New Planting?

[ggloria007]

Our hebe bushes died after last year's frost. After a year of patiently waiting for the bush to come back we have dug all the soil. As you can see, there is not much depth for the soil. Having said this, the hebe bush was thriving for 9 years until the frost (I also attach a photo from several years ago). The "concrete" drains reasonably well?? and there are buried incoming services for electricity, gas and water, internet underneath so additional excavation is out of the question... I would be grateful for advice on what to plant and how to prepare the soil. I am thinking of a hardy evergreen with small leaves. Possibly, planting japonicus green ... but not sure... It faces west. Looking forward for your suggestions.Thank you

Lavender?
Ceanothus?

Both do well in my well drained (dry) wildlife garden though they would probably prefer the sun you have!

Thank you for the suggestion. My hubby is not keen on lavender - he says it can be "woody" and not lush.. dont know what the ceanothus but will have a look. thank you

You have got scope to increase the soil depth by topping it up with top soil to just below the path level. Don’t know what you mean by japonicus green. Japonicus is a species name for plants which originated from Japan and there are a lot! Your black walls reminds me of Derek Jarman’s house and garden at Dungeness. I’d plant something like Nassella tenuissima, Salvia ‘Caradonna’ and Geum ‘Totally Tangerine’. The orange against the black would look amazing. Beth Chatto’s gravel garden is also worth a look at.
If it’s evergreen you want then Choisya ‘’White Dazzler’ has lots to offer.

Potentilla

Hebes don’t live forever. So if you loved your old one i’d replant with the same!

Thank you so much for your ideas. I really like them! though they are very architectural and maybe not the best for the street we live in. (My fault is not supplying all the photos). However I really like Choisya ‘’White Dazzler’ idea. The reason I want something evergreen with small leaves is that the bush is very small in its volume and big leaves would need to be cut down... There is Choisya ‘’White Dazzler’ somewhere else in the development so I could take this idea forward... Do you have any idea what soil to use... anything particularly rich and nurturing for new plants? such as a thin layer of manure under the topsoil? or just good compost? Thank you!

the negbohbour had a similar grassy idea but it does not look attractive

here is the bush I had in mind when I said japonicus green spire

Euonymus japonicus 'Green Spire' (Multibuy Offers Available) - One Click Plants

euonamus comes in a variegated leaf which is lovely. You might also like spirea some have dark pink flowers. Potentilla is hardy, mine has large yellow blossoms from spring till fall.

thank you!

Hmm, that's not great. The gravel colour is wrong. It needs to blend with the house colour, not fight with it.

what about the soil preparation, any particular type of soil etc? thank you