Right, I have this idea I have a quite large flowerbed with allsorts in it, most of it in the wrong place. Ive found it difficult to keep looking good this summer and thought maybe I could put some membrane down and gravel.. Id like to keep some of the plants, roses, large fuschia, hosta, penstemons where they are but cover the rest of the ground up.. This would hopefully stop the Celendine coming up too. I thought I could then put the odd slab of somekind here and there and put some pots of grasses and maybe slightly more exotic stuff on them. Can anyone think of any pitfalls? :confused:
Sounds like a good idea to me marge. Make sure the basic structure of plants looks good and intersperse your potted specimens to maximum effect. I have done this too and I think it is well worth doing to reduce maintenance of soil surface and brighten up borders with gravel toppings. :D Just make sure the membrane you buy states that it lets moisture and nutrients through.
Don't use the membrane. The previous owners put it down in the patio beds and the weeds still came up through it and unfortunately there is no way of getting at them to remove them short of pulling the membrane up. And when the weed is a particularly rampant and vigorous bamboo the only solution is a flame thrower!
:confused: Poorly installed maybe ? I only get a few weeds at the edges where the membrane ends, easily removed. Maybe their overlap was not enough, poor grade membrane, or mutant weeds ? Certainly if you are growing bamboo or a clump of expanding grasses you need to estimate a membrane clear area around them to allow new shoots, but in pots this is not a concern. If you gravel straight on to the bed you run the risk of sinkage and dirty gravel as they mix. Although this is ok for the areas cleared to grow bamboo or a clump of ornamental grass. With any new installation it is usual practice in laying membrane and gravel, to make every effort to remove weeds from the area you intend to cover. Most normal perenial weeds aren't a problem for your average garden, but I dare say there are exceptions. Need to use a minimum 20mm shingle as any less may act as a media for stray seeds/weeds. Can't go wrong really IMHO. BM
Well. I'll be doing it myself (with hubbys help!)so will be checking everything thoroughly! Must say, have seen lots of succesfull areas done this way which is what made me think of it I spose. Do you think the membrane will be man enough to suffocate the Celendine?
I think it would be if it is this stuff. http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles0405/celandine.asp I have it in my garden and whilst they say it is invasive it doesn't do that much TBH ? If you want to be sure you could always double up the landscaping fabric, its not that expensive. I found that in over laping and going round existing plants I ended up doubling up in places anyway. I certainly don't think celandine could pierce and come through the fabric. Good deep layer of 20mm shingle I recon you would win! Most recon miniumum of 4" of shingle anyway which meets the RHS guide of a 10 cm covering. BM
You're probably right about the poor installation of the membrane BM. Fortunately it's where the extension is being built so that should solve the bamboo problem. It probably looked sweet when they bought it but it's become a nightmare to us.
Hi Celia, so its a rampant bamboo you have, I see. Have you tried to remove it or is it hiding and shooting where it pleases ? Some bamboo like Sasa veitchii can be a real pain as they are a spreading bamboo. Some bamboo are capable of shooting through concrete, so membrane is no match for bamboo
I don't know what type of bamboo it is but when we moved in Andrew tried strimming it in the hopes that it would die off over Christmas, the strimmer wouldn't cut through it. We tried poisoning it but it grew back. It's only a few inches tall but the roots go down feet, I've added a photo to show you, this bit has been poisoned strimmed etc but still fills an area of 15'x8'!
Looks like Sasa veitchii to me Celia. This is a spreading bamboo and its not surprising it has become a pain if not restricted. Don't be put off bamboos completely there are some beautiful well behaved bamboos in the Phyllostachys group which are predominantly clump forming. http://www.mulu.co.uk/plant_info.php?id=330 BM
BM IT IS A SASA WHATS IT . I HAVE THIS AND IT IS A PAIN TO KEEP IT UNDER CONTROL. IN THE END I put it in a pot.
Best place for it Fancy unless you are a bamboo enthusiast and have the knowledge to ensure it is contained or the space not to care! :D
