Wot?! No shed - what to plant in its place....

steveTu

OK - my shed went last year, and now the garden is being fenced off to split it into a couple of areas. Originally we had grass going up the shed. Now the fence cuts across about half way through where the shed would have been, so there's an area of soil (clay) about 3mx3m. It's south facing but shielded by the bungalow (about 40ft away and 30-40ft high) to the south and adjoining fences to the west, east (and now north).

What I had hoped was to get some of the potted plants into the ground.

I have established potted:

Hydrangea (x1)

Rhododendron (x1)

Camellia (x3)

Acer (x3)

Callistemon (x1)

Cob Nut (x2)

Peach Tree (x1)

Roses (x3)

Looking at it (googling), it seems that Camellia and Rhododendron don't like clay, but I already have a couple of hydrangeas in the clay (in other locations) and they're ok.

What I thought was to take a couple of cuttings from some clematis - to grow from either end of the fence (maybe some Virginia creeper) with cuttings from the roses in between - that's the back row. I had hoped I could then get the camellia, hydrangea and rhododendron as row 2, with the callistemon up front. But I'm no longer sure about the soil for a couple of those plant types. I had semi toyed with also taking a cutting from a Kilimanjaro Sunrise that I have in the same (well, same gardens, different location) soil to the front of the house that's just establishing itself.

And when would be the best time to plant out anyway? I assumed in a few weeks when it starts to warm slightly and before spring sets in in earnest.

Any thoughts? I'll get some photos of the area once the fencers have finished off.

Uff

Are you thinking of herbaceous as well as shrubs steveTu and will it be 2 gardens within the garden so to speak? Photographs, light and shade would help too. Have you drawn a plan of any ideas so far?

Cambridgerose12

Photos will help! You’re right, Camellias and Rhododendrons won’t be too happy there, but the rest sound fine. I’d avoid the Virginia creeper—it’s a thug that will strangle everything else. Fine on a skyscraper.

You should be able to plant shrubs at any time when the ground’s not frozen solid. But if a shed’s been sitting on top then the soil will need a good bit of digging and leavening with organic matter—it’ll be very compacted. 

steveTu

Sorry about never coming back on this. I decided to use the space as a learning bed. So I took two or three potted plants and relocated them to this plot. So far I have a camellia, hydrangea, callistemon, two acers and three hellebores in there. I used a shoe horn. The spare space (!) - and up against the 'new' fence - will be taken up by some rose, clematis and honeysuckle cuttings I want to take. Look out for a photo in the Garden Gallery of withered, brown once thriving plants....