Low wall trailers

[Mrsramsayscat]

I would be really grateful for some advice on trailers to cascade over the front of a low wall. The bed is a ribbon border a metre wide which runs around the house and is quite narrow. Along one edge of it there is a patio and on the other is a metre high drop. There were ivies previously but we grubbed them up, as they almost took over the beds and damaged the other plants, as well as the wall face.

The site is obviously pretty dry, and also sandy- although we have added manure and organic matter.

So far we have aubretia, campanula and Arabis. Also two vinca minor. I'm looking for flower and foliage suggestions, and any evergreens would be a bonus. The whole border is probably 70ft in length, so there is room for quite a few plants.

It's west at the front, and very dry, and south around the corner, although some parts of that area are shadier and more moisture retentive.

Thank you.

Helianthemum. I have a stunning yellow one from Morrison's that cost pennies. Evergreen. Flowers through summer. Likes sun

Lithodora, I have a heavenly blue, gorgeous flowers, evergreen. Flowers late spring, likes sun

Iberis sempervivens, again evergreen clumps, white flowers starting soon. Likes sun but I had one doing great in partial shade

Erigeron might like it too.

This is the helianthemum last year. It's going to be amazing this year, it has really expanded over winter, and is flopping over beautifully. Another pinky double flowered one I bought for much more cash is a straggly horror, but this one is glorious.

You could fill gaps cheaply with annuals. Bacopa (purples and whites) is a wonderplant , it flowers like a mad thing all summer, spreads out massively from a tiny plant, then expires overwinter. Bidens (yellows) is also excellent. Verbena is lovely if you can keep the slugs off while it gets going, Wilko had slabs of it going very cheap last year.

What about thyme, it creeps along, has a lovely smell and mauve flowers. Good for the environment as bees love it.

Thank you. The helianthemum looks lovely.

I have a thyme tucked it but it's a bit leggy. I think the combination of sand plus the blotting paper effect of the wall and patio, plus the way the border faces, combine to make it devilishly dry. Plus the shrubs in the border take water.

Oddly the soil isn't naturally sand, I don't think. It isn't at the back of the house, anyway. I bought the house from a builder who created this large wrap around terrace at the front, but who infilled the bed with a good 9inch depth of sandy soil. It's clay or more clay like anyway underneath. So the shrubs do well, although two rhododendrons/azaleas are struggling a bit .

I didn't plant any of the shrubs.

Mrs Bert, I bought the Erigeron last year. It seems to have vanished, but I don't know if it's just waiting to come back or whether it's the cold weather we had. It isn't an annual, I don't think.

Just looked up the lithodora. It's a must find!

Do try to get the Heavenly Blue variety. It's a real winner. Looking forward to mine getting going, it was a bit titchy last year. Much bigger now.

I think my erigeron survived. I hope so!

How about Thrift/ Armeria? It likes dry spots. I’m attaching a photo of the dry bank surrounding my pond. Snow in summer ( don’t know the botanical name), thrift, thyme and helianthemum do well.

Gorgeous!

Thanks, nature does most of it! The purple flowers are Bugle (Ajuga), also a good spreading plant.

Heavenly blue it is. Absolutely gorgeous

JT, that is a lovely photo of your pond area. I'm not sure about thrift, though, as it isn't a trailer.

I did wonder about getting one convolvulus cneoreum, as it might flop over the wall and not mind the conditions?

trailing nepta is pretty and evergreen ,less invasive than ivy .

does the lithodora need acidic soil ? I've had a bit of fail with mine ,lots of foilage but not flowers .

But I've also let it get woody as I didn't know how to prune it . I've cut it back now ,couple of days ago .Which now I've googled I think is wrong .
Ho Hum .

RHS says acidic or neutral, although mine have been OK on our slightly chalky soil. Might see how mine likes a bit of camellia feed.

Evergreen spring flowerers don't really need pruning, apparently. I think things like Lithodora might just need to be junked after a few years if they've got a bit blah.

Oh wow. There are a great many helianthemums. Some great colours.