I agree that the position alongside a conifer hedge is very inhospitable but I don't think anyone is suggesting that plants should just be plonked there and left to get on with it.
If plenty of nutritious and moisture retaining FYM and/or leafmould is dug into the soil to prepare the bed before planting, and watering and tlc provided for the first couple of years, then I believe Dryopteris would cope in that position, with a good annual mulch and of course a good dousing with a bucketful or two of water if it's seen to be flagging in a particularly dry spell.
That at least has been my experience.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I have Centranthus, Crocosmia, Geranium Claridge Druce and shasta daisy( cant just remember the latin of the top of my head) they are all thriving under my neighbours hedge
My gardeb us 2ft higher than other gardens and the trunks are about 3ft away from boarder if not more. I have enriched solid and fertilise and water well. Will try and put another picture.
plants have thrived here, just stretched and pulled to light!
I had a geyser, heaucra, lupin, black wizard rudbeckia, hollyhock, scabiosa and dahlias In the bed. I have raspberries at the very left and back of the border. All grew well and flowered but pulled to sun.
the hollyhock didn't do too well with rust but grew like mad with the rusty leaves.
i have a foxglove to plant but I'm wondering if that would pull too. I have a little crocosmia type plant too with short strap leaves and that has done well.
Posts
I agree that the position alongside a conifer hedge is very inhospitable but I don't think anyone is suggesting that plants should just be plonked there and left to get on with it.
If plenty of nutritious and moisture retaining FYM and/or leafmould is dug into the soil to prepare the bed before planting, and watering and tlc provided for the first couple of years, then I believe Dryopteris would cope in that position, with a good annual mulch and of course a good dousing with a bucketful or two of water if it's seen to be flagging in a particularly dry spell.
That at least has been my experience.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I have Centranthus, Crocosmia, Geranium Claridge Druce and shasta daisy( cant just remember the latin of the top of my head) they are all thriving under my neighbours hedge
My gardeb us 2ft higher than other gardens and the trunks are about 3ft away from boarder if not more. I have enriched solid and fertilise and water well. Will try and put another picture.
plants have thrived here, just stretched and pulled to light!
I had a geyser, heaucra, lupin, black wizard rudbeckia, hollyhock, scabiosa and dahlias In the bed. I have raspberries at the very left and back of the border. All grew well and flowered but pulled to sun.
the hollyhock didn't do too well with rust but grew like mad with the rusty leaves.
i have a foxglove to plant but I'm wondering if that would pull too. I have a little crocosmia type plant too with short strap leaves and that has done well.
Which way does the bed face Red Dahlia?
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
West ish!
There ought to be enough sun there for foxgloves not to pull to the light too much.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.