Evergreen shrubs for metal guttering

Afternoon all,

we have replaced our aluminum guttering and was thinking of using it for a flowers attached to the wall. Easy to fix it, all good.

What i ideally want know is something that will grow in them, not too big, and ideally don't die in winter. I was thinking Hebes or similar but not sure what best to grown, the space will be about 5cm height/ 5cm wide and then a 1 metre length in total (guess i can have a few plants in them)

we already have veg growing elsewhere, so don't want more. Anybody done this before, any ideas?. Like i said something that won't die in winter and gives abit of colour

regards
James

 

Sempervivums?

 

i think these are alpine plants, i did think of these, but do they grow up. They all like flat which means you might not be able to see them when your sat down.

I could be totally wrong though.

regards
James

 

They are fairly flat yes. They do sometimes have flower spikes but the rosette will die after flowering.

 

5cm is far too small to grow anything much apart from some alpines, and even then, they could dry out too readily because they need very good drainage, but also need enough moisture to thrive well.
Sempervivums are a good suggestion because they survive on thin air. Some do have some height, but it isn't much. You'll have to drill holes in the guttering too.
People often use guttering to start off seed - lettuce for example. The whole thing gets slipped into a bed with a prepped furrow, straight from the guttering. It saves handling too much.

 

Sempervivums are a good call for the conditions you will have; minimal rootspace, dry, quite hot when the sun is on it and quickly getting cold when the sun moves off it.
Sedums are another possibility as are saxifrages, some campanulas and aubretias. Some of these will hang over the edge and you may well see flowers when seated.