Plant suggestions please!

Hello!

This is my first post here. I’m looking for some advice on what to plant here. This is right at the end of our garden and transitions into woodland. Because our garden is terraced, it actually gets a lot of sun. The soil is poor and VERY dry. I do water it every day but most things are not doing too well up here. I know the ferns are probably not best suited to here but they were given to us (family has some woodland) and they don’t seem to be doing too badly actually. The things that ARE doing well seem to be Erigeron, Diascia (not sure if I’ve spelt that right!) and Foxgloves.

I’m ideally looking for something that will cover the ground and spread - happy for a wild look! Also, the soil at the front is very shallow. I’ve covered the whole area in wood chip too to fit with the woodland vibe.

Appreciate any advice Thanks!

 

Some of the low-growing sedums (stonecrop) would do well in that situation. Sedum spurium is very low-maintenance and tolerant of drought, and has pretty flowers in late summer which are attractive to insects. Sedums are fine in shallow soil, too.

Other ground coverers for sun: you could consider "lamb's ears", Stachys lanata, which has woolly leaves; Campanula carpatica - pretty blue bell-shaped flowers; helianthemum (rock rose); aubrieta. You could also put in some spring-flowering bulbs, for interest early in the year. Tulips do very well in a position where they bake in the sun, and some of the little species ones like Tulipa tarda would probably spread by seeding themselves.

 

Euphorbias will grow in that situation and give you winter interest too. The variety E. amygdaloides var robbiae also spreads but is not invasive. For a wider range of plants you could improve the soil by adding organic matter which will help to retain moisture. It will also help your ferns. Anemone blanda is a good bulb for early spring colour and a woodland theme, it also spreads.

 

@JLW93 , the place looks absolutely wonderful

Most Ferns are extremely draught tolerant once established. (Off topic, if you visit Pompeii, take a look inside the wells. Healthy Asplenium ferns thrive in the dry stonework under the blazing Italian heat )

A foxglove here and there would work, seeds are cheap and you can sow them now in trays, then it's just a wait- and- see game to see if they like the place.

The front, shallow part would be ideal for succulents and as Liriodendron said, Sedums are great. Humble house leeks will also work.

Personally I'd add a tiny water thingy too, a buried cut bucket or something more sophisticated would add to the wilderness theme and attract wildlife.

 

Have a look at plants labelled alpines or rockery plants and think Mediterranean.
You already have Erigeron, which was my first thought along with the sedums already suggested. Maybe some creeping thyme would cover well too. You might even be able to grow Lavender in the less shallow areas.

Enjoy choosing and creating @JLW93

 

Not particularly 'woodlandy' but the low-growing Cistus would thrive there as would prostrate Rosemary and creeping Thyme. Might be worth trying Convolvolus mauritanicus as well...

 

Dry ground isn't something I have much of, but I grow some plants directly into gravelled areas.
Armeria [thrift] is a good example, and some various sedums mentioned.
Alpines are generally worthwhile, as already mentioned, and anything that's a spreader will be useful for softening those edges - Aubrieta, Arabis and any of the alpine Phloxes, all like a reasonably sunny site [although will manage a bit of shade no problem] and good drainage.
Erythroniums are good - they like shade, and decent moisture when in full growth [spring] but like slightly drier conditions when dormant [ through summer] so they might work. Some are fussier than others, so you may need to experiment with them. If you have any damper spots, that could be good - under deciduous trees can be the best site.

Many people don't like them, but the little Welsh poppies - Papaver cambricum, seed around in my gravel, in sun and shade. Yellows and oranges and give a burst of colour for a long time if you like those colours, and if so, you could also use bog standard nasturtiums which may seed around too

 

California poppies would happily self seed around in sunny spots as well, quite a few varieties to choose from very bright orange and yellows to softer creams.

Origano would be happy too, edible variety or (the more attractive) the ornamental Rosenkuppel. Quite easy to tell them apart if you want to grow both.

 

Veronica Georgia is a low-growing, evergreen ground cover plant, with little blue flowers in spring. It likes sun and can cope with drought. Iberis Sempervirons would also be fine. The alpine ones, like Tahoe, don't self-seed like the taller ones, but grow into a nice evergreen clump, about 6" high with a long season of white flowers in spring. There might be a couple of hardy geraniums that would work, though they can suffer in hot afternoon sun.

 

Excellent idea! These are spreading evergreen plants with little purple trumpet flowers for months and months. They cope well with drought and like sun. They deadhead themselves. Down here, they overwinter fine, but in colder areas they would struggle.

 

Here's some of my convolvulus ...