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Adding height to these terraced beds

LatimerLatimer Latimer, BuckinghamshirePosts: 487
in Plants


Hi all

I'm looking to add some plants with height to these beds to compliment the existing planting. The decked area gets midday sun (it's running N-S basically) and gets shade from a hedge on the right and the screen on the left. Clay flinty soil.

On the other side of the screen I've just planted Clematis, so I'm not sure if I want another climber on this side.

I've also got a couple of very small Acers that I have eventually earmarked for here. They're currently growing very slowly in pots 😊

Really I want to get some height in. Initially I'd thought about tall perennials but I'm wondering if some small shrubs would be better? 

Any sort of help much appreciated.
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Posts

  • LatimerLatimer Latimer, BuckinghamshirePosts: 487
    Sneaky bump. 😊
  • Garden GnomessGarden Gnomess Posts: 33
    How about alliums? 
  • LatimerLatimer Latimer, BuckinghamshirePosts: 487
    @Garden Gnomess great idea.....I was thinking more structural plants but alliums would definitely be welcomed
  • Nanny BeachNanny Beach Posts: 4,023
    What is that in the bed already? Yes, Acers would be good in semi shade, I now have a lot of mine in a bed with rhododendrons, heucheras,almost the whole Japanese "Monty" they will give you "interest" all year.  We bought acid soil.  Aliums like a lot of sun, hot dry,unlikely thye would be happy there.
  • Nanny BeachNanny Beach Posts: 4,023
    it would also go with the "structured" look you have going on there, with the decking and grey planters (very nice, by the way)I would keep to a certain colour palette, am saying all this know nothing about you,how old you are, how much time you want to spend gardening, haha!!!
  • LatimerLatimer Latimer, BuckinghamshirePosts: 487
    @Nanny Beach I believe what's planted there is liriope muscari, which I salvaged from another job!

    I had kind of envisioned it to be a much lusher, greener sort of planting in this area, a woodland feel. If also thought about putting bamboo in the large planters which will grow tall and enclose the back section for a private seating area.

    I'd love to have more hostas, and ferns (which I will include eventually) but all of that is quite low lying so there's not much to draw the eye up.

    As for me, I'm not looking to be hands off but I'm in my 40s with a young-ish family so I can't devote every weekend to the garden but I'm an early riser so I'm happy to potter around every morning watering and deadheading.
  • newbie77newbie77 LondonPosts: 565
    How about some climber like jasmine? 
  • LatimerLatimer Latimer, BuckinghamshirePosts: 487
    @newbie77 I think eventually I will have to end up with a climber. 
  • februarysgirlfebruarysgirl Posts: 197
    Latimer said:

    I had kind of envisioned it to be a much lusher, greener sort of planting in this area, a woodland feel.
    This was exactly my problem with my raised beds 😂 Got all these lovely perennials and although a lot of them were tall, there just wasn't enough foliage to make any impact. I'm not a great fan of shrubs as they seem to need more maintenance, but I've bitten the bullet and bought 9 different ones 😬 I'm hoping they'll get along OK but only time will tell. 
  • LatimerLatimer Latimer, BuckinghamshirePosts: 487
    @februarysgirl what shrubs did you go for?
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