cold slope. It is too steep to work regularly or for lawn, and the lawn above it is more of a moss bed than a grass bed! Thanks for any ideas Have you thought of covering the top half of it with something like Juniperus squamata 'Blue Carpet'? It would be hardy enough and easy to trim once a year if needed. Below that you could try any number of flowering groundcover plants, including the Hypericum calycinum Sacha mentioned; periwinkle, epimedium. Slightly taller, but often used as groundcover is Bergennia. It has lovely, glossy leathery leaves and pink or white flowers. I have seen an entire bank covered in this and it looked lovely. You could also fill in with spring bulbs like snowdrops, dwarf daffodils and muscari. It may be too shady for crocus, but you could try a few of the cheaper sun-loving bulbs just to see how they perform. -- Spider from high ground in SE London gardening on clay |
Replacing a heather bed
On 04/02/2013 16:29, Spider wrote:
On 02/02/2013 17:07, Roger Tonkin wrote: I have a steeply sloping bed, close to the north west corner of the house. It slopes downwards towards the house and receives little or or sunshine being shaded by the house. It was planted with heathers some 18 years ago, and they have now gone very straggly and where they've been cut back off the wall/path unsightly. SWMBO has decided that they need replacing, but before doing this I was wondering if there is any other plant that would provide ground cover for this very shady, cold slope. It is too steep to work regularly or for lawn, and the lawn above it is more of a moss bed than a grass bed! Thanks for any ideas Have you thought of covering the top half of it with something like Juniperus squamata 'Blue Carpet'? It would be hardy enough and easy to trim once a year if needed. Below that you could try any number of flowering groundcover plants, including the Hypericum calycinum Sacha mentioned; periwinkle, epimedium. Slightly taller, but often used as groundcover is Bergennia. It has lovely, glossy leathery leaves and pink or white flowers. I have seen an entire bank covered in this and it looked lovely. You could also fill in with spring bulbs like snowdrops, dwarf daffodils and muscari. It may be too shady for crocus, but you could try a few of the cheaper sun-loving bulbs just to see how they perform. If you do try Juniperus DO NOT trim it, give it a light pruning if required but clipping can spoil its looks for a long time. |
Replacing a heather bed
On 04/02/2013 17:49, David Hill wrote:
On 04/02/2013 16:29, Spider wrote: On 02/02/2013 17:07, Roger Tonkin wrote: I have a steeply sloping bed, close to the north west corner of the house. It slopes downwards towards the house and receives little or or sunshine being shaded by the house. It was planted with heathers some 18 years ago, and they have now gone very straggly and where they've been cut back off the wall/path unsightly. SWMBO has decided that they need replacing, but before doing this I was wondering if there is any other plant that would provide ground cover for this very shady, cold slope. It is too steep to work regularly or for lawn, and the lawn above it is more of a moss bed than a grass bed! Thanks for any ideas Have you thought of covering the top half of it with something like Juniperus squamata 'Blue Carpet'? It would be hardy enough and easy to trim once a year if needed. Below that you could try any number of flowering groundcover plants, including the Hypericum calycinum Sacha mentioned; periwinkle, epimedium. Slightly taller, but often used as groundcover is Bergennia. It has lovely, glossy leathery leaves and pink or white flowers. I have seen an entire bank covered in this and it looked lovely. You could also fill in with spring bulbs like snowdrops, dwarf daffodils and muscari. It may be too shady for crocus, but you could try a few of the cheaper sun-loving bulbs just to see how they perform. If you do try Juniperus DO NOT trim it, give it a light pruning if required but clipping can spoil its looks for a long time. Actually, this Juniperus doesn't need pruning at all and I am not suggesting routine pruning. I'm saying that Roger may have to trim away growths that overgrow his path/boundary. This can be done simply by studying how the growths sprout from the spreading branches and trimming sympathetically any unwanted lengths. I have done it many times. Done properly, you can't see the where it was trimmed. It just fits its space better. The only warning I might give about trimming junipers, is to wear gloves to prevent skin irritation. -- Spider from high ground in SE London gardening on clay |
Replacing a heather bed
On 04/02/2013 18:16, Spider wrote:
On 04/02/2013 17:49, David Hill wrote: On 04/02/2013 16:29, Spider wrote: On 02/02/2013 17:07, Roger Tonkin wrote: I have a steeply sloping bed, close to the north west corner of the house. It slopes downwards towards the house and receives little or or sunshine being shaded by the house. It was planted with heathers some 18 years ago, and they have now gone very straggly and where they've been cut back off the wall/path unsightly. SWMBO has decided that they need replacing, but before doing this I was wondering if there is any other plant that would provide ground cover for this very shady, cold slope. It is too steep to work regularly or for lawn, and the lawn above it is more of a moss bed than a grass bed! Thanks for any ideas Have you thought of covering the top half of it with something like Juniperus squamata 'Blue Carpet'? It would be hardy enough and easy to trim once a year if needed. Below that you could try any number of flowering groundcover plants, including the Hypericum calycinum Sacha mentioned; periwinkle, epimedium. Slightly taller, but often used as groundcover is Bergennia. It has lovely, glossy leathery leaves and pink or white flowers. I have seen an entire bank covered in this and it looked lovely. You could also fill in with spring bulbs like snowdrops, dwarf daffodils and muscari. It may be too shady for crocus, but you could try a few of the cheaper sun-loving bulbs just to see how they perform. If you do try Juniperus DO NOT trim it, give it a light pruning if required but clipping can spoil its looks for a long time. Actually, this Juniperus doesn't need pruning at all and I am not suggesting routine pruning. I'm saying that Roger may have to trim away growths that overgrow his path/boundary. This can be done simply by studying how the growths sprout from the spreading branches and trimming sympathetically any unwanted lengths. I have done it many times. Done properly, you can't see the where it was trimmed. It just fits its space better. The only warning I might give about trimming junipers, is to wear gloves to prevent skin irritation. I remember seeing a retaining wall topped with around a dozen Junipers which were trimmed 2 days before the owners daughter got married, the "Gardener" took shears to the lot to clip them back. What had been the pride and joy of the garden were massacred, they never recovered and were removed 18 months later. |
Replacing a heather bed
On 04/02/2013 18:23, David Hill wrote:
On 04/02/2013 18:16, Spider wrote: On 04/02/2013 17:49, David Hill wrote: On 04/02/2013 16:29, Spider wrote: On 02/02/2013 17:07, Roger Tonkin wrote: I have a steeply sloping bed, close to the north west corner of the house. It slopes downwards towards the house and receives little or or sunshine being shaded by the house. It was planted with heathers some 18 years ago, and they have now gone very straggly and where they've been cut back off the wall/path unsightly. SWMBO has decided that they need replacing, but before doing this I was wondering if there is any other plant that would provide ground cover for this very shady, cold slope. It is too steep to work regularly or for lawn, and the lawn above it is more of a moss bed than a grass bed! Thanks for any ideas Have you thought of covering the top half of it with something like Juniperus squamata 'Blue Carpet'? It would be hardy enough and easy to trim once a year if needed. Below that you could try any number of flowering groundcover plants, including the Hypericum calycinum Sacha mentioned; periwinkle, epimedium. Slightly taller, but often used as groundcover is Bergennia. It has lovely, glossy leathery leaves and pink or white flowers. I have seen an entire bank covered in this and it looked lovely. You could also fill in with spring bulbs like snowdrops, dwarf daffodils and muscari. It may be too shady for crocus, but you could try a few of the cheaper sun-loving bulbs just to see how they perform. If you do try Juniperus DO NOT trim it, give it a light pruning if required but clipping can spoil its looks for a long time. Actually, this Juniperus doesn't need pruning at all and I am not suggesting routine pruning. I'm saying that Roger may have to trim away growths that overgrow his path/boundary. This can be done simply by studying how the growths sprout from the spreading branches and trimming sympathetically any unwanted lengths. I have done it many times. Done properly, you can't see the where it was trimmed. It just fits its space better. The only warning I might give about trimming junipers, is to wear gloves to prevent skin irritation. I remember seeing a retaining wall topped with around a dozen Junipers which were trimmed 2 days before the owners daughter got married, the "Gardener" took shears to the lot to clip them back. What had been the pride and joy of the garden were massacred, they never recovered and were removed 18 months later. Yes, that's an awful shame! It has to be done properly and sparingly. My junipers were crowning a retaining wall, too, so being able to see them at eye level made occasional trimming much easier. Getting a 'gardener' in for such a sensitive job is a huge mistake. Most of them only know how to drive a van, push a mower and power trim privet ... and charge too much. (My apologies to those gardeners with more sense and sensitivity, some of whom I know frequent urg). -- Spider from high ground in SE London gardening on clay |
Replacing a heather bed
On Monday, 4 February 2013 18:23:00 UTC, Dave Hill wrote:
On 04/02/2013 18:16, Spider wrote: On 04/02/2013 17:49, David Hill wrote: On 04/02/2013 16:29, Spider wrote: On 02/02/2013 17:07, Roger Tonkin wrote: I have a steeply sloping bed, close to the north west corner of the house. It slopes downwards towards the house and receives little or or sunshine being shaded by the house. It was planted with heathers some 18 years ago, and they have now gone very straggly and where they've been cut back off the wall/path unsightly. SWMBO has decided that they need replacing, but before doing this I was wondering if there is any other plant that would provide ground cover for this very shady, cold slope. It is too steep to work regularly or for lawn, and the lawn above it is more of a moss bed than a grass bed! Thanks for any ideas Have you thought of covering the top half of it with something like Juniperus squamata 'Blue Carpet'? It would be hardy enough and easy to trim once a year if needed. Below that you could try any number of flowering groundcover plants, including the Hypericum calycinum Sacha mentioned; periwinkle, epimedium. Slightly taller, but often used as groundcover is Bergennia. It has lovely, glossy leathery leaves and pink or white flowers. I have seen an entire bank covered in this and it looked lovely. You could also fill in with spring bulbs like snowdrops, dwarf daffodils and muscari. It may be too shady for crocus, but you could try a few of the cheaper sun-loving bulbs just to see how they perform. If you do try Juniperus DO NOT trim it, give it a light pruning if required but clipping can spoil its looks for a long time. Actually, this Juniperus doesn't need pruning at all and I am not suggesting routine pruning. I'm saying that Roger may have to trim away growths that overgrow his path/boundary. This can be done simply by studying how the growths sprout from the spreading branches and trimming sympathetically any unwanted lengths. I have done it many times. Done properly, you can't see the where it was trimmed. It just fits its space better. The only warning I might give about trimming junipers, is to wear gloves to prevent skin irritation. I remember seeing a retaining wall topped with around a dozen Junipers which were trimmed 2 days before the owners daughter got married, the "Gardener" took shears to the lot to clip them back. What had been the pride and joy of the garden were massacred, they never recovered and were removed 18 months later. On the whole I prefer to plant such that the plant can have it's head little or no pruning. The juniper in question shouldn't need pruning apart from keeping it off paths etc. Because of my preference I have little experience of pruning junipers but I have seen a relict population of J. communis in rock crevices high on the mountains in Snowdonia where the plants have been grazed by sheep flush with the main surface of the rocks, so only a few inches of plant left. They are obviously stunted and tiny but still apparently healthy and growing. Not much ornamental impact though, in fact it was a while before I realised what they were. Rod |
Replacing a heather bed
On Saturday, 2 February 2013 19:56:37 UTC, Roger Tonkin wrote:
In article danqg891rp3hvpdt4rthvtve3f4qhfdbgk@ 4ax.com, lid says... I once rejuvenated an old heather bed by simply lifting the plants and burying them deeper. Last I heard was that some 5 years later they were still growing and flowering happily. These are abot 24-30inches high and the though of trying to dig them in even half that depth worries me! I'd be tempted to try pruning them down by about half to 2/3 and if you can mulch with peat or ericaceous compost. So long as there's a bit of green growth showing they should recover. You should see what Callunas tolerate during management for sheep and grouse on the hills and moors. Rod |
Replacing a heather bed
On 02/02/2013 19:56, Roger Tonkin wrote:
In article danqg891rp3hvpdt4rthvtve3f4qhfdbgk@ 4ax.com, lid says... I once rejuvenated an old heather bed by simply lifting the plants and burying them deeper. Last I heard was that some 5 years later they were still growing and flowering happily. These are abot 24-30inches high and the though of trying to dig them in even half that depth worries me! You could try pining them down and top dressing the bed with 2 or 3 inches of peat (Yes I did say peat)mixed with sharp sand to give it some weight, about 20% sand to peat by volume. They should root into it in a few months and no heavy pruning to be done |
Replacing a heather bed
On 04/02/2013 19:01, David Hill wrote:
On 02/02/2013 19:56, Roger Tonkin wrote: In article danqg891rp3hvpdt4rthvtve3f4qhfdbgk@ 4ax.com, lid says... I once rejuvenated an old heather bed by simply lifting the plants and burying them deeper. Last I heard was that some 5 years later they were still growing and flowering happily. These are abot 24-30inches high and the though of trying to dig them in even half that depth worries me! You could try pining them down and top dressing the bed with 2 or 3 inches of peat (Yes I did say peat)mixed with sharp sand to give it some weight, about 20% sand to peat by volume. They should root into it in a few months and no heavy pruning to be done I should have said DONT use a compost with any fertilizer in it, which is why I said PEAT |
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