clay soil isnt impoverished, its full of goodness, roses love, how lucky you, are we went there a few weeks ago, did the train ride, I will be polite, but I struck me, most folk along the route dont seem to enjoy gardening! For the plants apart from those you listed, you dont want, have a look on the nearby beaches see what does well, we have a halk shingle front garden, and over the past 4 years, snap dragons have self seeded really pretty, I never planted any, they are varying themselves in colour, and we get more every year.What about poppies, I must admit I have tried to get them to grow there without success. Be careful if you add/have the red valarian, it REALLY goes mad!
Thanks for your reply. The clay soil is about one foot deep then shingle, it has had no additional compost added for years if the shrubs sizes and weeds when we moved in first step was to clear the unwanted, extent and create larger beds, the builder filled any gaps with clay soil, not top quality. The plants we have added are growing slow and stunted, we water regularly only weeds survive....... glad you rode the train if you kept an eye out you'd have seen our garden as the train runs along the bottom. we are making progress slowly but thought someone might have Ideas that would put lots of colour into a shingle garden that has/needs our help
You could ask a local farmer to give/sell you a load of horse manure. You may have to pay a minimal cost for transport, but generally it's much cheaper than the bags. Some places do it by the ton. A liberal amount (several tons) over the whole garden one time, will help your plants for years and years. It does not smell that bad and its worth the effort
My parents have lived along that route all their lives and my mother has made 3 gardens from scratch there. The clay soil addition is not ideal to be honest. I also had a garden there.
There's a lot you can grow, depends if you are directly on the sea front or a side road which affords a little more shelter.
Most of the Mediterranean plants do well, as do herbs, clematis montana and alpina. Also cordyline and yukka if you like those.
I have seen pictures of the Jarman garden. It is lovely I wonder if it could be washed away in a severe North sea storm. I am nowhere near such interesting landscapes though. With coal measures to the south and salt to the north on the Cheshire plain. I wonder if people go as far as to move house to get the soils they want to match the plants they want to grow.
I think that now soil would influence my choice of house, having spent years improving the gardens I now have. It wouldn't be a deal breaker, but it would be a factor. I can imagine, on a house viewing, going straight through the house to the garden and riffling about in the soil, tasting it, sniffing it. It's what I do for most places I visit.
All the allotments near me are on very heavy clay and it puts a lot of people off - just too much hard work. A mire in winter and rock in summer. So much needed to bring in to make it workable.
@Iamweedy - no it wouldn't get washed away so easily. My grandmother had 9 children in the house next door to jarman and its a 100 years since she came to live there marrying a local fisherman whose family were all born there. It will survive for a long time yet and the advantage is : no flooding.
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There's a lot you can grow, depends if you are directly on the sea front or a side road which affords a little more shelter.
Most of the Mediterranean plants do well, as do herbs, clematis montana and alpina. Also cordyline and yukka if you like those.
I am nowhere near such interesting landscapes though. With coal measures to the south and salt to the north on the Cheshire plain.
I wonder if people go as far as to move house to get the soils they want to match the plants they want to grow.
'You must have some bread with it me duck!'