New House Purchase

Hi Everyone,

Just bought a new house which is in the process of being built and will be ready at the end of June.It comes with a sun room but as I came in near the end of the development I didn't have much choice over plots etc.I'm sure the sunroom will be a huge benefit and will get lots of use by all the family but the garden is small compared to my present one (south east corner site) and is south west facing.I would love a semi tropical look but being west of Scotland not sure what to plant.Any tips on a) new garden and b) south west aspect?? Carol

 

Bet you're looking forward to your new house and garden! :D

There are lots of plants that would fit the bill that will grow perfectly well in Scotland, Cazza - have a look at this website, and you'll get an idea

Binny Plants

There's one problem you're pretty certain to have with a new house on a builders' estate - the soil will be full of rubble, and VERY hard to dig. Best thing is to set to with a border fork, and dig it all, getting all the rubble and rubbish out, and putting aside any decent stones and rocks for use in a rockery, or some other feature, and digging in loads of compost, which you might be able to get cheap or even free at your local recycling depot.

Once you've done that you'll be ready to plant whatever you like!

I designed a "jungly" garden in Falkirk last year - you'd be amazed what will grow here!

 

Thanks Dendrobium, I'd better start working out now then! Thats great news too about being able to do a jungle look as I really love palms, ferns,cordylines etc.

 

You'll find that Trachycarpus fortuneii works well, as does Fatsia and Fatshedera lizeii, and if you want to get some vivid red in there, you could try the Tropaeolum speciosum. All of those are available at the site I mentioned. And I used Asplenium scolopendrium, the harts tongue fern - all looks pretty glossy greeen and jungly!

 

As well as a Trachy you could use a chamaerops humilis or the blue one cerifera. Also a paulowina tormentosa ( the foxglove tree) keep it coppiced down to about 1ft every spring then it will grow to about 8ft with humongus leaves, uou get loads of new shoots but cut them all off bar one. My garden is all jungle and tropical.