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Post by Bess on Jul 29, 2016 11:16:53 GMT
I'm not just trying to show off my pretty window boxes, honest  It's the border underneath them that is a problem. It's got quite a lot of bulbs in, with muddy gravel on top. It gets very hot and dry - gets sun all day, at the front of the house at the top of a slope. I'm thinking of removing the gravel - I have to weed it all the time anyway - and I can't put more bulbs in without removing it, which I want to do. What could I grow in this little border, that will be easy to look after and let the bulbs through in spring? Or what else could I do?  |
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Post by sweetpea on Jul 29, 2016 13:07:32 GMT
In the situation you describe Bess I think one candidate would be nerine Bowdenii A dry position suits them but they don't flower untii the later part of the year. |
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Post by roofgardener on Jul 29, 2016 13:21:44 GMT
Onions !!!  |
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Post by sweetpea on Jul 29, 2016 14:03:09 GMT
Onions !!! Nah! PARSNIPS |
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Post by roofgardener on Jul 29, 2016 14:40:34 GMT
What a preposterous proposition !!
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Post by Bess on Jul 29, 2016 16:12:44 GMT
Dear Roofy, I am allergic to onions  (and not at all partial to parsnips) so I hope someone else has some other ideas I have actually been donated a pot of Nerines, and was wondering what to do with them. So I am glad to hear it'd be a good place to put them, Sweetpea. |
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Post by daitheplant on Jul 29, 2016 18:46:36 GMT
Alpines.
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Post by SueA on Jul 29, 2016 21:36:37 GMT
I like Dai's idea of alpines or you could sow some wildflower type plants, poppies, cornflowers etc. so you could have spring bulbs followed by wildflowers & maybe alliums ( not the edible onion type! ) & then autumn bulbs, nerines, colchicums etc. |
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Post by Bess on Jul 30, 2016 15:40:10 GMT
I like the idea of wildflowers, but I do need something really low maintenance - the garden is as much as I can cope with right now. Still, I suppose they'd seed themselves - the poppies do here anyway.
Alpines might be the ticket if I can find some that cover the ground fast (I don't want to buy a million tiny pots of them like you see for sale now!)
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Post by daitheplant on Jul 30, 2016 19:35:30 GMT
Aubretia, Alyssum, Alpine Phlox, all are fairly quick growing and are easy to maintain.
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Post by dianthus on Aug 1, 2016 20:19:05 GMT
What a preposterous proposition !! I agree with you Roofy.... the window boxes are too shallow for root crops, me thinks |
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Post by dianthus on Aug 1, 2016 20:32:14 GMT
I like the idea of wildflowers, but I do need something really low maintenance - the garden is as much as I can cope with right now. Still, I suppose they'd seed themselves - the poppies do here anyway. Alpines might be the ticket if I can find some that cover the ground fast (I don't want to buy a million tiny pots of them like you see for sale now!) How about perennial bedding plants like aubretia and white lady.... they will spread across the boxes and hang over? Mum had them in her rockeries and they coped with poor soils and dry weather. |
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Post by Rosie on Aug 1, 2016 21:06:29 GMT
Limnanthus (poached egg plants) would be good for the bees, pretty yellow and white flowers Roofy I think you shoulkd be renamed as Roofy, the world famous onion whisperer |
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Post by Bess on Aug 4, 2016 20:00:51 GMT
Well I've planted some aubretia seeds as I got a packet for 89p What do you mean by 'White lady,' Dianthus? When I searched for it, I came up with half a dozen plants named that. |
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Post by daitheplant on Aug 4, 2016 20:10:26 GMT
Di, it is the border UNDERNEATH the windowboxes Bess want to plant up.
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(and not at all partial to parsnips) so I hope someone else has some other ideas 
