Understand you now. How do they survive to any decent degree when there's minimal soil above the plastic sheeting?
Beats me, but they do. We have the same, gravel over sheeting, and it's the best area in the garden for getting seeds to go! I stand primroses on the gravel and let them seed around. Next year there'll be lots of baby primroses! I'm going to set up a cold frame full of gravel so I can do it "officially"
I'm guessing the plants that might struggle would be anything with a tap root? Thinking californian poppies here as I liked the idea of spreading them round there until I found out how relatively deep their roots get.
Mainly due to the fact that they are low growing and small plants. Most of these plants survive with very little root structure and prefer less water and dampness. They normally prefer dry soil conditions if grown in the ground or in pots. Campanulas I recommended tends to spread sideways, so useful for ground/wall covering.
If you like Californian Poppies, try some in pots and try some in the gravel. It’s all worth a try.
I agree with Will, and will enhance the view, especially if you can hide the sheds.
Bottled this new border last year but tempted to go ahead with it this year.
Only 'issue' so to speak is I intend to get a house with my girlfriend within the next few years so I'm not really thinking along the lines of shrubs or small trees etc. that will take a longer time to establish and get some height. Not keen to plant something I won't get the benefit from!
To create height and help hide the sheds, I have been thinking along the lines of a large cluster of hollyhocks and/or a buddleja. Granted it's not providing constant cover for the sheds but would provide annual interest over a decent period.
Would there be any other tall and quick growing sorts of plants (over a decent chunk of the growing season) worth considering too? The spot is in full sun through spring and summer.
Echinops are super tall perennials and the bees love them! The Echinops I have in my garden is well up to 6ft tall atm and isn't close to flowering yet.
That's a good shout, had forgotten about them, would prefer that to a buddleja as I already have a dwarf budlleja in the existing border. Will suit my dry, sandy soil too.
If I make the border deep enough I could always have hollyhocks behind something like that. I grew creme de cassis last year and got to approximately 12ft tall so don't think they'd have too much bother making themselves seen.
Have measured from the back of the grass in line with how many of the edging stones I'd look to remove from the existing border and it would give a depth of approximately 1.7m, that should allow room for hollyhocks behind something else at least.
Tempted to create a wild flower strip down the left side of the lawn as well.
Been researching a lot of options well in advance for a change, echinops and eryngium being some of the front runners.
That way I can buy the smaller pots of them for £2 a pop from the local garden centre and pot them on in time for autumn planting. Likewise I've just had some salvia plugs delivered and now potted them up.
Hadn't given much thought to some evergreen structure though, would a euphorbia of some description do well in a dry, sandy, exposed site?
This rose also caught my eye given it seems oddly adaptable in where it can grow-
Look how good that rose looks as a hedge. Maybe plant a whole row of it, with some stuff planted underneath it?
I'd be cautious about Echinops, it doesn't look great when it goes over. I mean the frosted seed heads look good, but I often see it looking battered and mildew just after flowering.
Euphorbia c. Wulfenii would work well for some evergreen structure, they look good planted on corners.
"What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour".
It does look stunning but it is a bit pricey for that. Given I have a completed mixed existing border it might look a bit odd in comparison don't you think? Do want to try and leave a gap of some sort (shorter plants) so the far away corner bed stays visible.
Have fancied globe thistles for a while as well but never had anywhere to put them. More than happy to hear other suggestions though, providing it's not something that's going to take 5 years to come to fruition.
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If you like Californian Poppies, try some in pots and try some in the gravel. It’s all worth a try.
Only 'issue' so to speak is I intend to get a house with my girlfriend within the next few years so I'm not really thinking along the lines of shrubs or small trees etc. that will take a longer time to establish and get some height. Not keen to plant something I won't get the benefit from!
To create height and help hide the sheds, I have been thinking along the lines of a large cluster of hollyhocks and/or a buddleja. Granted it's not providing constant cover for the sheds but would provide annual interest over a decent period.
Would there be any other tall and quick growing sorts of plants (over a decent chunk of the growing season) worth considering too? The spot is in full sun through spring and summer.
If I make the border deep enough I could always have hollyhocks behind something like that. I grew creme de cassis last year and got to approximately 12ft tall so don't think they'd have too much bother making themselves seen.
Tempted to create a wild flower strip down the left side of the lawn as well.
That way I can buy the smaller pots of them for £2 a pop from the local garden centre and pot them on in time for autumn planting. Likewise I've just had some salvia plugs delivered and now potted them up.
Hadn't given much thought to some evergreen structure though, would a euphorbia of some description do well in a dry, sandy, exposed site?
This rose also caught my eye given it seems oddly adaptable in where it can grow-
https://www.davidaustinroses.co.uk/kew-gardens
When roses like this are described as 'extremely vigorous', does that mean they can get close to full size in a couple of seasons?
I'd be cautious about Echinops, it doesn't look great when it goes over. I mean the frosted seed heads look good, but I often see it looking battered and mildew just after flowering.
Euphorbia c. Wulfenii would work well for some evergreen structure, they look good planted on corners.
Have fancied globe thistles for a while as well but never had anywhere to put them. More than happy to hear other suggestions though, providing it's not something that's going to take 5 years to come to fruition.