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Author Topic: Top of hedge colour through the year ?  (Read 4382 times)

arobwk

  • Joined Nov 2015
  • Kernow: where 2nd-home owners rule !
Top of hedge colour through the year ?
« on: July 23, 2020, 03:43:30 pm »
Gardening client has bought some creeping phlox for soil-capped stone wall (for me to plant).  Potentially good choice for dry-ish wall top, but narrow flowering period in Spring I seem to think (and I guess she won't see any colour this year).  I looked up Rock Cress, but that seems to flower late Spring.  Mesembryanthemums could be an option perhaps, but any other suggestions please for something similar to add some Summer colour as well ?
« Last Edit: July 23, 2020, 03:54:06 pm by arobwk »

Steph Hen

  • Joined Jul 2013
  • Angus Scotland.
Re: Top of hedge colour through the year ?
« Reply #1 on: July 23, 2020, 04:51:10 pm »
Corydalis lutea, yellow
Aubrieta
London pride.
This is from my old gardening ideas journal I made years ago and just redound yesterday and noticed it flicked open to this page!

arobwk

  • Joined Nov 2015
  • Kernow: where 2nd-home owners rule !
Re: Top of hedge colour through the year ?
« Reply #2 on: July 23, 2020, 07:23:14 pm »
Clearly my timing was perfect [member=28951]Steph Hen[/member] and I'm really liking the suggestions.  Thanks kindly

Fleecewife

  • Joined May 2010
  • South Lanarkshire
    • ScotHebs
Re: Top of hedge colour through the year ?
« Reply #3 on: July 24, 2020, 12:05:52 am »
Low thymes are flowering at the moment and look beautiful, with the added bonus of attracting bees etc.
London pride is a saxifrage and there are plenty of different types of saxifrage which flower through spring, starting with S.oppositifolia (purple) and carrying on with named varieties such as Boston Spa (yellow), pixie (deep pink) and some bright whites.
There are two types of cushion phlox - douglasii which is very small but perfectly formed (my favourite is Eva), then there is the larger variety which is probably the one your client has bought and is more impactful, making cushions up to about 3' across in time.
Campanulas have various forms including cushion types which are a beautiful blue and flower for quite a long time.  I have several varieties which have self seeded around the rocky walls of the waterfall in my pond - beautiful
There is a tiny plant called Fairy Foxglove (I've totally forgotten its proper name) which will self seed on the sides of a wall as well as the top - it doesn't have a long season but as part of a succession it's wonderful and so delicate, if it likes the situation (my last one has died!)
« Last Edit: July 24, 2020, 12:10:13 am by Fleecewife »
"Let's not talk about what we can do, but do what we can"

There is NO planet B - what are YOU doing to save our home?

Do something today that your future self will thank you for - plant a tree

 Love your soil - it's the lifeblood of your land.

doganjo

  • Joined Aug 2012
  • Clackmannanshire
  • Qui? Moi?
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Re: Top of hedge colour through the year ?
« Reply #4 on: July 24, 2020, 10:52:54 am »
Bear in mind what area you are in.  Plants flowering up here in Scotland have already gone over in many parts of England and wales.
Always have been, always will be, a WYSIWYG - black is black, white is white - no grey in my life! But I'm mellowing in my old age

Fleecewife

  • Joined May 2010
  • South Lanarkshire
    • ScotHebs
Re: Top of hedge colour through the year ?
« Reply #5 on: July 24, 2020, 06:20:58 pm »
There are also dianthus (beautifully sweet smelling but might need a better soil pocket than some), helianthemum (rock rose) which comes in a variety of colours and lasts longer into summer, and of course various sedums and sempervivums, which provide deep reds and yellows in the leaves as well as flowers early.  There is also a tiny white-flowered low plant which starts flowering very early in the season and in my garden is still going strong.  Helpfully, I have no idea what it is as mine appeared from nowhere!
As well as how much soil there is available on the wall, alot depends on the rock type it's made of - acid, alkaline or neutral.
« Last Edit: July 24, 2020, 06:22:51 pm by Fleecewife »
"Let's not talk about what we can do, but do what we can"

There is NO planet B - what are YOU doing to save our home?

Do something today that your future self will thank you for - plant a tree

 Love your soil - it's the lifeblood of your land.

PK

  • Joined Mar 2015
  • West Suffolk
    • Notes from a Suffolk Smallholding
Re: Top of hedge colour through the year ?
« Reply #6 on: August 28, 2020, 11:01:15 am »
Possibly too late  to suggest but Erigeron karvinskianus would do very well on a wall top. They have an informailty that suits that type of setting too. They flower all summer long. They are self seeding and you won't need to replant each year.

arobwk

  • Joined Nov 2015
  • Kernow: where 2nd-home owners rule !
Re: Top of hedge colour through the year ?
« Reply #7 on: August 28, 2020, 09:26:23 pm »
Never heard of E. Karvinskianus BUT I shall obviously go check out shortly - thanks PK. 

Client likes roses so I'm also presently checking out "ground-cover" rose varieties that tend to spread well, but stay below 0.5m in height. 
« Last Edit: August 28, 2020, 09:31:26 pm by arobwk »

arobwk

  • Joined Nov 2015
  • Kernow: where 2nd-home owners rule !
Re: Top of hedge colour through the year ?
« Reply #8 on: August 30, 2020, 06:05:02 pm »
Well I did check out E. Karvinkianus:  I do know this one after-all & I would rename (if I could) as E. Cantstopitgettingeverywhereianus.  I might not follow your suggestion [member=127142]PK[/member] .  Thanks though.

 

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