Gravel it all over - then what?

traceym

Hi, I have a triangular border either side of my front door.  South-west facing and hard to grow anything as it's so hot and gets great cracks in it.  Thinking of taking what's there out and then doing a gravel garden.  Basically, membrane then gravel - but what to plant? I will leave the rose and pyracantha. Moving peonies only after flowering. There's a fig tree stump under the bucket which I'm digging out. 

traceym

Happy for any other ideas too, still at the thinking stage...

Lyn

I would gravel it over as you said then get some nice big coloured glazed pots that you can just put a bucket of water over each night through the summer,  my daughter’s done the same and put bright red pelargoniums in dark blue glazed pots, looks nice in her seaside garden.

Topbird

I have a small area like yours which absolutely bakes in the summer - no relief at all from the sun from about 9am to 7pm.

The previous owners had laid pea shingle over black plastic sheeting so the soil underneath was very poor - it was also full of roots from neighbouring trees and hedges. As I removed the shingle and plastic quite a lot of the shingle ended up in the soil rendering it free draining. I laid weed suppressant membrane over the area and planted euphorbias (ones which like it dry), lavenders, rock roses and thrift. A bit of the bed gets a little more shade and there I have some aubretia and low growing dianthus. The prostrate conifers which were already there and a cherry tree were left in place.

I mulched between plants with pea shingle and larger pebbles - it's a bit like a shingley beach. The whole thing is edged with small boulders and large stones to stop the shingle creeping onto the road (it's a kerb side location). IMO it looks quite nice - definitely better than the weedy mess that was there before🙂

This was 2 years ago when first done - the plants have filled out a bit since then.

Pete.8

Looks lovely @Topbird

I know Monty has a dry garden - I found a pic here-
maybe some inspiration in there for you
https://twitter.com/themontydon/status/1265933704888803328

Topbird

Thanks Pete🙂

traceym

Looks great! @Topbird Thanks @Lyn and @Pete.8

Blue Onion

What a great microclimate for something unusual.  All that is coming to mind are trees.. like an olive or an avocado.. but surely there is something else smaller that might suit?  I have a bed in the exact same situation that I am reworking this summer as well, identical in size and everything.  The attached garage sticks out farther than the front of the house and the sidewalk between the front door and the edge of the garage/driveway forms a south west facing triangle.  I'm in Utah, so far hotter and far drier than you.  Spring bulbs love the space, and bloom weeks before the same variety (from the same bag) planted elsewhere in the yard.  Roses love it too, and Russian Sage.  If you want low effort, Russian Sage is great.  No pests, no watering, no feeding, etc.  You need to prune it down every spring to a few inches tall, and it will take care of itself.  It does spread though.   Dig everything up, plan where you want to plant them and improve the soil in that area.. maybe three plants in your space in a triangle.  Cover everything in the thickest weed membrane cloth you can find (not that plastic sheet stuff, but a fabric).  Cut your holes and plant in the Russian sage, cover the rest in slate chips or your rock of choice, and water it when dry for the first year.  Lovely plants and the bees are crazy for them.. mine are full of honeybees from morning to night.. and they bloom for ages.  

Chris-P-Bacon

Don't dismiss dwarf conifers or Hebes. Add a thick layer of compost or manure for moisture retention before the membrane and gravel or maybe a bark mulch instead of gravel? All fairly maintenance free.

traceym

I will look up Russian Sage - thanks @Blue Onion 
Thank you @Chris-P-Bacon - I already have a builder's bag size of pea gravel to use up but I can easily get mulch.  I finally got the fig dug out today! It's underneath the bucket in the main pic https://myextraordinarygarden.wordpress.com/2021/04/05/project-3-day-4-figgy-digging/

tui34

Wouldn't the fig tree thrive in that environment?  Very Mediterranean.  Would create some shade, too.