> What would you do shrub-wise if it was your wall Wayside? Probably nothing or too much from over thinking. A yew hedge or rosmary would be quite plain, care free, and flowers above would pop, if you were happy with planters on the balcony, as an alternative. Not that shrubs have to be hard work. Our front garden is small and only has a few shrubs and it pretty much takes care of itself. Choices, choices.
One shrub l would suggest would be nandina , there are various ones including "Obsession", very colourful in the winter, also pyracantha with various coloured berries. I would also make the bed a good size, l hate seeing shrubs lined up in a narrow little bed against a wall looking as if they're about to face a firing squad! @Lplategardener247
If it were mine I'd make a border as wide as possible, almost to the top of the slope, then plant an informal mixed border with shrubs, perennials and bulbs, but that's my taste not yours. In terms of plants, West facing, sandy soil and the slope probably means it's bright and quite well drained, so you have a wide choice, you just need to avoid damp/bog lovers and shade lovers and anything not suited to your climate. Apart from that, it depends what kind of look you want - formal, informal, colourful, all-green, limited colour palette, etc, and how much cash you can spend on it, how much time you can spend maintaining it, etc.
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
Thank you so much for all your helpful comments, really kind of you to take trouble to advise me. I should have probably posted a pic which shows the steep incline of the house. Here is one which hopefully gives some perspective. I would love to have a front garden like yours hostafan but the slope is the issue!
Ah, that might make a large bed a bit of a problem ! How far out can you bring the bed without having to abseil up and down the slope ? The thing to bear in mind is the wall "footings", and also any rain shadow it might produce.
I would start with as wide a border at the top as you can manage ..... then, as the gardening bug begins to bite you'll want more and more room for plants so you can make terraces into that slope ... I'd make them wider at the left hand side as we look at it, and narrower to the right hand side, so that they're sort of fan shaped ....... you'll soon fill them up ... and some little pathways along the terraces will be gorgeous and enable you to get at the beds ... so much safer than trying to mow a sloping lawn
So yes, start at the top with shrubs as everyone is suggesting ... but remember ... it'll just be the start of a love affair with gardening
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
60cm would be okay at a pinch as any shrub's roots could find a way under the grass. I think your sandy soil would be more of an issue with drainage down the slope, making hydration of the plants a bit more of a problem. It might be a good idea as already suggested to beef up your soil with manure or leafmould and possibly put an edging in help keep the moisture where it's needed. Just do some research on which shrubs would enjoy sandy soil, grow to the height you want and are low maintenance as I would imagine you won't want to spare a lot of time maintaining a border at the front of the house.
Thank you so much for the ideas. I will start with the shrubs suited to my soil. I just wondered whether I should buy 3 different types so that, as Anni suggested it does not look like a row of soldiers?! I would love something fan shaped and striking like a cordaline and which would make a statement width wise and help fill the 15m stretch! I guess that will grow too big height-wise. I also love euphorbias and my garden centre has a lot in at the moment but I am not sure how they will end up as I have a couple I have had to hard prune as they became too leggy. Any other advice really welcome and thank you again
Posts
Probably nothing or too much from over thinking. A yew hedge or rosmary would be quite plain, care free, and flowers above would pop, if you were happy with planters on the balcony, as an alternative. Not that shrubs have to be hard work. Our front garden is small and only has a few shrubs and it pretty much takes care of itself. Choices, choices.
What's the little tree?
How high is the render?
If it were mine I'd make a border as wide as possible, almost to the top of the slope, then plant an informal mixed border with shrubs, perennials and bulbs, but that's my taste not yours. In terms of plants, West facing, sandy soil and the slope probably means it's bright and quite well drained, so you have a wide choice, you just need to avoid damp/bog lovers and shade lovers and anything not suited to your climate. Apart from that, it depends what kind of look you want - formal, informal, colourful, all-green, limited colour palette, etc, and how much cash you can spend on it, how much time you can spend maintaining it, etc.
Wall height is 107cm
Just want to make it less fort-like, as one neighbour kindly put it!!!
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.