planst to trail over a wall

My knowledge of gardening is very limited and I was hoping for some advice please.

Its a little hard to describe but I'll have a go.

Where my property meets the main road there is approx a 1.5mtr drop. From the main road you can see a dry stone wall which is built from ground level up to the ground level of my property. Then stepped in a little I have built a lattice fence creating a border.

As the dry stone wall isnt looking its best I would like to plant something thats evergreen and quite colourful (possibly a mix of plants). It really needs to be low maintenance due to it being on the main road, something that will grow quickly and will drop down the dry stone wall covering it up and supressing the weeds.

Its quite a shady location as there are trees above the wall. Not sure on the soil.

anyones help will be appreciated.... thanx

 

Hi, there, Gavlap - welcome to the forum! I'm having a bit of difficulty visualising your set-up - if you could post a photo, that would help a bit, I think.
About the dry stone wall - lots of alpines would work well in there, and lots of trailing, ground cover ones too. If you have a handy garden centre, it would be a good idea to have a wander round their alpine and ground cover sections and see what they're selling, as that should fit reasonably well with local conditions. Hope that helps for a start. (P.S> Vinca and ivy would do the job, but they're thugs, and would need to be kept under control, or they'll take over!!)

[ 12. April 2006, 04:31 PM: Message edited by: dendrobium ]

 

I was just thinking of varigated vinca. If its dry under trees, polution of road and very little soil low maintainance then this would be a leave it and forget it option. I have it in my East car park bed.

 

snap again, Waco!! :D

 

Will have a look around the garden centre at the alpines and trailing ground covers but looked on the internet at the varigated vinca and i think that looks like a winner... again cheers for the advice... how many do you think I will need as the wall runs about 9mtrs in length?

 

One of the earlies blooms and ideal for naturalising in a wall is either Scilla siberica or Chionodoxa lucillae, beautifull and cheerful heavenly blues with white centres - much more attractive than grape hyacyninths. If you want something cheap and cheerfull for later spring colour on a 'dry stane dyke' then you could go for aubretia. Loads of colours to choose from but if you want plants of a uniform colour then it's best to divide up an existing plant or take cuttings. Lewisa will also do well in a wall. Later on you can get both colour and fragrance from a couple of lavender. Really though your best bet is to go to garden centres throughout the year and select different plants for flowering at different times.

There are also varigated small leaved ivys that will provide all year colour without taking over like the rampant wild ivy.

 

I'd go with Frogesque's suggestion. Aubretia will give early flowers and a range of small leaved ivy can provide AYR colour.

The only thing that bothers me is the weed supression issue. Much depends on what they are but if you don't get rid of the weeds first you could end up with a very mixed wall.

[ 12. April 2006, 11:11 PM: Message edited by: Dave W ]

 

Yup, aubretia looks fantastic, tumbling on a wall like that. Re quantity - have a look at your wall, and see where the natural niches are, and if it's possible to grow things in the top - and count up!! You don't want too much, as the plants will bush up and spread, but without seeing the wall, it's a bit hard to give a figure!! Really depends on your wall

 

Thanks everyone for your advice so far...

The wall that the plants will be covering is a dividing wall separating some communal land i share with two neighbours and the main road. As its communal land and on the main road I wanted something I could plant in the next few weeks and then apart from looking after it, weeding etc I could basically leave it to grow and cover the wall. I didn't really want to plant different plants all through the year as there is only me that looks after any of the communal land so not to sound lazy but I really did want to try and keep it as simple as possible.

On that basis I really liked the Vinca and Aubretia ideas, think they fit really well with what I am looking for, possibly mixed with some small leaved Ivy...

Would it be best just going for one, either Vinca or Aubretia?

If so I find it hard to visulise which plant will work best out of the above two as I can't really visualise them trailing down the wall, as all the pic's that i have seen show quite small cuttings or young plants.

I like the Vinca idea as its colour and coverage all year round but I must admit a really like the look of Aubretia although, isn't Aubretia better in sunny locations as the walls in quite a shaded location under trees?

I have taken a picture but can't figure out how to upload it :confused:

am rambling on now so i'll leave it there.

 

Try to get you pictures uploaded, I think instructions are in mambers area. If I forget - which I may tomorrow morning, remind me and I will post a picture of variagated vinca. I have aubretia on east facing wall, flowering now - the vinca will take over given a chance, but will look colourful all year - its easy but dull. If pushed I will pull a root up and send you some in the post, if you have half a brain you will get it going.

 

Just bear in mind that even the variegated vinca major is the biggest thug you could ever plant. We have been weeding it out for 10 years!

 

I had fun keeping vinca, ivy and lamium at bay for years - but you can't deny they do a good job at this sort of thing - so long as you know their potential thuggery, and keep them in check! And vinca flowers are rather nice!

 

I think where it'll be planted wont really matter if it gets a little out of control. There are no other plants for it to take over.

Waco if you could send me that picture of Vinca I would really appreciate it.. I have tried uploading my picture but still can't do it. Went to faq and it says you can't attach files.

 

this first picture is Vinca, you can see new growth growing up the wall, this will get longer and trail.

second picture shows you vinca in context, palustris is quite right, it is very vigerous, but you can see mine is between house and gravel carpark, so it never gets away from us.

This picture is an alternative, but have to say it does not look good at the moment. we have a series of trailing plants, at the moment aubretia, wuite - ooups forgotten (?allisum) yellow flower.daffs and later cat mint.

 

weirdly, I have never been able to grow Vinca (minor or major) with any success - I have one under a shrub that I bought last year - it got really leggy so I cut it right back and now I have a plant about 5 inches wide with a few green shoots - I don't think that I will have the problem of it becoming invasive!