Help/advice needed on planting

stackerman

Hi all
I am trying to get a few ideas for planting in this area below. Ive planted the whole garden bar this area and it is doing my head in
I am looking for plants that would look well against the stone, starting with small at the front (path edge) and building up to large ish at the back. The plants at the back, and in general need to be of a type that I can cut them back if they get too high (above bottom of the window).
I have spent a small fortune on the garden already (1 acre) and any plants that my wife has pointed out are either too expensive or they would need so many as to work out the same, EXPENSIVE.
I dont mind work getting it done, but as the garden is so big, I would rather something that will be low maintanance long run.
Many thanks in advance !!

Keving

Oh yes, area is West, South/West facing



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Graces7

keving wrote: »

Hi all
I am trying to get a few ideas for planting in this area below. Ive planted the whole garden bar this area and it is doing my head in
I am looking for plants that would look well against the stone, starting with small at the front (path edge) and building up to large ish at the back. The plants at the back, and in general need to be of a type that I can cut them back if they get too high (above bottom of the window).
I have spent a small fortune on the garden already (1 acre) and any plants that my wife has pointed out are either too expensive or they would need so many as to work out the same, EXPENSIVE.
I dont mind work getting it done, but as the garden is so big, I would rather something that will be low maintanance long run.
Many thanks in advance !!

Keving

Oh yes, area is West, South/West facing



IMG_0019.JPG
IMG_0020.JPG
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The way to cut costs is the slow one; growing from seed eg herbaceous perennials.

Or a themed Irish native garden; coillte have very reasanable saplings.

Anything else will eat money.

pegleg peggy

Try the National Garden Centre in Kilquade County Wicklow. They have over 20 exhibition gardens and I alwasy go there if I need inspiration. Their nursery sells allt he plants you seeon display in the exhibition area. They have half price entry to the exhibition gardens on Saturday May 22 (€2.50) during their Open Day, and there will be experts on hand to give demonstrations and answer questions.

Sonnenblumen

Graces7 wrote: »

The way to cut costs is the slow one; growing from seed eg herbaceous perennials.

Or a themed Irish native garden; coillte have very reasanable saplings.

Anything else will eat money.

OP if you want to waste huge amount of time and energy go and plant a herbaceous garden from seed! And when the Autumn comes around, you can go away for 6 months or more because your garden will be nothing. I've no idea what a 'themed Irish garden' is, a piece of Connemara??


A few saplings might save some €€€ but like everything the end results will be dependent on your preparedness to invest some resources (time, money and energy).

A herbaceous garden is anything but a low maintenance solution. What you need is a plan, and by all means go visit specialist garden centres (Not to be confused with DIY outlets), many have reasonable and sometimes very good displays and most have no admission charges.

Spending money is not wasting money, going ahead with a flawed plan or no plan will certainly waste valuable resources.

What you need is probably a planting plan/scheme. Not hugely expensive especially when compared to time and resources which will be spent implementing it (whether it be seed or mature stock etc).

It is impossible to respond directly to your request for info as there are so many factors to be considered before recommending any specific plants.

looksee

I have to agree with Sonnenblumen, herbacious borders can look lovely, but they are very labour intensive and one-season, and look like nothing through the winter.

You have a lovely plot there, southwest facing, with a wall that will soak up heat and radiate it back to keep your plants sheltered.

I would suggest that you dig it over and take out anything that is in it. Dig in some compost or bagged manure then cover it with weed suppressant membrane and something like woodchips.

Before you put on the woodchips, cut biggish crosses in the membrane and carefully take out enough soil to put in a shrub, fold back the crosses then cut out a square of membrane, make a single cut to a little ring in the middle and put it round the plant like a collar. Then cover with wood chips or whatever.

As to the shrubs, if you are not specifically interested in plants, go for the more usual vigorous shrubs, but buy them from a good nursery, its false economy to buy cheap supermarket shrubs.

Prostrate ceonothus is evergreen and has lovely blue flowers.
Eleagnus is variagated and can be pruned to control it.
One or two prostrate or slow growing conifers would be good
Pieris are easy and give a nice show of pinky leaves in spring
A couple of japanese acers would give a bit of height and while they are deciduous, they are worth waiting for.
Hardy fuschias
Abelia is a bit unusual but looks well for quite a long time through the summer.

There are lots more possibilities, if you go for decorative grasses make sure they are clump forming rather than runners or you may as well plant scutch.

If you draw a plan of the plot, with windows, direction etc shown, a good nursery will help you make a selection, provided you get someone who knows what he is talking about, and not weekend staff!

lalorm

herbaceous borders look great, but I would suggest a mixed border so you can add some all year round interest. Also, if you use shrubs and bulbs, they can require less work to clean up each year and so reduce your workload in the garden. It's not possible for someone to give you an answer to your design needs on this forum. Alot is down to personal taste, and there are no other pictures of your garden to see what style the rest of the garden is to draw from. Is it a cottage garden or is it more modern with minimalist planting for example.

What I can suggest is if you want a mixed border which is as it sounds a mix of herbaceous perennials, bulbs, shrubs and even trees, then by mixing it up, you get a much better display that can go on throughout the seasons. herbaceous perennials tend to only last as was mentioned above, one season. Most often mid to late summer but by adding bulbs for spring or even autumn colour and evergreen shrubs to give form and some interest over winter, you will have a much better border.

It will still require work to keep it looking it's best, but a good clean at the end of the year in Autumn and again in spring will usually be all that's needed if you get your design and planting right.

If you need more advice on the design, let me know.

stackerman

Thanks all for your replies
Alot to consider look at. It would be all too easy to just stick in 'something' to get it done, but I know I'd regret it. The rest of the garden is kind of modern/formal in structure, with Jap acers, grasses and such. Looks great and kind of just fell into place 'In my head', if you know what I mean. The problem I have now is that I am looking for something different here, so the whole garden does not look the same.
I might try the National Garden Centre in Kilquade County Wicklow (thanks for idea peggy!), and just keep looking around.
Once again thanks for the ideas all, and others please feel free to make suggestions

Nonmonotonic

What about a rockery? Would fit in with the stone front and be low growing, low maintenance and cheap ( use the Johnny Cash method - one piece at a time!)