Smallholders Insurance from Greenlands

Author Topic: Groundcover conifers  (Read 3043 times)

Creagan

  • Joined Jun 2013
Groundcover conifers
« on: January 23, 2016, 05:51:59 pm »
Having had some work done around the house and driveway, I'm left with a big steep banking which needs something planted on it. I don't want it to be grass as I'd rather not have the hassle of perching on the side of a hill with a strimmer several times a year.
I was thinking of some kind of spreading conifer that would hopefully shade out weeds and need minimal maintenance, but looking for suggestions on what to plant, spacings, etc. Must be hardy and idiot proof!
Thanks

Marches Farmer

  • Joined Dec 2012
  • Herefordshire
Re: Groundcover conifers
« Reply #1 on: January 23, 2016, 06:00:37 pm »
Junipers would do the job, but slowly - Horizontalis or Squamata.  Could intersperse with ivy  or vinca minor and maybe something that'll look after itself - aquilegia, Welsh poppies and Japanese anemone, perhaps?

clydesdaleclopper

  • Joined Aug 2009
  • Aberdeenshire
Re: Groundcover conifers
« Reply #2 on: January 23, 2016, 07:54:47 pm »
Why not get something like the Nepalese Raspberry which is a ground cover species and when you can be bothered to reach to pick them you can get some yummy fruit from them.
Our holding has Anglo Nubian and British Toggenburg goats, Gotland sheep, Franconian Geese, Blue Swedish ducks, a whole load of mongrel hens and two semi-feral children.

pgkevet

  • Joined Jul 2011
Re: Groundcover conifers
« Reply #3 on: January 26, 2016, 06:36:41 am »
camomile lawn? Heathers?

Fleecewife

  • Joined May 2010
  • South Lanarkshire
    • ScotHebs
Re: Groundcover conifers
« Reply #4 on: January 26, 2016, 11:38:35 am »

Laying a good quality weed suppressing fabric, planting whatever you choose through it, then mulching with chopped bark (gravel may well just slide down the slope if it's very steep) should make the area maintenance free.  More expensive to start with but worth it.  Bulbs and so on would look lovely, but they make weeding very difficult.
I've no suggestions as to what to plant as I dislike conifers and heathers - unless ground cover roses?
"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.

Creagan

  • Joined Jun 2013
Re: Groundcover conifers
« Reply #5 on: January 31, 2016, 07:43:37 pm »
Heather could be a good call- would certainly look in keeping with the rest of the place.
I'm pretty sure gravel would slide down the bank, and I'm not convinced that bark wouldn't either do the same or just be blown away!

cloddopper

  • Joined Jun 2013
  • South Wales .Carmarthenshire. SA18
Re: Groundcover conifers
« Reply #6 on: February 15, 2016, 12:00:19 am »
camomile lawn? Heathers?

 I spent quite a few bob on the supposedly non flowering dwarf max height 3 inches tall chamomile plants , grew them on in one of my high raised beds , took zillions of cuttings and ended up with over 15 sq mtr of them packed in better than sardines they looked & felt lovely to touch . The propagate via creepers & cuttings of the same .

 Spent six or so days lifting them & planting them carefully at the suggested spacing of one plant per six inches apart in the front lawn , every one took well &, came up beautifully.
We came back off five weeks holiday to find a slight problem ..... They were now  14 inches tall and almost all had loads of flowers .

Round up solve the problem .

The suppliers  ( IIRC.... Someone somewhere close to where it was supposed to have been discovered in the Lake District ? ) declined to replace thie plants even though I sent them several photos of the stages of growth . They said they lawn was not the original plants they'd supplied and in any case I could not prove it was the plants they had supplied . I was rather  :rant:  :rant: at the time .
Strong belief , triggers the mind to find the way ... Dyslexia just makes it that bit more amusing & interesting

 

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