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Very shallow soil

NewGardenerCornwallNewGardenerCornwall Posts: 40
in Problem solving
Hello. I have a retangle of soil that sits between my tarmac drive/pavement/steps. I was planning to plant a small bush and spring bulbs but discovered 7-9cm down is a concrete bed! It's clay soil, I've mixed compost and some small pieces of blue slate to help drainage (saved from what i had removed ). It's open on all 4 sides, only gets a little shade. So will get dry, but in a wet Cornish winter potential for soaked soil. What can I plant? Alpines?  I would like some height if possible. Are spring bulbs an option too?

Posts

  • CeresCeres Posts: 2,698
    Hi and welcome.
    Any chance of a photo of the site as it is difficult to come up with suggestions without some idea of the size.
  • InglezinhoInglezinho Posts: 568
    edited May 2021
    Concrete is a bad problem and if you can break it in any way, it will be a help. Fast growing annuals that thrive in poor thin soil will be the best option in the short term. Marigolds ? Antirrhinums? Toadflax?  Add some fertilizer. Good luck.
    Everyone likes butterflies. Nobody likes caterpillars.
  • NewGardenerCornwallNewGardenerCornwall Posts: 40
    Approx 100 x 60 cm.
  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 24,043
    I think that if you want anything of any height you will have to break up the concrete and remove as much as you can. It isn't a huge area. You can hire concrete breakers, but I don't know what they cost.
    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    NewGardenerCornwall said:
    What can I plant? Alpines?  I would like some height if possible. Are spring bulbs an option too?
    Absolutely no use for alpines. They need sharp drainage. 
    A concrete base is unlikely to drain well enough for any planting, unless it's on a good slope, so if you can't break it up, you'll have to have containers - either purchased or ones made to fit the space. That way, you'll have more scope and it will also give you height. Something fixed is less likely to be pinched too.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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