Hello everyone

Hi Everyone,

Started gardening when I was 7 long time ago now still know nothing. Moved from N Ireland to England and now have to start new garden with clay soil. Worst part is the steep slopes. Help....
I live for my garden keeps me sane I think then I may be already so would I know?

 

hi shamrock welcome to gc enjoy now you have another thing to keep you amused as well as your garden gc :D

 

Welcome Shamrock. Sorry I can't help with clay soil or even a steep slope (useful, aren't I?) but I hope you enjoy GC and I'm sure someone will come along and help you soon! :

 

Hope you enjoy digging, Shamrock!! Clay's really fertile stuff once you've got some organic matter well dug in - but it's blinking hard work! And on a slope too - great fun! :rolleyes:

 

Welcome to gc Shamrock, hope you enjoy it on here have fun and hope you get through all that clay and be careful of your slopes :eek: :eek: :D

Welcome once again

 

Hello there Shamrock and welcome.

 

Thanks everyone for the warm welcome

 

Hi Shamrock, and welcome. I too garden on clay and would wish no other soil. How steep is the slope on your garden?. It its slight, ignore and plant whatever you wish, so many plant love a clay soil. if the slope is signifivant then the only answer is to terrace - then should be fine.

 

Thanks Fran,

Garden is on a steep slope and is already in 3 tiers but top one is very steep. I have cut in levels but can do no more. Its a bath city garden. Need some ideas on plants as maintenance will be difficult. Have just cleared this part so its looking very bare. Had to keep roots in case of soil erosion with all this rain so have put canvas on the parts I want to plant. Its scary as it had yellow loosestrife I think u call it but it had gone mad.

 

Ok - for that top tier you will prolly want a misture of deep rooted plants and fibrous rooted. Not sure of the size, pretty well all plants will do well in clay except the acid lovers like Rhodies, Camelia and the like. .

Roses have deep roots and love clay - then there are the grasses which will help hold the surface soil. Then there always the shrubs - spirea, viburnum tinus, photinia. The low growers Aubretia will sprawl over it as will the geraniums - but will not hold the soil.

What kind of look were you thinking of.

 

Hi Shamrock and welcome, you may want to consider a water feature its ideal on a slope nothing like cascading water to add movement to a garden what dendrobium says is true lots of goodness in clay its just locked in lots of organic matter will open it up add sharp sand or gravel to it this will help

 

Hi Fran and Walnut,

I would like this part to be more formal and easy to manage. The teirs below are country garden style but this one tower over the rest and can be seen from the second floor windows. I would like it to have a mixtures of ever green for the winter and I wonder could I use plants to give it that water fall feature. Dont know myself as just throwing ideas out. Its really steep anyone know of a garden around my area which is open to public with very steep slopes? I can travel from Bath to wiltshire,somerset,devon,dorset,cornwall. I think if I could see another one in action it might help me get my head around it. Cant find any books with this subject either.

 

Hello shamrock
Welcome to GC
Nice to meet you.

 

Hi Shamrock,warm welcome

 

Hia Shamrock.