Ideas on what to do with this bank

This time last year I’d just finished building my railway sleeper wall. I back filled with soil and bought some plants that looked nice. That was the level of my experience and I was keen to get it looking nice.

As winter has prevailed, some took well and lasted whilst others wilted and died. I’m looking for some ideas on what would flourish on this bank whilst looking pretty.

The bank itself is very tough and no chance of landscaping it, it’s made up of soil and old root systems that form a fine mesh like texture mixed in with some shale pieces. It’s east facing but gets the sun from the south for a good length of time. I’m not to bothered by the top of the bank, as clematis and some rose climbers too. The large purple bush will also be coming out and being shipped to my mums garden. My main concern is the steep bank in the first photo.

Scott.

 

What sort of plants are you looking for scotty ? Shrubs - perennial etc . Colours ? How much sun does it get as well looks like they is a large tree above .

 

I’m looking for plenty of colour but plants that hug the bank I guess, rather than jutting out at an angle. Somewhat like a rockery?

It gets plenty of sunlight and shade as yes it’s covered from the west by a large ash tree.

 

You will have to wait for someone else for rockery plants I am not a big fan of them but for a few.

Some colourful plants which think will be appropriate - astrantia looks to pick from but Roma is one of the best - Geraniums tend to growo anywhere but some are better than others , Ann folkard and ann thompson and rozanne has a spread habit ( ann folkard the nicest I reckon out of these ) lots of other to pick from which I havne't mentioned. Brunnera go foliage plant aswell as heuchera - Japenese Anemones but careful which you pick they may take over - nepeta should be fine and flowers - hellebore with pulmonaria and cyclamen would be looking nice now lots of colours shapes to pick from - Penstemons like garnet do well anywhere not to wet or shaded same with some salvia - Lirope gold band or varigated would do well there along with some grasses like carex eversheen or evergold also Hakonechloa are impressive foliage plants. Don't forget bulbs ethier daffodils and others will grow fine.

Have a look through some of the garden gallery from last year for some more ideas, narrow it down if you want something more specific they is to many plants which are nice and colourful

 

I like the suggestions Brunnera, Pulmonaria and Penstemon and would also suggest Ajuga which comes in a number of colourful varieties. I have one with a variegated leaf and another couple with purple leaf colour and the ones I have also produce spikes of nice blue flowers. It is low growing and spreads by sideways growing stems like strawberry and is easy to propagate by separating the newly formed plants once you have a couple to get started with.

 

Thank you both for your replies.

I will do some research on those suggested. However one quick question. Will they attract more wildlife, such as insects and bees?

 

All the ones I mention have flowers that should be good for bees and insect pollinators and I've seen them particularly visiting the Ajuga and Pestemon I have. The flowers on the penstemon are produced for much longer when the older flower spikes are cut off/dead headed and I have seen the Ajuga produce the odd flower out of the normal flowering season when there might not be much else available for the insects that rely on flowers for food.

 

I do like whats been suggested so far, but Ceanothus repens would work, a prostrate version, with evergreen shiney leaves, with the blue flowers in spring, or a prostrate Cotoneaster, evergreen, flowers and berries, both low maintainance.

 

I'd add Cistus 'Silver Pink' and prostate Rosemary 'Pointe du Raz'. Excellent ground coverers. Whatever you decide on, here's a tip for getting them established. Sink a cut-off clear plastic bottle, open neck side down, just above the root ball of the plant. Slopes are notoriously difficult to water properly but watering into the 'funnel' will help in keeping the rootballs damp while the roots get out into the soil.

 

Geraniums ( cranesbill kind ) would do okay there. Also Erigeron mexican fleabane and Erigeron sea breeze. Maybe some ornamental grasses mixed in too,( pony tail grasses are lovely ).

 

Thanks for all the replies. In terms of the size to the right of the bank, how many varieties should I purchase and how far apart to plant?

 

It would depend on which ones you choose to go with. From the ones I mentioned the Pulmonaria and Brunnera I have are still just about 30cm by 30cm after a couple of years in the ground. The Ajuga stays small but spreads when it produces new plants so one small plant covering about 20cm by 20cm could stretch to a bigger area each year unless it is cut back and the oldest one I have is about a metre square with it contained by rock, occasional trimming and other plants at about that size. One Ajuga that went into a particularly open area has spread to almost a metre square area after just over a year growing but they never get very tall so are ideal for a groundcover plant that can fit in between other larger shrubs. The penstemon that I first planted was about 30cm by 30cm when I bought it and now is a metre and a half by a metre and a half with many pieces divided off the make new plants in other parts of my garden. I'm giving these measurements because I find it difficult to judge the size of the area you want to fill from the angle of the photos.

Usually I think the more variety the better and even the plants I mentioned have different varieties that would perform differently so you'll need to do a bit more research when you see what varieties are available to you. There should be a guide on the plant label that gives some estimate of the size you can expect them to grow to. If you type the name of the plant plus RHS into your internet browser you often will find the Royal Horticultural Society information page on the plant that usually gives an estimate of its full grown size.