Best ground cover for a narrow strip

[MakingProgress2022]

I have a very narrow strip of soil between fence and path. Faces west and get decent sun.

I’m going for an architectural look and want maximum flowering season. Thought of lavender but seems a bit hard work to look after, plus the strip is about 6m long and would cost a bomb to buy.

What would you recommend? Wondered about phlox but does it look a bit old fashioned?

You can grow lavender from seed, or buy one plant and take cutting.

Hardy geraniums or Potentilla would give a longer flowering season. Or Helianthemum

Helenium Sahins Early Flowerer, Miscanthus Kleine Silberspinne, astelia chatamica, epimedium, sarcococca confusa, bergenia, persicaria fats domino etc. All plants I use in similar space. If in UK you can get all these mail order.

I have a similar spot, but it is N facing and next to a privet hedge with poorish soil. I decided to ‘improve it with some planting, but am probably going for a more wild look than you are. So far it’s planted with, small euphoria, Crainsbill geraniums, polyanthus, spring bulbs, variegate vinca, and also any annual seedlings that need a home. I top up the soil with handfuls of compost each year. It’s coming along nicely.

Convulvulus cneorum - silvery evergreen leaves, will look tidy without any work and flowers in all but the winter months.

Hydrangeas could look spectacular (eg Annabelle) but not evergreen and might take more work to keep looking tidy.

Erigeron would be very happy there, will spread itself and has a very long flowering season but might be more of a cottage garden look than architectural

Salvias keep flowering a long time but aren’t much to look at in winter.

What about climbers up the fence? Many climbing roses are long flowering especially if you deadhead.

I think I’d probably go for something like convulvulus cneorum at the base (or maybe hebe topiaria or pittosporum golf ball, but they don’t flower) so you have something there all year round.

And then have climbers - rose, clematis, for the main flowers.

Tall flowers would flop over the path which could be a nuisance if you use the path a lot. I’d go for lavender, you can grow from cuttings, just put them straight in the ground as they take easily. Erigeron would be nice too, and some dwarf daffodils and muscari.

Ooh some fantastic ideas here to look into, thanks!

I could do climbers up the fence but actually quite like how it looks just itself.

I want to do all the same plant, so it will be an expensive mistake if I get it wrong.

Thanks!

@MakingProgress2022

Ooh some fantastic ideas here to look into, thanks!

I could do climbers up the fence but actually quite like how it looks just itself.

I want to do all the same plant, so it will be an expensive mistake if I get it wrong.

Thanks!

The only thing about doing the same plant is that the off season will look very boring. A mixture is good if you like variety.

Thanks thisismax.

I know...that's why I want a long flowering season.

Just want it to look a bit 'classic' iyswim rather than cottage garden

(Bit ambitious for a suburban semi in a northern town but that's the dream)

If you want simple and architectural, I'd probably look for an evergreen grass and then plant allium bulbs to grow up amongst it, they flower through the summer and you can leave the heads on through autumn/winter, and when you cut them back you'll still be left with the grasses.

@MakingProgress2022

Thanks thisismax.

I know...that's why I want a long flowering season.

Just want it to look a bit 'classic' iyswim rather than cottage garden

(Bit ambitious for a suburban semi in a northern town but that's the dream)

Ah OK. Then grasses, agapanthus, astelias, pittosporum, helenium, cardoon, melianthus?

I would go for erigeron. It is hardy and produces swathes of pink and white daisy-like flowers, which will soften the fence outline and fill the gap for years to come.

I’ve just planted some skimmia in a border which are quite nice and give year round interest.