Plants for clay soil?

[snowgirl1]

I have a border at the front of our house that I need plants for. The soil is clay, there's lawn on one side of the border, pavement on the other side - no walls, only slightly shaded at one end of the border. We had Hebe in there but it hasn't thrived - we think the soil isn't well drained enough for it and it may have root rot. We've dug the Hebe out and need something to replace it. Any suggestions for what might do well there??

It's been a very long time but my childhood home had clay soil in the front garden. I distinctly remember a rose bush, two stunning climbing roses, a beautiful fuchsia called 'Mrs Popple', peonies, gladioli, tulips and crocosmia. We also had a hebe but maybe we just got lucky with a good one!

Forgot to add that it was a south-west facing garden so was sunny most of the day.

I have heavy clay soil, and the plants in my garden that seem to thrive best on it are roses, hardy geranium, aquilegia and sedum.

We have awful clay soil. Our lupins have thrived and lavender. I don't have the first clue about what im doing in the garden so Chuck things in and hope for the best.

I have heavy clay. Roses love it. As a more similar plant to hebe you could try wall germander or rosemary - both of which do well
In my garden. Euphorbia also likes it and makes a lovely mounded shape. Ornamental brassicas do well. Hollyhock, buddleia (you can get smaller ones), cornus.

Rose, lavender, ornamental grasses, plum tree, pear tree, gooseberries, rhubarb are all doing well in my soil which is ridiculous clay!

Thank you all for your suggestions! I wasn't sure I'd get any answers and so I'm delighted to have all your suggestions. We're heading off to a garden centre this morning, armed with a list of all the plants suggested :-)

You can filter on RHS and Crocus websites by soil type so you only see suitable plants. Roses and hydrangeas should do well.

I have beautiful iris in mine. And delphiniums, and phlox and peonies, and Huchera. Poppies too. Anything really!It’s south west facing.

I’m the same, my garden is all clay. Roses thrive the most, but I have peonies, iris, lupins and blue blossom that has grown huge in the last year.

Look at your neighbours gardens and see what thrived. They might even let you take cuttings.

Another vote for roses. Centaurea (knapweed) also love it, and are good for early cover as they flower in the gap between most bulbs finishing and everything else taking off. Alstroemeria Indian summer is also thriving , although I've tried other alstroemerias and they've struggled more.

I didn't think lavender did well in heavy clay soil, it didn't survive in mine. does it not need dry/well draining soil?
pyracantha, buddlea, fuscia, crocosmia, smoke bush, forest flame (pieris) hydrangea, geraniums all doing well in it

Check plant labels and avoid anything that says “well drained” soil.

@happygolurkey Lavender would have come to my mind as a plant that likes clay, but actually I have lots of lavender growing in clay soil on a sunny slope and they are thriving. I can't imagine it would like the soil in lowest bits of my garden that can stay soggy for weeks in the wet parts of winter - but clay soil by itself doesn't seem to be a problem as long as it does drain.

ah right, okay doke, thanks CrabbyCat. I might try again in a sunnier spot as i'd love to have lavender in the garden

We’re on heavy clay and out lavender at the back (south facing) and neighbours at the front (north facing) is roaring away.

Yes to roses (loving my Scepter’d Isle this year and it’s laden with blossom), and hydrangeas (I have been trying to kill one that’s basically eating our front garden. It has the survival power of Lazarus!). We also have a pink camellia which is flipping fabulous every spring despite me basically neglecting it.

cottage garden stuff like aquilegia, borage, cornflowers and Nigella all do well too. And little woodland strawberries too.

Camellia loveliness.

Lots of lavender on my road in heavy clay - but on a slope so agree that the slope mitigates the clay.