recommend me a plant

curadh

Hi everyone Ive a box built in to my wall about 300x500, and about 170 deep. because of that everything I put in it seems to die. Im looking for something that will look nice all year or most of it, it is in the sun wind and rain all year so would have to be tough. any ideas?

looksee

What are those numbers? Are they mm or cm?

Have you any idea why things die, is it drought? What kinds of plants have you tried to grow? Are there drainage holes in the box? What kind of soil/compost etc do you have in it?

curadh

hi looksee they are millimetres. Have tried buxus, and some flowery ones called schlox or inox or some name like that. No idea why they perished, they have rain water and there are drainage holes, soil is out of a bag from woodies.

looksee

I can't say why your plants have not survived, but they might not be getting as much rain as you think, you need to keep an eye on them. I would not use potting compost for outside troughs, it dries out and can be difficult to wet again, so the water just runs down the sides. Try some John Innes compost, it has a lot of soil in it and doesn't dry out so easily. I have had some spectacular pansies this year using that.

I don't think you will grow shrubs in a trough that size. You could try something like a small campanula (in the rockery plant section of a nursery). Really the best thing would be to put in a few bulbs for the spring, with winter pansies or primulas, from the autumn. Then a few bedding plants for the summer.

A lot of things could affect what you put in, how much sun it gets, whether it is getting as much rain as you think. Any chance of a picture and we might be able to give better suggestions.

curadh

Thanks looksee I will try a few of those and see what happens!:)

goat2

looksee wrote: »

I can't say why your plants have not survived, but they might not be getting as much rain as you think, you need to keep an eye on them. I would not use potting compost for outside troughs, it dries out and can be difficult to wet again, so the water just runs down the sides. Try some John Innes compost, it has a lot of soil in it and doesn't dry out so easily. I have had some spectacular pansies this year using that.

I don't think you will grow shrubs in a trough that size. You could try something like a small campanula (in the rockery plant section of a nursery). Really the best thing would be to put in a few bulbs for the spring, with winter pansies or primulas, from the autumn. Then a few bedding plants for the summer.

A lot of things could affect what you put in, how much sun it gets, whether it is getting as much rain as you think. Any chance of a picture and we might be able to give better suggestions.

drying out is your problen, as any plants near a wall will not get the rain in a big enough volume, also the wall obsorbes heat from siun, which would help with the drying out

Sonnenblumen

curadh wrote: »

Hi everyone Ive a box built in to my wall about 300x500, and about 170 deep. because of that everything I put in it seems to die. Im looking for something that will look nice all year or most of it, it is in the sun wind and rain all year so would have to be tough. any ideas?

Quite a small box/planter, so look at plants that will tolerate dry conditions, eg Lavender (Hidcote), Santolina, Helichrysum, Libertia, Rosemary (Prostratus), Nandina Domestica, Phormium (compact varieties eg Jester), Astelia (Silver Spears), Pinus Mugo Mughus.;)

The latter looks particularly well when edged with some grasses eg Carex Evergold, Acorus Ogon and top dressed with pebble/cobbles.

curadh

wow, theres a few to choose from. Thanks guys, much appreciated.:)

Skrynesaver

Aubretia is a great plant for dry situations and will, in time, give you a mass of purple in late spring/early summer