hedges....underplanting

[GiraffeNecked]

Just planted a privet hedge. It's at the back of a very wide brand new border. What can I plant at the base of the hedge that will keep weeds down but allow me access to but the hedge??

I’d go for Crainsbill Geraniums. There are easily managed spreading varieties. I’ve planted some at the base of an established Leyllandi hedge (not mine) and they’ve not only thrived but almost got rid of the ground elder.

I've got lots of those, been splitting them over the summer. Good thought.

The thing is Cranesbill geraniums are not very tall so wouldn't show at the back of your border. I'd plant perennial salvias (sages) . They are great, they come in lots of leaf and flower varieties Especially if yours is a sunny border.

I see your point. What I'm looking for is something that will survive being stood on when the hedge is being cut and also suppress weeds so I'm not constantly having to weed that bit - but also not just be a strip of weed suppressant.

I may be overthinking.

I do love salvias though and have a load of cuttings rooting nicely for next year.

Hedge Bedstraw or Heath Bedstraw are good speaders but not too tall and like shade.

Never heard of that. Looks good.

Maybe plant your cranesbill close to the hedge, then leave a decent gap plant grass there, that you can mow to keep the weeds down . Before planting the rest of the border. I have a gap that's not wide enough to mow and it's annoying! It's ok for a strimmer, but they keep breaking.

It's the front garden and I'm planning for no grass at all. I've paved and gravel pathed it so that there's huge borders, small trees - a front hedge - plants growing in the gravel etc.

I'm going to put a small chamomile lawn down and use a bit of corsican mint in another low traffic area.

It's a big front garden.

I have marjoram (I think) under y hedge, amongst other things. Orange hawkbit too (pretty weed)

We’ve got a few stepping stones between shrubs and plants at the back of our border.

@greyishDays are they just slabs put down or did you put them in properly like a path? I've got a few left over slabs (nice paving) and was thinking of putting them straight onto bare earth as stepping stones. They'll not be in plain sight.

They’re nice flat stones made of proper stone, but just dropped into the soil.

That sounds hopeful - I thought I might have to dig out holes and put sharp sand in.

It's simple to put paving ( or just large flattish stones) straight onto bare earth, leave them a year or so and the earth sort of 'beds them in' all on it's own. I've done in quite a few places.

Also we had to remove a large leylandii and we've done that with specifically cut slices of tree trunk to make 'stepping stones' in various places.