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Plant Advice.

watts.brimwatts.brim Posts: 3
in Garden design
Hi there,
my husband has just built me some raised flower beds but are unsure what plants to get. I would like low maintenance.  So any advice would help.
Carolyn.
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Posts

  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    Hello Carolyn, 
    Can you give a bit more information, such as whereabouts in the UK you are (a general location will do), is it a sunny or shady site, what size are the beds, and finally what sort of plants are you thinking of ? Perennials, evergreen, annuals or a mix?
    If you can post a photo or two that might help as well.
  • Slow-wormSlow-worm Posts: 1,630
    Pretty much everything I plant is low maintenance, lol! So if you can give us a bit of info like @AnniD says, there's a lot to choose from. 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    edited February 2023
    Keep the photos at around 1MB so that they load easily and the right way up @watts.brim . Ongoing problem with the site.
    Need plenty of info too, as said - general climate as well.
    Raised beds also need topping up regularly as the level settles, so always make sure the plants are planted at the level of the top edge. That makes it easier to top up as you aren't then burying the plants. Fine with bulbs, but not anything that would suffer with crowns too deep and therefore being prone to rotting   :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • watts.brimwatts.brim Posts: 3
    Hello Fairygirl. Thank you for getting back to me. I live in Hampshire so climate is not to bad. I’m a complete novice when it comes to gardening, so not sure what is Annual or Perennial, or a mixture.  The beds get the shades for a few hours in the morning, then full sun. I would like lots of colour but also retain interest during those winter months.  I want to keep it simply where I don’t need to keep planting.  I do like evergreens.

  • watts.brimwatts.brim Posts: 3
    Sorry about the photos, but I can’t seemed to rotate them. 🤦‍♀️
  • Fran IOMFran IOM Posts: 2,872

    You can see it much better now. Hope you get plenty of advice.  :)
  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    I would probably go for something like lavender off the top of my head, and perhaps Sarcococca as well.
    That's a tough evergreen in my experience, and at this time of year the tiny flowers put out a strong perfume. 
    Maybe cistus aka rock rose as well.
    I'm sure @Slow-worm and others will have more suggestions and possibly better ones.
    Throughout the year you could put in temporary bedding plants such as pansies or violas in the Spring, maybe pelargoniums in the Summer. 
    A lot depends on your personal taste colour wise etc.
  • Songbird-2Songbird-2 Posts: 2,349
    I can just see some Tumbling Ted ( saponaria ocymoides) spilling over the edge of that planter and some White Rock too( aka snow in summer/cerastium tomemtosum). Summer annuals( those that just last a year) could include some Cosmos( my favourite) and maybe some Mexican Fleabane( Erigeron karvinskianus). 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    edited February 2023
    Sarcococca won't be happy in that amount of sun. Lavender will be fine if you like it. 
    Go for perennials if you want lower maintenance - annuals require sowing each year or you'd have to buy bedding plants every year.  :)
    Low growing plants like Aubretia, Arabis and the alpine Phloxes [all are evergreen] will happily tumble over the edges, and a couple of larger evergreens will be useful for winter colour too. Heathers if the soil suits [most prefer neutral to acid ] Euphorbias [the smaller, evergreen ones] and even some of the more structural Euonymous will all be fine and are low maintenance.
    The later flowering Sedums are also great - they're now called Hylotelephium, but you'll still see them as Sedum spectabile in most places. 
    Bulbs and hardy geraniums are always a good, simple solution. All are easy for maintenance. There are lots of other small plants you can add, like dwarf [hardy] Geraniums and Pasqueflowers, and other perennials like Knapweed [cornflower] Salvias, Liatris, Veronicas and Kniphofias, depending on what colours you like. Many of those are verticals, which is necessary to avoid the bed all being too similar in size and shape.
    There are also smaller grasses which would work if you like those. 
     
    Keep the colour scheme simple or it'll jar in such a small bed. You'll need to refresh and replace some of the soil as mentioned earlier, but other than that, those won't need much attention. Just allow for enough room for the plants so that you don't have to keep removing them if they get too big, although that can still happen    :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    I do have a Sarcococca in full sun but it is slightly shaded by a pergola, so does have a bit of protection.
    I think a lot depends on the amount of time you want to spend looking after the plants deadheading, etc.
    A good idea to visit a garden centre or two and see what's available at various times of the year. 
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