Hardy geraniums are usually suggested (on the forum) as a good filler beside hedges. I know some I've had have survived being dug up, chucked in a corner, and have still flowered 😳. Nasturtiums can grow well in poor soil and would tumble down over the sleepers. Could work as a cheap and cheerful solution for a splash of colour this season.
I'd mulch like I said to improve the soil and retain moisture to keep the hedge happy. It's probably lost some roots and will struggle a bit in dry weather this year. Use troughs or pots on top of the wall this year and then get your irrigation plans in place to plant it up next spring.
If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
Thanks for the advice. I'm definitely going to get the irrigation sorted out as a priority. I'd rather not buy a new water butt though, when I've got a perfectly serviceable old one. I'd prefer to spend the money on plants. Geraniums and nasturtiums sound like a great idea.
The sleepers are already one row higher than I originally planned to go, the lower height just didn't look right. And no, they are not secured to each other, but we're keeping an eye out for movement.
You spotted the artificial grass then. It actually looks better than the photo would have you believe. Soil spillage isn't a problem, but the birds do like to chuck the bark mulch about, so I have to sweep that up regularly and chuck it back on.
I like the look of the sleepers. Are those privet? The roots from that hedge will quickly colonise whatever you try and do in front of it. How about putting down a barrier between the small border and the hedge- sink a 2 foot deep piece of correx/aluminium along the entire length of the border as close to the hedge as you can get
The bushes have been there for about 35 years so are very well established. Never been too sure what they are though. They'll have groups of little white flowers on later in the year. The soil right underneath them is only about 8 inches deeper than it was before. We've just taken the steep slope out so we could get the front edge down the the same level as the hardstanding, making it less muddy for getting in and out of the car. The sleepers came from a local reclamation yard and were half the price of new ones.
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Nasturtiums can grow well in poor soil and would tumble down over the sleepers. Could work as a cheap and cheerful solution for a splash of colour this season.
The sleepers are already one row higher than I originally planned to go, the lower height just didn't look right. And no, they are not secured to each other, but we're keeping an eye out for movement.
You spotted the artificial grass then. It actually looks better than the photo would have you believe. Soil spillage isn't a problem, but the birds do like to chuck the bark mulch about, so I have to sweep that up regularly and chuck it back on.
Are those privet?
The roots from that hedge will quickly colonise whatever you try and do in front of it.
How about putting down a barrier between the small border and the hedge- sink a 2 foot deep piece of correx/aluminium along the entire length of the border as close to the hedge as you can get