Can anybody help someone who no gardening clue, please? We want to plant a shrub in North Wales on a cliff face. It obviously must be hardy - does anyone have any suggestions, please?
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.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
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.
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.
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 macrodontaAGM – 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 rhamnoidesAGM (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)
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.
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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.
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/
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 .
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.
Buddleja davidii will grow anywhere, including from the mortar in the side of a chimney near where I live!
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
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