Suggestions for Plants for very small front garden please

[Twiglett]

Hi All

I have one of those London Victorian houses that has a space of about 5 foot between lounge window and garden wall .. so long narrow but is a corner house so goes round house.

Have a 3 ft wall with new railings .. looking for lovely flowery plants that take minimal care to plant there that will make a nice loose hedgy border and maybe poke through the fence..

currently thinking fuscia / camelia / roses?

important is the minimal care bit

any thoughts?

Nice to see you back Twiglett.
What about some herbs in pots for front garden?

Thanks pixiefish

have herbs in back garden .. don't really want pots out fronts .. have a soil border so wanted to plant hedgy type things

So, does that mean roots will be in shade, flowers in sun? Clematis any good?

front of house faces North agy..

wall isn't really big enough for a climber .. looking for more bushy type plants

anyone?

Lavender would look great, very bushy & minimal care, a whole row looks very stylish. Or Mahonia, very sculptural with an exotic scent. Spiky, though.Or Hydrangeas.

Lavender would smell so heavenly as well...

How about those plants that people keep in pots and trim into ball shapes???
How about a maze of miniature bush things- saw it done on the telly once in a front garden.

Bush roses are excellent - I forfeit the ones that smell gorgeous, for those that produce loads of roses - floribunda is the term for it I think.

Would it be sunny enough for roses, though? I think there is one climbing rose that is ok in shade. Don't know name. It prob wouldn't do much without sun. Agree lavender might be ok, and fuschias. Don't camellias need sun during middle of day? Sorry, rambling now!

pixiefish means Bruxus or 'Box' they're are good they take little looking after and look quite smart - also those palm things you get in big planters - don't know what they're called tho' so I suppose that's not much use to you

Camellias are ok with very little sun, so long as they DONT get any morning sun (burning frost off). They need moist, lime free soil though.

How tall is your wall? Loose bushy things you can clip back (but not disciplined like a box hedge)- try ceanothus, get a nice dark blue eg Puget blue. Pittosporum comes in variegated leaves, and works well in flower arrangements. And a spiraea "little princess" - the leaves on mine are a fantastic bright red at the moment. [spellings all OK]. Or, you could try hardy fuchsias as London is quite warm. Peonies are fab, and not difficult to grow, though they provide only a short burst of flowers - "Bowl of Beauty" is nice. Agree with hydrangeas, but choose say a lace cap variety or one with very deep coloured flowers instead of the bog standard types. Roses can be great, but they are nasty to trim and dispose of the spiky clippings, and unless you take lots of care, they will get the black leafed lurgy and greenfly, at which point you may as well set fire to them. Personally I can't be bothered. My advics is, pick something that's easy, BUT make sure the variety is a bit different or special or smells nice or is beautifully coloured or does something interesting, according to your taste. Also don't plant forsythias because I don't like them very much. wonders - do I need an wink emoticon here or will they understand?

Probably the bit where you said it was 3ft high was the clue.

Agree with all that catinthehat says, except I wouldn't bother with peonies, they are lovely for about 2 weeks in may and then rather drab the rest of the year IMO. And they die back every year so during their growing time will be north facing but also close behind a 3ft wall so very little light. They won't do well. Ditto camellias that I don't think will be happy in your almost certainly not acid enough soil without enough light.
Ceanothus is a really good suggestion, and in london I quite often got two flowerings a year, main one in spring and a smaller second flush in autumn. It is also evergreen which is good, adds to the interest. I would also add to Cat's list Viburnum - they are fantastic shrubs. Beautiful white (usually) blossom in spring which smells divine, leaves go deep reds and oranges in the autumn, and you can get many different varieties so look for one that grows not TOO high and can take s facing. Viburnum plicatum mareisii is one of my favs but probably needs a bit more of an open aspect. Would look lovely with the ceanothus as well. Then a lace-cap hydrangea - great flowers in July, nice and upright, good shape, minimal pruning required. Then for year round foliage instead of pittosporum (which I love but which GROWS - can reach 15ft) maybe think of euonymous fortunei snow queen - variegated (but in a nice way) deep breen bordered with cream. Can grow it to what ever size you like and clip it hard to keep a good shape and height. Looks immaculate all winter. And at the end, how about a standard something? Bay, if you want bay leaves for your kitchen, Holly if it isn't going to spike people as it will look lovely with berries on in the winter, perhaps a rose? Zepherine Drouhin is a lovely deep pink rose that repeats all summer, likes north facing walls and is thornless...

Think that little lot would look great. Ceanothus, Viburnum, Euonymous, Hydrangea, Standard Rose/Bay etc.

wow thanks

out of interest I did have camelias planted out there .. tended them lovingly for 3 months, fed with ericacious plant food, they just started to bud and were about 3 foot high and some ar$e leaned over the wall in the middle of the night and nicked all 9 of them .. what a git .. (first gardening I'd ever done too)

We have a selection of heathers which require very litle work and are a selection of colours - look nice in Winter too. Have fun with gardening Twiglett - lovely to see you back

Twiglett _ OMG I'd have been homicidal!
What a B***D!

Bet he thought he was being really romantic for his girlfriend or something (although I hope she dumped him for it!). At least that would be pref to the yobs who pick all the flowers out of our towns displays/ neighbours gardens in the summer and then just throw them on the ground. Such a waste! Some people have no respect for anything or anyone...
Makes me furious!!!!