The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Growing => Gardens => Topic started by: devonlad on July 20, 2014, 07:59:16 pm
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hi all
having almost finished my most recent major project I could do with some ideas about what to plant in my new garden wall. the wall is natural stone and I have created a number of deep planting pockets along it. its about 5 feet high in full sun for much of the day and we would like it to become almost hidden by flowering plants. other than aubrieta which will definitely be going in anything else which should do well- the top also has pockets where I would like to plant things that will cascade down the wall- thanks in advance
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How about rockery plants - http://www.jacksonsnurseries.co.uk/plants/location/rockery/ (http://www.jacksonsnurseries.co.uk/plants/location/rockery/)
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Cushion phlox, thyme, miniature willows (catkins in spring), lavender (smaller varieties) - doesn't really cascade but gives something of the same effect, rockery campanulas, alysum (yellow one), erigeron (the one with small pinky-white daisy type flowers - cascades for yards), fairy foxglove, which will naturalise beautifully, rock rose, antenaria dioica. There are several tiny alpine plants which would work, or larger rock garden plants as doganjo says. I'm sure I have more in my garden which I've forgotten but as it's pitch dark now I can't go to look. :garden:
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How can I have forgotten saxifrages ::) Lovely things.
Looking at the thymes in my garden, they come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Some such as Doone Valley are fairly big and spread to quite a large size. At the opposite end of the spectrum there's a tiny alpine thyme called something like thymus minutia which spreads very slowly but makes a dense, close mat. There's everything in between, from cream and white flowers, variegated, scented, upright, sprawling. They are great at this time of year, and the bees love them, but they will be over soon.
Flowers for later in the year, well I can only think of dwarf pinks, which come in a variety of colours and all smell gorgeous. They don't really trail exactly, but form cushions.
For the autumn there are gentians, which come in shades of blue and are magnificent for a few weeks. They don't trail very far but would look good in a wall - not one made of limestone though as they are acid lovers.
There are also some ground carpeting roses. modern varieties, but they take up quite a bit of room. Depends on the size of your wall, and the scale of the plants you want.
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Wow thanks loads of ideas. Found some pics online of erigeron or Mexican fleabane. It looks amazing if I could grow it like that
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What about ferns? They grow well in walls, especially north facing walls. Unless your wall is very damp you would need to choose drought loving types. They don't flower of course but provide a bright green foil for other plants.
Do you have a link to the erigeron you looked at? I have three in my garden, all very different.
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rhs.org.uk/plants/32487/i-Erigeron-karvinskianus-i/Details
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That's the one. It's so delicate and covered in flowers all summer. I have two, one I've had for ages and it grows so prolifically that it's swamping my japonica, against a wall. It seems to grow right up through it. The other is far better behaved and grows in a trailing clump next to my pond. I'm glad you like it :)
Modified to say that on re-inspection I see that the plant which climbs up through the japonica is a different type of erigeron, with plain white flowers - so I have four types :D
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How about wall germander (Teucrium)? Lovely dark pink flowers at this time of year. If you like, I will take a load of cuttings. Once established it will trail 2' -3' down a wall. I would take a photo but it's pitch black outside now ::) .
Or a really prostrate trailing rosemary, beautiful blue colour in late Spring.
We have been selling the Erigeron karvinskianus at work but sadly they're all gone now. My lambs ate all mine this year :( . They grow like weeds in local gardens and we call them Dorset/Devon daisies ;D ;D