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Garden bed - what to plant

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  • 25-09-2016 7:36pm
    #1
    touchdown77
    Registered Users Posts: 208 ✭✭


    I have a large garden bed in my back garden (18 x 10 drawing below) which is south facing and next to the garden path.

    I'm undecided whether to plant large flowering shrubs or with long flowering plants, here are my options;

    Option 1 Large shrubs
    Hydrangea Limelight, bluebird, Pieris, Fuchsia
    Scattering of bulbs for spring colour.


    Option 2 Flowering plants
    Crocosmia at the back
    Agapanthus
    Geranium (tiny monster) magenta
    Dilys (pink)
    Scattering of bulbs for spring colour.

    Some additional information;
    Bed is held in by sleepers so raised about 10" off the ground
    Soils is gravely and not very fertile
    Located very close to the sea so wind is always a factor
    Bed is south facing so its a sun trap.


    Any opinions on which option to go for?

    2016_09_25_19_23_00.jpg


Comments

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    #2
    looksee
    Registered Users Posts: 28,448 ✭✭✭✭looksee


    Both those hydrangeas are lovely, and while they can be quite big, I think you would have space for more than you have suggested in a bed that size. Pieris are quite small, though very attractive, and fuchsia, well it depends on the variety. I would think you would easily have space for the geranium - they are very rewarding and if you give them a haircut after flowering they will flower again. Not familiar with Dilys?

    I would hesitate to put crocosmia in with the hydrangea, the violent red is great in some places, but I don't think they would do anything for the hydrangea! Love agapanthus, but take care putting them near the blue hydrangea, I doubt they would improve each other.

    Edit - just established that Dilys is a geranium, yes, lovely.


  • Options
    #3
    macraignil
    Registered Users Posts: 3,443 ✭✭✭macraignil


    looksee wrote: »
    Both those hydrangeas are lovely, and while they can be quite big, I think you would have space for more than you have suggested in a bed that size. Pieris are quite small, though very attractive, and fuchsia, well it depends on the variety.

    Pieris when mature are not all that small. I have seen a number of older forest flame variety that looked very well but were approaching the 4m mature height that is described on the RHS page for the plant. I panted a few myself and to be honest the one planted last autumn hasn't grown that much since. The growth rate will probably increase once the plant settles in its new position. It would be worth considering the mature height of the plants you are arranging so you do not end up blocking the view of the ones that are nice to look at. The variegated leaves of the pieris make them good for year round colour.


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