Hi all, just dug out a load of heavy clay soil from raised garden beds in our back garden and going to layer it out to try and improve the soil quality, but looking for some suggestions as to what to plant.
The bed is 40cm wide and I've dug down about 20-22cm. The back gets very little sunlight due to trees on a neighbouring property, but the front gets decent sun. Any suggestions on what to plant, particularly at the back would be much appreciated.
by ResidentEcstatic9921
7 Comments
Is the 40cm including the width of the concrete kerb? Coz the soil part looks narrower me. You’re really limited with any bed less than 50cm especially with a fence on one side as the plants can only grow the other way. If it were me, I would lift those kerbs and widen it to a minimum of 50cm for lots more choice. Or, have that kerb be the back edge of the bed and create a wider bed in front of it allowing plants to fill in towards the fence. However if your goal is to contain plants within the confines of this space then plant climbers – roses, clematis, honeysuckle, passionflower, sweetpea, ivy. You will fit annual bedding flowers in between. Anything wider is going to try to crawl out of there across your lawn.
It’s a tight space for bigger shrubs, things like garaniums will do well in that kind of light but will grow fast and spill over the edge. Will need tidying up but will give a cottage garden feel to the space if that’s your thing.
If you’d like something more minimal, grasses like carex evergold will stay small and tidy and do well in sun or shade and you could intersperse taller plants like agapanthus between them. You could choose a colour scheme like blues and whites, along with the grasses would look smart. Think about growing vertical and maybe plant a climber or two to break up the fence line, star jasmine is evergreen and has very scented white flowers throughout the year. It will grow well in shadier corner too.
This seems perfect for vegetables.
How about runner beans. They would be great, if you can support them with canes, and some wire.
Also tomatoes, aubergines and courgette. The courgettes will need a lot of support and wire.
You could even do small pumpkins, again, if you can support them well.
I’ve a similarly skinny north facing bed against a fence, and I stuck in a few hydrangeas (slowly budding, not much action) interplanted with rose campion which looks like it’s growing.
Sunflowers, lavender, wild flowers, strawberries, globe artichoke, rhubarb, garlic, onions, rosemary, parsley, creeping thyme, Chilean guava.
Honey suckle, Jasmin, sweet pea on a trellis. Sun flowers( though nothing else can grow under them) climbing rose, Lilly’s
Depends on the light it gets. If shaded there are loads of options for small shade loving scrubs