Hello and a plea for advice!

Hi everyone,

Thank you for having me.

I’m a total novice trying to create a little oasis at the bottom of my outdoor space. I have a triangular shaped area which was made up of a highly compacted layer of clay on top of sand. I’ve recently dug a lot of the clay out, turned the remaining clay and sand over with a mix of compost and topsoil and have got it looking more like normal soil. My plan is to add between 6 and 8 inches of a topsoil/compost mix in early spring and then plant some hedges and a tree.

What I need to know is am I going about this the right way and if not, please help and advise! It would be hugely appreciated.

 

Hello Neil. You cant really amend soil, so my advice is to work with the heavy clay soil you have. Choose plants which thrive in clay soil, eg roses. You dont mention how much sun the corner gets and this will impact upon the plants you choose. Cherry Laurel thrive in my clay soil, so there is another possible candidate. Also think about the shadow that any new shrubs will cast on existing or proposed bedding. Bear in mind that it will be difficult to get to the fence behind the plants after they have established so treat the fence now when you still have easy aceess.

 

Thank you for the tips. It gets a decent amount of sun in the summer, from around midday but nothing after around 5pm, which I assume is a good balance?

Would you add the compost and topsoil to build the area up first and then plant clay friendly things?

 

Neil and

 

Hello Neil, welcome to GC. As you said in your original post that you've got sandy sub soil, it sounds as though you've done exactly the right thing getting rid of as much clay as possible and improving what's left. It's the space involved that intrigues me. Will there really be room for a hedge? You'd have a job to keep a mature hedge to less than a metre wide and if you can't get to the back to trim it, eventually it will start pushing on the fence. Would trellis or mesh or even just horizontal wires spaced 30cm apart to provide a support for some evergreen climbers perhaps be a better solution? If it gets sun for a good part of the day, that opens up lots of possibilities for attractive climbing plants

 

I thought a giant tub with something attractive in it for perhaps year round interest.

 

Hi.

Agree with @ Victoria but instead use the tub as a small pond either sunken into the soil or just placed on top.
Surround it with various plants , though small Hostas and Ferns seem natural as it doe not get all day full sun.
Think we would put a taller evergreen right into the far corner. like a Holly etc.
You could add a few lights to give an extra evening effect etc.

 

It wouldn't do much to hide the fence, though, would it?

 

Welcome to GC Neil.

 

Welcome to the forum!

 

Depends on what size plant you buy.

We have a Holly in a very similar situation to @Neil1985 and its covers each fence by about 4ft and we restrict it to 8ft high, load of berries etc.
Its downside is it takes a couple of years to grow -
10 Holly Trees to Grow | BBC Gardeners World Magazine

Plenty of other evergreens he could use like Laurel, Aucuba, Red Robin and also various Ivies would readily cover the fencing.
Extra effect by growing Clematis over any of them would look good.