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Front Garden

I've recently the gravel from my very very small front garden because the local cats were using it as a litter tray. It's about 15 feet wide by about 4 foot wide, it separates my Victorian semi from the street.

I want something that will be there all year and would like a few plants to flower but I would like good cover of the ground.

Can anyone give me some advice.

 

Posts

  • DaintinessDaintiness Posts: 988

    Which way does your garden face? What was under the gravel - have you got a weed suppressing membrane, hardened soil...?

  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,384

    Periwinkle (Vinca minor) is a great evergreen groundcover which has violet/blue flowers which appear for much of the year and tolerates any conditions.  You could use that to cover the whole area and grow a few taller plants through it.

    http://www.victoriananursery.co.uk/Periwinkle_Lesser/

     

    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • its west facing but has a lot of shade due to a small wall, the periwinkle sounds good. Any ideas on evergreen shrubs.

  • Clipped box or yew  will do ok in the shade. Christmas Box (Sarcococca) will also do ok there and gives off a great scent in late Winter/Early Spring.

    You could also replace the gravel with something like grey slate chippings.

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117

    I'd agree with the previous post Richard - some bigger gravel will help - the fine stuff is beautiful but it just looks like cat litter to felines unfortunately image

    Sarcococca would be one of my choices for that situation as well as the yew and box.  I have some of the prostrate Gaultherias which are evergreen and have berries through the winter. They would look smart surrounding more structural evergreens like  pillars of yew or box balls/cones.

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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