West Facing Border Along Edge Of Round Patio Circle? Planting Ideas Needed.

[mungojenny]

We have a circular stone patio in a corner of our garden, it has ivy clad walls behind it and a narrow border edging it. I am looking for ideas as to what might best be planted along this edge given the ivy at the back? It is our evening seating area we tend to linger here on a nice summer evening to watch the bats swoop around the garden. I like this spot a lot and want the plants to do it justice. Any advice it has been overgrown but it is a blank canvas at the moment ?

[ComeIntoTheGardenMaud]

So, will these plants be between you and the wall? How about lavender and rosemary - they'll smell lovely as you brush against them? And rip out some of that ivy and add clematis and honeysuckle to go up the walls.

[mungojenny]

Thanks for that Maud. Yes they will be between us and the wall I am a bit worried as the soil isn't fabulous in that bit of the garden (it used to be a builders yard in the 60's), will that be a problem. Have you got any suggestions for particular clematis and honeysuckle that might be best ?

I have a number of gardening books on standby at the moment.

[ComeIntoTheGardenMaud]

Rosemary and lavender don't mind poor soil. What they will like, beside the patio, is the good drainage that that is likely to create.

As for the honeysuckle and clematis, they are all lovely. What colours do you like?

[mungojenny]

I thought white might be a good choice or a light colour so it is sort of 'glowing' in the evening light, if there every is any evening next summer that I choose to sit on the bench when it isn't raining.....

[ComeIntoTheGardenMaud]

Marie Boisselot is a lovely white clematis. Wada's Primrose flowers much earlier in the year - it's always the first of my large-flowered clematis to flower - and is unusual because it is (as the name suggests) very pale yellow. If you plant several clematis varieities together, you can extend the flowering season.

Halliana is a pale-coloured honeysuckle.

But now that you've mentioned white, I'll also suggest jasmine (wonderful scent) and solanum crispum aureomarginatum, which also has white flowers.

[mungojenny]

Thanks Maud I will take a look in my gardening books and take a visit to the garden centre. Could I buy and plant at this time of year ? I have dug the border over and would like to get on with it but I am not sure if it is too late in the season?

[ComeIntoTheGardenMaud]

As long as you're not in a frost pocket, November is actually a very good time to plant.

Most of the plants I've mentioned should be on the Royal Horticultural Society website.