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Plants for unimproved poor clay soil

B3B3 Posts: 25,283
in Plants
I have a long thinnish strip (about 2ft wide but overhang is fine) of unimproved clay soil between the path and the lawn. Most, but not all of it , is in full sun and gets baked in the summer. It would be too disruptive to add improvers as I don't want to bury seedlings like primrose and pulmonaria. There's wild marjoram, geraniums, a penstemon, Valerian and VB and fennel there already.

I would like to scatter some seeds in the gaps. Can anyone suggest some to try (preferably wild flowers)?
In London. Keen but lazy.
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  • dappledshadedappledshade Posts: 982
    edited April 2019
    What about Erigeron? Tough as old boots, spreads easily and very pretty. Grows in full sun happily and in very little soil, at the best of times.
    On another note, I'm curious how your pulmonarua get on in a sun baked location, as mine are in full shade. Do they thrive?
  • B3B3 Posts: 25,283
    edited April 2019
    Too well!!
    Mine are the bog standard ones. I don't know about the fancy ones.
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • B3B3 Posts: 25,283
    Erigeron one for the list. Thanks :)
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • NollieNollie Posts: 7,061
    Similarly echinops or alkanet if you fancy a splash of blue. In terms of wild flowers, things like ajuga, various euphorbias, salvias, snapdragons, aquilegia and the wild cerise pink gladiolus (forgot its proper name) all grow wild in baking impenetrable clay here so should do ok for you.
    Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
  • B3B3 Posts: 25,283
    edited April 2019
    Thanks @Nollie have euphorbia , and aquilegia self seeders dotted about but they get the mildew. Snapdragons is a good idea . Will Google echinops.
    Just did. Another one for the list!
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • raisingirlraisingirl Posts: 6,657
    feverfew is another one - hoverflies love it and it likes the sun. It self seeds generously but hasn't become a problem.
    “Light thinks it travels faster than anything but it is wrong. No matter how fast light travels, it finds the darkness has always got there first” 
  • B3B3 Posts: 25,283
    Yes @raisingirl. The seedlings are easy to spot so I move them around. A lovely plant.
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • LoxleyLoxley Posts: 5,249
    Linaria and Nigella used to seed themselves about in my old garden in Bristol, on clay. Euphorbia oblongata has come up well from seed for me in my new house although my soil is quite different.  
  • Jess is in the GardenJess is in the Garden Posts: 1,022
    B3 said:
    Too well!!
    Mine are the bog standard ones. I don't know about the fancy ones.
    I don't think mine are fancy  :) but I always thought they were shade lovers! You learn something new every day, on here....
  • Alan Clark2 in LiverpoolAlan Clark2 in Liverpool Posts: 2,041
    Limnanthes, the poached egg plant, self seeds on my clay soil and does very well.
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