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Help with shrubs
in Plants
Hi
We have a large garden bordering at least 6 other houses. The garden was very neglected and we are just starting to make ground. Because of the bordering issues, we have a variety of fencing. I've looked at putting up a fence all the way round inside our boundary but the cost is crazy.
So, I've decided to put some borders, and hide the mish mash fences with plants. It also means less grass.
The first border we've dug is half circle, Maybe 3ft deep in the thickest part and 12ft long. I'd like easy to maintain shrubs along the back, that will eventually hide fences and I'll stick bulbs in, would love some flower perennials and seasonal maybe bedding plants towards the front.
Can anyone recommend good shrubs that fit this brief please?
We live in the south of England.
Thank you!
We have a large garden bordering at least 6 other houses. The garden was very neglected and we are just starting to make ground. Because of the bordering issues, we have a variety of fencing. I've looked at putting up a fence all the way round inside our boundary but the cost is crazy.
So, I've decided to put some borders, and hide the mish mash fences with plants. It also means less grass.
The first border we've dug is half circle, Maybe 3ft deep in the thickest part and 12ft long. I'd like easy to maintain shrubs along the back, that will eventually hide fences and I'll stick bulbs in, would love some flower perennials and seasonal maybe bedding plants towards the front.
Can anyone recommend good shrubs that fit this brief please?
We live in the south of England.
Thank you!
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The bed is full sun. The ground is very much alkaline (no rhody growing here). Hard to say re water. Def after the summer we had the ground was dry and cracked, but it's nice and moist now despite minimal rain. Definitely not a water log area. And the 2 neighbours I have, one has a privet growing and the other not much in the way of plants at all.
Thanks for reading...
Your soil can always be improved so that it retains moisture better, or alternatively, so that drainage is improved. Most plants grow best in soil which is open and free draining. If you don't intend planting right away, you can add some bags of well rotted manure to the ground, which will help achieve that over winter. If you don't have access to some stables, you can buy bags in G. Centres and diy stores. Just spread on top of the soil, and the worms and weather will help mix it in.
As to shrubs - there are some which will be fine in almost any situation, like Potentillas, but improving each planting hole with compost, and watering well until established, will help most things thrive. Ceanothus will be fine in the aspect you have too. You'll only be able to easily fit a couple of shrubs in that bed, and it depends on whether you want a symmetrical look , or something more free flowing. You could have one central shrub and then a smaller type on each side [Hebes would work well] with the rest of the bed filled with a mix of tall perennials and bulbs/groundcover.
The biggest issue is that it will be difficult to get something with height to hide fences, when you don't have the depth. It might be better to have climbers, but I don't know whether your bed is against the fence, or in the middle of the garden?
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Many of us ( though I am sure not all ) plant things too close to fences.
Then either spoil the eventual shape of the shrub by constantly hacking it back or reducing the height.
And give us more work to do when we could be enjoying other things in the garden like a nice glass of wine
So keep it in mind.
Along with Fairygirls idea of climbers. obelisks or some simple wigwams of hazel stick are a cheap option., you can try things out.
A slow growing but nice smaller lilac with little leaves is Syringa meyeri Palabin. It still has tons of sweet smelling flowers but a smaller scale than the big ones. But not for very long.
I use a clematis (viticella type) over it to give some later colour.
This can be cut back to the ground in winter, the dead bits are easy to cut remove and any little bits just dry up and fly away in winter, and it will come again next year.
Grasses might be another partial option, some look great in winter too.
Your plan to cover up the mix of fencing with shrubs is a good one but to cut down on the cost, you could get a mix of bare root native shrubs for, say 50-75% of the length you need to cover, with a couple of choicer shrubs for the remainder. Bare root shrubs like cornus or viburnum should be in the garden centres right now - just ask the staff if you're not sure.