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Cheap, quick, pretty, ground cover

siananiganssiananigans Posts: 49
in Plants
Hello, I'm new to the forum but looking for some suggestions.

I have a narrow border next to a newly created parking space which at the moment is just bare soil and weeds. There's a lovely lilac in the corner which is coming into year 2 following a hard prune in 2016, a fence on one side and a hedge down the other. I'd like to fill the space with something that will look nice (smell nice) but that will fill the border quickly but relatively inexpensively. 

It's a sheltered spot and mainly shady as its against a fence though that soil can get very dry in the summer if I remember correctly. We have quite heavy soil generally - our garden gets very wet in the winter and very dry in the summer. 

I considered using English lavender (lavender augustifolia hidcote) but at the local garden center they were £10 a plant and to plant them the suggested spacing I'd need about 10-12 so that's a bit more than I'd, like to spend really. 

We are currently preparing to sell our house so I'm not looking to spend too much money as I won't be the one enjoying it, and need something that will spread and fill the space quite quickly.

Here's photos of the area. 

I look forward to your recommendations. 



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Posts

  • Ladybird4Ladybird4 Posts: 37,906
    Hello siananigans (love the name!) Its quite a challenging plot. Lacking scent but making up for that with colour, you can't beat hardy geraniums - a range of colours and quite forgiving of shade are varieties such as Geranium macrorrhizum and Geranium phaeum.
    Cacoethes: An irresistible urge to do something inadvisable
  • josusa47josusa47 Posts: 3,530
    I'd scatter some nasturtium seeds.  Cheap as chips. Not scented though.  For a little more money, the garden centre will sell you"ten week stocks.". They're fragrant.
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    edited April 2018
    You could dig in some compost and grit to your bed and plant a load of vinca minor - creeping periwinkle with blue flowers. Is fine with shade, doesn't need much looking after once it's settled in. Hardy geraniums get my vote too. If you are near North London I can give you as much vinca minor as you could shake a stick at. Perhaps both.
  • hogweedhogweed Posts: 4,053
    I would go for hardy annuals as well. For under a tenner you could fill that bed to overflowing. And if you are selling up, why spend any more. 
    'Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement' - Helen Keller
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    indeed
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    If I was preparing to move, I would leave it, there’s nothing like a blank border for a new owner. Whatever you put in they are likely to pull out, everyone wants to do a garden their own way.
    Once the summer comes the hedge will have filled out anyway. 
    You could sprinkle one of those mixed annuals seeds you can buy in set colours, like all pink  or blue. They’re about £1.99  you’d only need one packet. You will have to keep them watered though,  depends how busy you are. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
    If you settle for perennials, you could buy a couple of pots and then split the plants to save money, as long as you keep them well watered.
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    You could try something like vinca perhaps.
  • siananiganssiananigans Posts: 49
    Thank you for all your responses, definite food for thought!

    I had sort of decided to go with Nasturtiums as a quick easy filler, but I realised I forgot to mention originally that the area I live has a bit of a slug problem :(

    I read nasturtiums are good to grow near a veg patch as they attract the slugs and other pests away from your veg... Does that mean they're likely to just get eaten before doing any significant ground cover? 
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    Almost any tender new shoots will be slug fodder so sow what you fancy and, when they germinate, put down some slug pellets.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
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