patio with circular bed

I have built a new circular patio and have created a circular bed all around to enclose it. Ideally i would like to plant a small hedge, but dont want it to grow more than about a foot wide or foot high. I know box is slow growing but was looking to add some colour and not have everything green. Can you please help me with some suggestions.

Oh, meant to say would be ideal to have all year colour, but not essestial

If it's a sunny site and well drained, think about lavenders such as Hidcote or Munstead Dwarf - grey foliage, blue flowers, perfume and magnets for bees.   They can be kept compact by pruning back once flowering finishes cutting about an inch into the new foliage growth.

For more colour, look at lonicera nitida which has a golden form or euonymus Emerald and Gold which has green and gold variegated foliage.  There's a cream and green version too.  Consider also dwarf conifers which can come in a range of colours including glaucous blue, bronze and gold.   They respond well to regular trimming for a low hedge.  I have one with blueish foliage with a fine white bar in the needle.  Don't know the variety though.

How about Heucheras - they come in a huge variety of colours so you can choose how much of range you go for - they flower in spring.Wouldn't need clipping either!

how about hardy fuchsia  as a hedge ?

That's amazing response so far. This is the first ever post on any site ever. I just thought I would never get a reply. 

You are right, It is in full sun all day long,  i live in Northern Ireland so weather a bit up and down. However the soil is very good and drains well

In the sun all day long and well draining soil;  it has to be a lavender hedge 

Lavendar smells lovely and attracts bees and other polinators, easy to propogate and thus share wiht friends!

ILEX CRENATA seems to be the new thing as a box substitute but it is dark green so wouldn't give you the colour you want unfortunately.

I've grown Euonymus Fortunei before and kept it small and trimmed to shape. It is also variegated and you can get it in green & white and also a yellow variegated forms. Why not use this or something similar but use both green and yellow forms and plant alternatively so you get both colours working together? I imagine that in time they would 'knit' together to form a 'multi' coloured hedge? I suppose you could even use something else mixed in to give some red or orange foliage, although off the top of my head I can't think what would suit?!...

Hope that helps...

Higgy

http://higgysgardenproject.blogspot.co.uk/

Cab anyone suggest where online to buy as I live in Northern Ireland and delivery may be a problem. Also spacing etc

Have alook in the RHS Plant Finder.  http://apps.rhs.org.uk/rhsplantfinder/

Enter the name of the plant and it comes up with nurseries which stock it.  You can then search by area and also check for possibility of delivery.  They'll also give advice baout soil preparation and pruning.   Good garden centres will also stock lavender - but be sure to buy a hardy variety such as Hidcote or Munstead Dwarf - and the euonymous suggested.

Hi Thanks, I can get 25 potted 7cm plants for £43.   any idea id thesde will be very small and if so will the grow fast . Alos how many should i plant per metre etc

sorry i promise i have not been drinking, looks like it from the above message

Hi Gardenking,

7cm are small pots and therefore the plants aren't going to be huge! If you can find a local nursery that would be better as you can see what you're buying. My local nursery will also source plants if they don't hold them in stock so that's worth thinking about?

As for planting distance I'm no expert but as your looking at small plants and you want to make a low hedge I'd imagine you would be looking at planting them about 12"-16" apart? as I say I'm no expert so I'm more than happy to be corrected if anyone else thinks differently??

I still say find a decent nursery if you can and in my experience one that specialises in good quality plants rather than all manner of other 'stuff' if you can? You will probably get some good advice about planting etc also....

Cheers

Higgy

http://higgysgardenproject.blogspot.co.uk/

I planted a lavender hedge a few years ago with plants of that size.  Plant them 12" apart - put some grit into the soil if it's not gritty already - and plant the lavender into little mounds so that the rain doesn't drain towards the roots.  After flowering (in early August) cut the growth back by 1/3 - I know it seems harsh but it'll encourage them to develop a good root system as well as to bush out.  They'll put on new growth following the pruning and this will provide you with plenty of flowers the following year.

This video demonstrates how to prune young lavender http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5pJs99MV28 but remember she is harvesting the lavender flowers so is doing it a bit earlier in the year than you will.  Also the lavender she is growing looks like Munstead, which is bigger and a lighter colour than Hidcote which is more compact and a darker blue/purple.