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Planting ideas please

Hi all I'm new around here and fairly new to gardening as well (but loving it). Ive been working on my parents garden for just over a year now, trying to get it looking nicer. I'm getting a but frustrated with the one border and hope you can help. The border is east facing (I think) neutral soil and tends towards the dry side. It's fairly narrow along the majority of it with a deeper bit around a rather large lilac. I've had success with a number of plants over summer. Many survived winter but were then smothered by the 6 million bluebells that pop up in spring (not much of an exaggeration). I took masses of bulbs out and I would swear it hasn't made a dent. It looks lovely when the bulbs are in flower but it only lasts 5 minutes then looks a mess the rest of the year. I would really appreciate some suggestions here. Thanks in advance. Sam.

Posts

  • SamJPSamJP Posts: 17
    Oops sorry for double posting - I didn't think the first attempt had worked. I'll delete this version if I can.
  • How about:

    Euphorbia amygdaloides 'Purpurea'  http://apps.rhs.org.uk/plantselector/plant?plantid=4537 & Bergenia 'Silberlicht'  http://apps.rhs.org.uk/plantselector/plant?plantid=242 to give you an evergreen structure.  Interplanted with:

    Spring: Convallaria majalis (Lily of the Valley to you & me!) http://apps.rhs.org.uk/plantselector/plant?plantid=522

     

    Summer: Geranium macrorrhizum 'Album'  http://apps.rhs.org.uk/plantselector/plant?plantid=5294

    Autumn: Liriope muscari http://apps.rhs.org.uk/plantselector/plant?plantid=3390

  • SamJPSamJP Posts: 17

    Oh blimey replies.  Sorry I hadn't seen these before.  I'd put my settings to e-mail me an alert but it never did and I may have not thought to check (blonde moment apparently).

    Thank you so much for the replies I really appreciate it (even if it has taken me some time to spot).

    Verdun thanks for your replies to both this and my accidental double posting.  I'll respond here.  Sorry I forgot to mention sun.  I would say full to part shade depending on the time of year.  It tends to get a fair amount of shade from the apple tree further down the garden (middle of the lawn - the tree is at least 22 years old, it was full grown when we moved in 22 years ago, love that tree.  Used to climb it as a child) and also shaded from the huge orange blossom in the border on the opposite side.

    I'm of two minds for getting rid of the bluebells.  It would make my job and huge amount easier, but it looks so pretty in spring.  I'll talk to mom about it, see what she wants to do.  I know what my dad would say "turf the lot, no plants - better yet pave it" (miserable git lol).

    If I'm getting the bluebells out, I'll probably end up buying double of some of the plants I'm picking for my own garden (similar conditions in my own) which I'm pretty much starting from scratch on this year.  The extras I can plant in moms.

    Hi MamboMouse many thanks for the suggestions I really appreciate it.  As it happens I've already got lilly of the valley and bergenia in the shady border the other side lol.  I'd thought they preferred the shadier conditions.  I'll keep the others in mind though, thanks.  Love the geraniums I can see me using them somewhere.

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