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Narrow planter ideas

alan544alan544 Posts: 36
in Garden design
I recently designed and built a nice little area in my garden with slatted cedar cladding, corner seating and water feature. I have an area behind the seating for planting. It's only narrow at 20cm and the length is around 180cm. 

I always struggle when I go to a garden centre as everything looks great but then I never know how it could work in my space and how to combine the plants so it doesn't look like a mish-mash.

I decided on whispy style grasses but these have gone crazy and I realise I made the wrong decision as you just can't sit there without being enclosed in the forest!!

I'm also thinking I'd like a bit more colour and probably plants that grow up as opposes to draping over the seating.

Any ideas, thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

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Posts

  • PlantmindedPlantminded Posts: 3,580
    How deep is your planter @alan544, which direction does it face and what kind of soil or compost have you used?
    Wirral. Sandy, free draining soil.


  • alan544alan544 Posts: 36
    Plantminded said:
    How deep is your planter @alan544, which direction does it face and what kind of soil or compost have you used?
    Hi. Sorry, forgot to mention that. It's 40cm deep and it's a half-half mix of Multipurpose compost and John Innes 3.
  • PlantmindedPlantminded Posts: 3,580
    edited September 2023
    Thank you.  Although the planter is narrow, that’s a reasonable root depth. There are some small upright grasses that might suit such as Stipa or Nassella tenuissima and Molinia Torch, plus sedges like Carex Red Rooster which is a nice contrast.  They all prefer an impoverished soil so I’d use topsoil mixed with your MPC rather than JI3. I’d interplant the grasses with something seasonal for colour like winter pansies or violas, followed by spring bulbs like tulips which you can plant in November, then some upright annuals like pelargoniums or similar in summer.  Nice arrangement you have built there! I’m assuming your planter gets some sun and has adequate drainage holes.
    Wirral. Sandy, free draining soil.


  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    If it's an area that gets plenty of sun I'd think about Mediterranean type herbs.
    Oregano, rosemary, thyme, lavender etc which would give colour and scent.
    The downside is the more flowers you have the more bees there will be around your seating area which some wouldn't want.

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • alan544alan544 Posts: 36
    Plantminded said:
    Thank you.  Although the planter is narrow, that’s a reasonable root depth. There are some small upright grasses that might suit such as Stipa or Nassella tenuissima and Molinia Torch, plus sedges like Carex Red Rooster which is a nice contrast.  They all prefer an impoverished soil so I’d use topsoil mixed with your MPC rather than JI3. I’d interplant the grasses with something seasonal for colour like winter pansies or violas, followed by spring bulbs like tulips which you can plant in November, then some upright annuals like pelargoniums or similar in summer.  Nice arrangement you have built there! I’m assuming your planter gets some sun and has adequate drainage holes.
    Thanks for this. I'm a little hesitant in getting grasses again as I originally thought the ones I originally planted would stay upright (to a point). Yes, it does get sun. It is in the corner of the garden but during summer months gets the sun from around 11-6pm and gets pretty hot.
  • alan544alan544 Posts: 36
    Pete.8 said:
    If it's an area that gets plenty of sun I'd think about Mediterranean type herbs.
    Oregano, rosemary, thyme, lavender etc which would give colour and scent.
    The downside is the more flowers you have the more bees there will be around your seating area which some wouldn't want.
    Thanks for this. Yes, I did think about going down the herb route. I wasn't very successful in my previous herb venture but I think that's more about where they were located and they were in small pots. If I went down this route could I then plant other annuals in between those for a bit of colour all year round?
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    edited September 2023
    You can certainly add annuals, but the important thing is to make sure the soil mix suits whatever you plant. 
    Any raised bed or similar, is basically a container, so any plant you put in is reliant on you for it's needs, especially in dry, sunny sites. Even plants which like Mediterranean conditions will need watered regularly. It's not the same as them being in the ground, where they establish, and can access moisture when needed. 
    The soil level will always drop over time, so you also need to keep topping it up at regular intervals.  :)
    Salvias might work quite well, and things like Asters for this time of year. Some of the latter can get mildew-y so it will depend on your location/climate and how well you maintain the planting. Some of the Veronicas might also work. I have a Verbena which I think is rigida. It's not supposed to be reliably hardy but mine does come back, even after plenty of harsh temps. It's in a raised bed which helps, as it prevents excess water retention, which is the main problem here    :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    A combination of herbs and annuals would work well.
    I think key would be the medium they're planted in.
    If you treat them mean they will not get tall and floppy.
    So don't add fertilizers or anything to enrich the soil and make sure it drains easily, so a gritty mix.
    If you've seen herbs growing in places like Greece they seem to grow on almost bare rocks and get very little rain - that makes them tough and resilient - and more importantly keeps them small and stout.

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • PlantmindedPlantminded Posts: 3,580
    Grasses will get lax and flop over if there's too much nitrogen in the soil. The varieties I've suggested are narrow and columnar.  Mediterranean herbs will also flop over in rich soil. Another option is to grow something evergreen which you can interplant with annuals, bulbs etc.  An easy plant which will cope in that situation is Euonymus, with several varieties available in green and different forms of variegation.  I use it as an edging around the patio.
    Wirral. Sandy, free draining soil.


  • alan544alan544 Posts: 36
    Really appreciate everybody's help with this. So much to think about.

    With the compost/John Innes mix I've currently got am I therefore limited to what I can plant or could I take some of that out and mix with a grittier mix if I wanted different types of plants.

    I think compost is the thing I get so confused with and then end up doing the half-half mix for everything!!
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