New planting area under a tree, slugs!

I'm planning my at the moment completely bare planting area. It is a bit challenging, a huge deciduous tree branch covers it (it actually grows on neighbours side but comes through the fence. ) The area is about 4x4m and is usually seen from above. I'd like to have shapely evergreens, flowers are not important.

The big problem are the slugs , on summer evenings it rather feels like walking on overcooked zucchinis when I try to reach my smoking parlour.

So far I've narrowed my wishes to 3 large evergreen ferns, perhaps some smaller ones, dwarf Hebes to form rounded blobs and perhaps small Ajuga in the front. I wanted Liriope but it seems to be a slugfeeder.

I'd love to have some shortlived bold thingys poking out between the hebes, alliums are my favourite but I'm concerned the little friends will love them too. Perhaps late, tall tulips?

Any suggestions for the poking thingies? Any alternatives for the Ajuga, I've never had them before?

Thanks for any hints or ideas, I'll take some sad photos next week so you can get your imagination rolling.

 

I'd love to have a pond but under a tree in this limited area I unfortunately have to finally listen to all the people around me shouting I should become a realistic. *sigh*. Also a hedgehoge is excluded, the gardens here are too well walled. That's why I try to find plants that won't disappear overnight like my "foolproof" tobacco plants and Nigellas did.

 

Slugs should leave alliums alone, although its too late to plant bulbs now, unless you buy the ones coming into garden centres shortly that are already growing. I seem to have loads of slugs and alliums always survive their attacks.

 

Thanks, alliums are really my favourites, I'll buy some next autumn if not now. Anyway they aren't that expensive, if I end up being again a dinner lady for my slugs it's mostly emotional damage I suffer. Thanks for the encouragement, I'll certainly give them a try.

If alliums fail, does anybody have an idea for an alternative? A lookalike-allium? Perhaps a thistle- like plant? Anyway I'd like to have a seasonal interest with something very vertical.

 

I've just bought an echinops and so far its been left alone. But as a perennial it will spread out, although they are tall.

For true statuesque appeal, there's acanthus mollis (bears breeches). It deserves space but the leaves are glorious and the flowers beautiful.

Why not splash out and buy some alliums ready grown, so at least you get something this year.

 

They had these copper strips on QVC the other day that deter slugs. I like to treat them to half a pint of Bitter as they just get drunk and fall in it.
There is a gardening special value tomorrow on qvc. I always go to the nursey near to Stratford but have had a lot of stuff which has thrived so far from qvc

 

http://www.qvcuk.com/ukqic/qvcapp.aspx/app.detail/walk.yah.UKGD~U084

 

Crushed eggshells, grit, coffee grounds are good deterents for them too. There are also wildlife friendly slug pellets you can use. Smearing vasiline around the rims of pots keeps the plants growing in them safe too.

 

you are just as great as I thought after reading this forum for a while. *makes tea for everyone*
I decided to let the slugs be, (not just because I couldn't imagine touching them in traps etc ) but to go plantwise for their least favourites. I'm also planning to make some tiny signs attached on toothpicks that say "my neighbour has Hostas 50m this way".

Any comments of the Ajuga? Or Liriope? Liriope would be ideal being an evergreen with vertical flowers but after some googleing it doesn't seem to be the best choice for my slug playground. I've never had Ajuga and would appreciate any photos etc before buying.

Thanks guys, I do appreciate your comments. :flwsml: