Ground cover for under elevated hedge

[WomanBitingATowel]

Total gardening novice here. Last year I planted a row of prunus caucasica down the side of my drive — young trees with about five feet of trunk below the branches, with the idea that they will eventually thicken up into a kind of elevated ‘hedge’ to block an unsightly view on that side while still leaving visible a lovely old stone wall below.

I want to grow something in the border beneath them as year-round ground cover. Not sure what soil PH is, but relatively well-drained, facing east/south-east, full sun, quite exposed, as we’re on a hill, but with a high stone wall behind.

All thoughts welcome!

Hardy geraniums , they grow anywhere IME

Thank you. Will they spread to cover a fairly large area? I should have said, it’s a long drive, and a deep border…

Geranium Bigroot. Will spread itself without being invasive, but you can massively speed up the process by dividing and planting. Will probably take 3 years or so to get the effect.

It is not in itself the most amazing plant (though nice enough), but I’ve tried several things in a very similar situation and it’s the only one that’s worked well. Only other thing you could consider is having a mid storey of hydrandeas, but they won’t offer any ground cover.

Thank you, will look it up. Also, is there anything that would spread more quickly? It’s pretty much an invasive-proof area, with a stone wall in front and a stone wall behind, and with either the drive or a tarmac parking area beyond, so I’m not worried about something leapfrogging into any other bit of garden.

It’s going to be really dry under your trees/hedge as they will suck out most of the available moisture and shelter the ground underneath from rain (and you trees/hedge will get enormous by the way if you don’t keep on top of them) so something drought resistant, which hydrangea is not.

Perhaps a variegated ivy if it’s evergreen you are after although pull it off the tree stems before it gets hold. You could also try Cotoneaster conspicuus, which has red berries.

Vinca or ferns but make sure you get ferns that can tolerate dry shade. There are some very nice evergreen ones but I can't remember the name.

Creeping phlox?

Could do the hydrangeas with a los evergreen ground cover. Like evergreen epimeidums, mind your own business, Irish moss or alchemilla etc.

Thanks, everyone— taking notes.

I’ve got this under a privet hedge. It’s doing well. Looks lovely this time of year.

Euphorbia amygdaloides var. robbiae: A compact, shade-loving, spreading euphorbia that has long-lasting, lime-green flowers in late spring above rosettes of glossy, dark green leaves. It's a valuable plant for difficult areas of dry shade, particularly under trees, and it also looks at home in a woodland setting. As it is evergreen and suckering it also makes attractive groundcover. Left unchecked it can become invasive, romping through areas of a small garden. Grows to 70cm.

Periwinkle?