Shrub advice

eyeball kid

Hi all,

Looking for some recommendations for some shrubs.
Recently got some work done on the driveway and have been left with an area that I'd like plant. See attached.

The area is to the south west of the house and pretty much gets sunlight all day except in the late evening.

Ideally I'd like something that would grow fast and fill in this area quickly.
Don't have a huge amount of time so ideally would like some with minimal involvement. A mixture of plants in height and colour would be nice and something that doesn't totally disappear in winter.

Sorry if I'm a bit vague but don't really have much experience in anything gardening.

Thanks for any help with this...

beefburrito

Hebe's,phormiums, contorted hazle, hypericum,maybe a golden yew.
Vinca,cotonestter.....all your ground cover height,and middle of the bed...

Lumen

> Ideally I'd like something that would grow fast and fill in this area quickly.

Try and balance that out with long-term appeal.

Line of birches with some underplanting?

looksee

With the rising ground behind you don't have to worry too much about height. I would suggest you plant the area with heathers (winter flowering unless you know your ground is acid, which I guess it isn't), bulbs, and shrubs like pieris - the smaller ones - which give a splash of colour from leaves and/or flowers, and are easy. Prostrate ceanothus would be another. Some dierama - angels fishing rods - would give nice airy height. If you want a colour theme, the pieris would be a bit of an exception there as the early leaves are red, most of the other plants are pink/blue/lilac.

Thud

looksee wrote: »

I would suggest you plant the area with heathers (winter flowering unless you know your ground is acid, which I guess it isn't), .

heather likes acidic soil, no?

looksee

Winter flowering heather will grow happily in non-acid soil, the summer flowering one prefers acidic.

Lumen

looksee wrote: »

unless you know your ground is acid, which I guess it isn't

Can you tell from the photo? (genuine question, not trying to be a smartarse)

looksee

Lumen wrote: »

Can you tell from the photo? (genuine question, not trying to be a smartarse)

Well no, not really. But it appears to be a very average (I was going to say generally east coast bit of landscape - then I looked at your location!) bit of countryside, not bogland or west coast, just judging by the look of the soil, the shape of the trees etc.

This is totally unscientific and not reliable, but it was a throw-away remark. Its easy enough to get it tested which would be a good deal more reliable than my guess based on a photograph

eyeball kid

looksee wrote: »

Well no, not really. But it appears to be a very average (I was going to say generally east coast bit of landscape - then I looked at your location!) bit of countryside, not bogland or west coast, just judging by the look of the soil, the shape of the trees etc.

This is totally unscientific and not reliable, but it was a throw-away remark. Its easy enough to get it tested which would be a good deal more reliable than my guess based on a photograph

Good detective work! Based in west Wicklow.

Thanks for the suggestions so far. Giving me plenty to think about.

Lumen

looksee wrote: »

But it appears to be a very average (I was going to say generally east coast bit of landscape - then I looked at your location!) bit of countryside, not bogland or west coast, just judging by the look of the soil, the shape of the trees etc.

Ha, you can tell it's in the east because it's not raining. :pac:

I haven't tested my Wicklow soil but my rhododendrons are doing OK. And Kilmacurragh is in Wicklow.

looksee

Aha, but you have conifers growing in that corner, looks like a slightly different situation (even if its in the same garden). Anyway you win either way, if it is acid you can grow summer flowering heathers!

beefburrito

Anything nice you'll see growing around industrial estates and Hotel's will suffice.

Don't plant anything that isn't lime tollerent.

smacl

A lavender hedge can be attractive and smells good as well as looking good. Doesn't take much work though you have to replace older plants with new every now and again as it doesn't take well to being cut back. I put a mixed rosemary and sage hedge (replacing said lavender) in my own front garden which I'm quite fond of, also very low maintenance, though also like the idea of heather as an option.

smacl

Lumen wrote: »

I haven't tested my Wicklow soil but my rhododendrons are doing OK

Careful now! If we don't see you posting back here in a while, we'll send out a search party :pac:

macraignil

Some good suggestions already.

Might also be worth considering viburnum tinus for winter flowers.
Sarcococca also flowers in winter and has a nice fragrance.
Penstemon is also worth considering but some varieties are hardier than others. Apparently the ones with narrower leaves are generally the hardier varieties. They have a good long flowering season and only need the old stems to trimmed back in the spring to avoid scraggly old branches looking untidy.
I'd also include some bay leaf and rosemary as they are attractive plants at the same time as being useful in the kitchen. The bay grows big in time so would be better further back in the bed where it would not hide some of the other plants. The rosemary also would look better if kept trimmed.