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Planting for near vertical south facing bank.

ben.fosterben.foster Posts: 21
in Plants
Happy Easter weekend all ☀️ 

Last autumn i terraced a seating area and lawn from a steep slope in our south facing garden. I’ve backfilled the retaining sleepers and planted all sorts from Verbascum, agave to a 4 meter Trachycarpus someone wanted rid of.
I’m now struggling with inspiration for the tricky steep bit of the sun baked bank and would love some suggestions on vigorous evergreen ground cover to not only look good, but to stop the rain washing away the already thin, sun baked soil. 

The 2 pics include a close up of the bank and a drone shot of when the terrace was almost finished, pre-lawn etc. 

Thanks in advanced for your thoughts! 

Posts

  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889
    great work. I'd consider ivy as a ground cover
    Devon.
  • raisingirlraisingirl Posts: 7,093
    how about helianthemums, saxifrage, aubretia and sedums?
    Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon

    “It's still magic even if you know how it's done.” 
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    edited April 2019
    Somr practical suggestions here https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=834

    Ive seen the coir matting work really well to help plants establish on a steep bank 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • ben.fosterben.foster Posts: 21
    raisingirl said:
    how about helianthemums, saxifrage, aubretia and sedums?
    Love the idea of helianthemums, but the rabbits here seem to target them!
  • ben.fosterben.foster Posts: 21
    Dovefromabove said:
    Somr practical suggestions here https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=834

    Ive seen the coir matting work really well to help plants establish on a steep bank 
    Thanks for this, just ordered some of the Japanese honeysuckle off the back of this article, albeit for a different slope. 
  • LoxleyLoxley Posts: 5,698
    You could dig some big planting holes at the top and fill with rich soil, and then plant Trachelospermum, and allow it to drape down the slope. I'm not sure, but it may take root on the slope if you peg down the trailing stems. 
    "What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour". 
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    Vinca?
  • chickychicky Posts: 10,410
    Snap Fire, I was going to suggest vinca too.  Trails well, plus the bonus of purple flowers 💜
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    There are various types to investigate.
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    There's a pink germanium thug that would do well there too. I don't remember what it's called but it has deep roots and will grow anywhere.
    In London. Keen but lazy.
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