Please help me fill 7 metres of newly dug flowerbed!

[Titsywoo]

We've spent the last few years renovating our house and garden. I dug in flowerbeds down one side of my garden in the spring and have finally done the other side today. It's east facing and against a wall so fairly sheltered. We have heavy clay soil but managed to dig out a good 9-12 inches of it and have put down a lot of compost so the soil is pretty good. I'd like it to be pretty full so big shrubs and some climbing plants. Any ideas? Will attach a pic in a moment. Thanks :)

[Titsywoo]

Here's a pic. It's just over a foot wide.

[traviata]

Solanum glasnevin
Clematis
climbing roses
Morello cherry
honeysuckle
actinidia

[Flatpackback]

It looks very narrow, can you make it wider so that you can add different height plants? If not climbers as above should look great

[7Days]

I'm imagining that whole wall covered in one type of beautiful climbing rose. Or maybe a few types for a longer spread of flowering time and scent, but all the same colour

[AstrantiaMajor]

It will be easier to advise you if you can answer a few questions.

How much work do you want to do on the border? Do you want to plant it up and leave it to look after itself?. If not, are you planning gaps so that you can do seasonal plantings or is the maintenance you plan more to do with pruning and keep it tidy?

Do you want a random mix of colours heights and plants. For example, trees, shrubs, bedding plants? Or are you looking for some sort of uniformity in colour or shape?

There are many stunning evergreens like, euonymous , holly, pyracantha, laurel that might appeal. Intersperse these with slender trees like Alamanchier, flowering cherry, Prunus Seralia and Silver Birch.They are very low maintenance, but some will think that it would be a very boring border to look at.

If you want lots of colour, then roses, clematis, Lilac, Weigelia, honeysuckle and Jasmine will provide these but you may want to think about winter interest. Daphne and Withazel, Cornus and Salix .

My advise would be to put 'landscaped borders' onto Pinterest and see what appeals. Then once you know what appeals to your personal taste, can come back here for advice on specifics.

One of the things to be aware of when planting a long border is the desire to cover it very quickly, without thought about the spread of your shrubs. I doubt there is a gardener on here who has not made that expensive mistake. Once plants start to fight each other for space, none of the, do well. They become a devil to maintain and you end up digging up shrubs and moving them.

[Hemlock2013]

Yes astrantia, I've spent two years digging up plants and moving them in one bed....

But I recommend geum, just planted one and it's gorgeous! Red hot pokers would be nice too.

Think about low ground covering perennials as well as the more architectural plants like pokers.

Or maybe a row of lavender? Low maintenance and effective...

I'm excited for you! Keep us updated please.

[WellTidy]

If you'd like it to look full, I would think about glowering evergreen shrubs. Evergreen azalea and rhododendron maybe, camellias are a favourite of mine too and you can buy ones that flower at different times, winter and spring. Variegated evergreen shrubs for interest e.g. Pieris, laurels, pittosporum, photinia. These are the kind of things I would choose are they are evergreen, hardy and low maintenance. I am a complete novice though. You may be up for more effort! Easy hardy deciduous shrubs for me are smaller hydrangea, viburnum, duetzia, lilac all of which flower. Roses would be gorgeous and I find them really tough and accepting of neglect!

[WellTidy]

And hebes, huge variety of them available.

[happylittlevegemites]

I love roses, and roses will love the clay. Personally, I'd cover the wall with climbing roses (maybe two varieties, two colours, so they'll intertwine which will be more interesting).

Then maybe rosemary, lavender and creeping thyme as a groundcover ... that might make the whole thing fairly low maintenance?

[JeNeSuisPasVotreMiel]

The Mediterranean plants such as lavender and rosemary would thrive better in a south facing border, also your underlying clay soil might prove challenging. But it may be worth trying one of each plant to see how they do over a few years before committing to more.

I would advise against planting trees such as salix (willow) or cherry unless you are looking for a shady border in the future.

Your wall would be a fantastic backdrop for clematis (spring and summer flowering) and other climbers such as honeysuckle.
Be sure to put in the best supports - vine eyes and sturdy wires will last for years.

Under planting with perennials such as Geranium 'Rozanne' and Heuchera 'Plum Pudding' will give you some summer colour while you think about other plants.