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Plants that don't mind piles of leaves

dangermousiedangermousie Posts: 356
in Problem solving
Hello, my neighbour struggles with the leaves from the woodland covering her grass by her front door. She's thinking of getting artificial grass. What are her alternatives? Stemmy small shrubs? It's full shade, only a few m2.  Thanks
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  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    Leaves will still be blown all over the artificial grass, so that isn't really a solution.  Perhaps she could try a broom, or a leaf blower?
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    Some leaf blowers can be very heavy and a problem to store for the rest of the year.
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • izzy8izzy8 Posts: 147
    Can't the leaves be raked up.She could make leafmold with them. Grass or astro turf she will still have the same problem
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    The leaves will land on whatever she has in her garden be it shrubs, grass or plastic.
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • bédébédé Posts: 3,095
    What I know about neighbours is that they usually do what they want.  Do you think you can infuence yours?
     location: Surrey Hills, England, ex-woodland acidic sand.
    "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
  • dangermousiedangermousie Posts: 356
    The grass is against the wall and the house is metres from woodland. The grass is a problem because leaves kill it in patches and cause work like taking and blowing. She's extremely busy with two kids.
    Not to worry, I think some hedge type plants will enjoy the natural process of building up with leaves between stems and rotting down to feed the soil. Something a bit leggy, woodland shrub. Just not sure what! But something that doesn't need to have leaves removed ☺️
  • dangermousiedangermousie Posts: 356
    bédé said:
    What I know about neighbours is that they usually do what they want.  Do you think you can infuence yours?
    We're friends, I'm just trying to help her out. It's not a battle 😜
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Indeed @dangermousie.  :)
    She could certainly have a few shrubs. Is the ground drier or wetter? I don't  know your general location/climate. Damp ground is easier - Viburnums would be fine, and many are evergreen, so you won't have masses of dropped foliage. Although they aren't evergreen - Potentillas are fine in shade - long flowering. The foliage is small, so when it drops, it's fairly invisible. Many Spireas are also fine, and again - the foliage is small. All easy shrubs, and any leaves coming in from the nearby woodland would just give extra nourishment for the shrubs themselves.
    You'd only need two or three if it's a small space. They could all be underplanted with bulbs as well, for a bit of colour, and some hardy geraniums to fill the gaps until the shrubs fill out. That's always a good pairing. Things like Ajuga would also provide ground cover [evergreen] and even Vinca, although some people find it invasive. Some types are better than others though in that respect.

    If it's dry shade, that could be more difficult. Not something we really have here, so someone else may have suggestions for that  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • dangermousiedangermousie Posts: 356
    edited October 2022
    Wow thanks @Fairygirl, that's a good list of options for me to propose :smile: It's certainly wet right now but we're in Berkshire, so aside from the drought, it has been somewhere inbetween. Viburnum would be ideal, but we have a huge viburnum beetle issue in the immediate area. I'm not familiar with the others so will check them out. Thanks

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    The Vib. beetle isn't terribly common on this side where I am, but it's certainly more prevalent in the east, so I can only assume it's weather related. I did see one near me earlier this year, which was affected, but after being cut back it's now fine and growing away. We had a very hot dry summer last year, and a very mild, dry winter, so whether that's the reason for it or not, I'm not sure. 
    There will be other shrubs too, but those are very easy, so that might be most suitable. Philadelphus are also good, but not evergreen. Take a look at those too. They can be pruned if they get a bit too big as well  :)
    They'd all need well watered until established, but this is a good time of year to get them in. Once established - Spireas and Potentillas can cope with some longer dry spells anyway  :)
    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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