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What to do with this part of garden?

Sam76Sam76 Posts: 151
in Garden design
Any suggestions what to with this part of our garden? We have a lot of grass to cut and this bit is narrow and awkward to get around, plus the birch  roots make it very bumpy underfoot.
Thanks

Posts

  • PlantmindedPlantminded Posts: 3,580
    This should help!

    Wirral. Sandy, free draining soil.


  • RubytooRubytoo Posts: 1,630
    Two questions to help others give ideas.

    What type of soil do you have?
    And what direction is the sun in the area through out the day?

    It looks like it has a partially shaded section and part full sun.

    I would plant some Epimediums if you want ground cover.
    Ferns go nicely along with them.

    Both have various types suitable for more or less sun and soils.

    I also once saw a lovely picture of Silver birches with some red stemmed Cornus. surrounding them. The contrast of stems in the winter looked lovely.

    There are various bulbs you could use too to give some interest at other times of the year.
    If you choose carefully you can have bulbs and not have to remove the leaves as ferns and Epimediums can hide them.

    Also cyclamen might do well there too depending on your soil.




     
  • Sam76Sam76 Posts: 151
    Thanks Rubytoo. We have clay soil here. It gets the sun 1st thing in morning, then partially shaded in the afternoon
  • plant pauperplant pauper Posts: 6,904
    Hi @Sam76 I've been looking for something to underplant Birch and read that because they are quite shallow rooted, hence the bumps, you can't grow anything too hungry. I can't find where I read it now of course. I've been looking at stipa and hosta and texturey things rather than big greedy perennials. Bulbs too in one part that's less claggy; I'm on pure bog peat over in the lakelands so that's another snag. I don't want anything too high as it would hide the silver stems until they get up a bit but the cornus could be nice as @Rubytoo says.
    I look forward to see how you go.
  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    edited August 2023
    @Sam76 You could buy just one plant of Geranium macrorrhizum White Ness and experiment. It can be cut back hard after flowering and every piece used as a cutting. If it works continue to increase your stock. It does look good en masse. It isn't that fussy on aspect but hates very wet soil.

    I worked in a garden where it was planted along the perimeter edge at the base of a fence. I trimmed it over after flowering. With some rain it regrew in 2 weeks making a shorter neat plant that looked good through to late autumn.

    You may have to accept that nothing will grow there well but the fact that the grass is looking good is promising. This kind of situation is always trial and error soil prep before planting is key but damaging the birch roots is to be avoided. That is your dilemma.
     Because the soil is shallow due to the roots any new plants need to be shallow rooted.
    You could also used Epimediums as mentioned, Sulphureum is one of the tougher ones.
     
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • Sam76Sam76 Posts: 151
    Thanks all for your ideas  :)
  • LoxleyLoxley Posts: 5,698
    Personally, I would use masses of Hakonechloa macra as the key plant, with ribbons of Geranium 'Whiteness', ferns and Epimediums. Then in more spaced-out clumps, something slightly taller such as Persicaria amplexicaulis 'Alba'. Japanese anemones would look great but they can turn rampant (could be a good thing or a bad thing!)
    "What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour". 
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