I have a bank - done out as a "rookery" of sorts.

The soil is poor and very dry. Its east facing.
What can I grow that will stand the conditions? The plants need to be low
maintenance, evergreen if possible and growing to about 2/3 ft
All suggestions welcomed with thanks

"mick" wrote in message ...
I have a bank - done out as a "rookery" of sorts.

The soil is poor and very dry. Its east facing.
What can I grow that will stand the conditions? The plants need to be low
maintenance, evergreen if possible and growing to about 2/3 ft
All suggestions welcomed with thanks

What would be more use to you than what we can put in short emails would be to get Beth Chatto's 'Dry Garden' from the
local library, quite a short book with valuable lists, descriptions and even some planting plans.

Rod

mick wrote:


I have a bank - done out as a "rookery" of sorts.

A rookery? Surely a rockery? A Rookery is a group of tall trees where
rooks live.

The soil is poor and very dry. Its east facing.
What can I grow that will stand the conditions? The plants need to be low
maintenance, evergreen if possible and growing to about 2/3 ft
All suggestions welcomed with thanks

Saxifrages and other succulents such as sempervivums.. Hederas,
choose from the 100's of cultivars available mail order.
Geraniums.. Many will cope with dry soil once established..

Also check books/literature for 'dry position' planting.

I too have an east facing slope and have made an alpine garden. The surface
is covered with fine gravel ('scree'), and the random choice of alpines I've
chosen seem to like it - they have grown five fold from the 99p size I
bought.

The only problems I can think of are (1) they like good drainage (2) They
won't give that much height (dwarf conifers could be used).

Mark

"mick" wrote in message
...
I have a bank - done out as a "rookery" of sorts.

The soil is poor and very dry. Its east facing.
What can I grow that will stand the conditions? The plants need to be low
maintenance, evergreen if possible and growing to about 2/3 ft
All suggestions welcomed with thanks

In article ,
Rod wrote:

"mick" wrote in message ...
I have a bank - done out as a "rookery" of sorts.

The soil is poor and very dry. Its east facing.
What can I grow that will stand the conditions? The plants need to be low
maintenance, evergreen if possible and growing to about 2/3 ft
All suggestions welcomed with thanks

What would be more use to you than what we can put in short emails would be to get Beth Chatto's 'Dry Garden' from the
local library, quite a short book with valuable lists, descriptions and even some planting plans.

Definitely worth looking at. There are lots of suitable plants, from
cistus to Passiflora caerulea (!), so don't regard that book as a
complete list. But it will help.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

"Jim W" wrote in message
news:1fxbxdf.6p3df91osjx9eN%00senetnospamtodayta@m acunlimited.net...
mick wrote:


I have a bank - done out as a "rookery" of sorts.

A rookery? Surely a rockery? A Rookery is a group of tall trees where
rooks live.

The soil is poor and very dry. Its east facing.
What can I grow that will stand the conditions? The plants need to be
low
maintenance, evergreen if possible and growing to about 2/3 ft
All suggestions welcomed with thanks

Saxifrages and other succulents such as sempervivums.. Hederas,
choose from the 100's of cultivars available mail order.
Geraniums.. Many will cope with dry soil once established..

Thanks,
A degree of lack of time and the fact the thing only needs three plants (
not a planting plan) to cover it is the reason I asked rather than searching
for the info.

As for the rookery. Well, the reason the ground is so dry is because the
ground is bounded by a a hedge of the dreaded Leyland which houses a
colony of crows most days - although they dont nest there..

Thats why there is only room to shove in three plants on the slope.

"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Rod wrote:

"mick" wrote in message
...
I have a bank - done out as a "rookery" of sorts.

The soil is poor and very dry. Its east facing.
What can I grow that will stand the conditions? The plants need to be
low
maintenance, evergreen if possible and growing to about 2/3 ft
All suggestions welcomed with thanks

What would be more use to you than what we can put in short emails would
be to get Beth Chatto's 'Dry Garden' from the
local library, quite a short book with valuable lists, descriptions and
even some planting plans.

Definitely worth looking at. There are lots of suitable plants, from
cistus to Passiflora caerulea (!), so don't regard that book as a
complete list. But it will help.

I should also mention the ground borders the roadside - hence low
maintainence ( I dont want to be knocked down and flattened trying to
"garden" there.

This is simply a neatness exersise.

And there is a border of leylandii - which I didnt plant either, but they
are too out of control to remove without the major effort of a tractor and
chainsaw.

I would think of planting silver leafed plants, Mediterranean things that
would enjoy the dry sunny bank and are used to poor soil in their native
habitat


--
David Hill
Abacus nurseries
www.abacus-nurseries.co.uk

"Mark" wrote in message
...
I too have an east facing slope and have made an alpine garden. The
surface
is covered with fine gravel ('scree'), and the random choice of alpines
I've
chosen seem to like it - they have grown five fold from the 99p size I
bought.

The only problems I can think of are (1) they like good drainage (2) They
won't give that much height (dwarf conifers could be used).


Thanks to all for the answers, I am off to the Nursery today to see what I
can get - bearing in mind the suggestions.
Thanks again for the help.