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Suggestions for suitable shrub on a cliff please

Can anybody help someone who no gardening clue, please?image We want to plant a shrub in North Wales on a cliff face.  It obviously must be hardy - does anyone have any suggestions, please?

Many thanks

Posts

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,139

    My best advice would be to look around and see what grows in similar conditions in the wild where you are, then try planting a cultivated/improved version. image


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • see http://lowerkenneggynurseries.co.uk  my friends can probably help

  • You might like to have a look online at the St Michael's Mount website, although of course, North Wales is colder.There's aphoto on

    www.flickr.com/photos/ukgardenphotos/8314423772/

     

  • chicachica Posts: 252

    i live very near the cliffs and they have just planted a variety of big grasses which sway in the wind and shrubs in between but its rather mild in devon so you might want something more hardy.

  • Thanks very much - lots of ideas image .

  • Hilary PHilary P Posts: 4

    The idea of looking at what wild plants are growing there and looking for cultivated varieties of them is a very good tip. I might consider species roses in this location, some are very tough. Have a peek at a website like Peter Beales or David Austin for rose ideas. Good luck.  image

  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,384

    Buddleja davidii will grow anywhere, including from the mortar in the side of a chimney near where I live!

    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • Very true about buddleia. I like the idea of species roses, too. To go smaller, I was also wondering about lavender though, if this is really a cliff, then presumably it has to cope with cold, salt winds. The RHS recomend the following for these conditions.

    Euonymus japonicus (Japanese spindle) – dense bushy evergreen, good for hedging H 4m (12ft), S 2m (6ft)
    Olearia macrodonta
    AGM – vigorous, evergreen, daisy-like fragrant flowers in summer, H 6m (20ft), S 5m (15ft)
    Rosa rugosa
    – vigorous, deciduous, fragrant carmine-red flowers followers, orange-red hips, good for hedges H & S 1-2.5m (3-8ft)
    Tamarix tetrandra – arching branches, scale like leaves, pink flowers in late spring, good for poor soils, H & S 3m (10ft)
    Hippophae rhamnoides AGM (sea buckthorn) – bushy deciduous shrub/small tree with spiny shoots and silvery to bronze leaves, female plants produce orange fruit, H & S (6m (20ft)
    Elaeagnus x ebbingei – dense evergreen shrub with dark or metallic sea-green leaves, H & S 4m (12ft)

    http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/profile.aspx?pid=472

     

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,139

    If you're interested in roses for this  site, I suggest you consider some of the Burnett roses (rosa pimpinellifolia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosa_pimpinellifolia.  These are tough little roses which in their wild forms live in pretty tough conditions.

    Peter Beales sell several  from this group, including my favourite Burnett Double White.    http://www.classicroses.co.uk/productindex.php?type=rose&prodfinderformroseFamily=pimpinellifolias  


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • You are all so helpful! Thanks so much image

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