What would you do with this border (recent Leylandii removal!)

[RueDeDay]

Hoping some of you might have some good ideas! I have a lovely south facing garden, which until recently had a very overgrown leylandii hedge on all four sides which had been neglected a bit by the previous elderly owner. Had that chopped down over winter, but couldn't afford to get the stumps removed so am looking to see what I can do either temporarily for a summer or two, until the stumps start rotting down properly, or with very small plants which can then grow onto the space.

Has anyone planted after leylandii removal? What plants can survive in the soil??

Thank you! I am a novice gardener so 'not killing things' is quite the achievement for me right now! Looking forward to creating a cosy space outside!

We removed a hedge of Leyllandi last year. I have spent the winter improving the soil. First I dug it all over, removing weeds, ivy and roots. Then I put in a mixture of manure, top soil, compost and soil improver.
As I was doing it over the winter, I just bought huge 100L or 50L bags of whatever was on offer. I have no idea of the quantities, but it was at least 20 bags in total.
I'm now just planting it up, the fun bit!

I should probably also say the area was about as long as in your picture and about twice as deep.

Did you find the roots easy to remove? That's about a fifth of the de-hedged area, any I'm had thought it would be too difficult to do myself... Based on the fact that the stump removal quote was twice as much as the hedge removal quote!!

I didn't bother with the larger roots, just the finer ones that the spade had cut through when digging. The added compost made it deep enough to plant, avoiding the bigger roots.

Agree with JT05, work around the larger roots and buy lots of organic matter. Is there a local place that will deliver it in the large cubic metre bags? It tends to be a lot cheaper and you can easily move it about with a barrow. I would also look at planting a green compost crop like red clover this year to get the soil going.

What I would do it cover all your growing area with bark or woodchip. About 6 inches to a foot deep if possible. Keep it weed free for this summer, allowing the bark to start rotting and bringing the worms in. If you have access to manure, add a few inches of that below the bark. Then start planning what will grow there and next spring start planting up.

If on a budget, get compost bin, bang it in the middle and start composting directly on the soil, to start capturing those nutrients. As soon as it gets filled, take the bin straight off, move it next to the heap, and pitch the uncomposted stuff pback into the bin and rake the composted stuff to cover the soil with a 4-6 inch mulch.

I have Rhododendron and Hydraenga growing happily between Leylandii stumps with nothing added to the soil (just weeded and broke up the area with a fork). I planted some gladioli bulbs with are just popping through too.

Thanks all... Looks like I have a busy weekend ahead!! I am on a budget, but don't want to plant rhododendrons or hydrangeas because I think they would obscure the wall a bit too much... Thinking about it, I fancy something there which is knee high and ideally scented (as its near the table & chairs). Would love something like a row of small daphne which would obviously be much money! Suspect I'll be better off improving the soil this summer and planting as and when money comes in.

You could try planting bedding pinks. They are quite easy going, have a lovely scent and don't mind dry soil. Homebase has them in 6 packs. Also they area easy to propagate from cuttings.

Thanks JT05! Am heading to Homebase this weekend so will take a look! Pinks are new to me but the pictures look pretty