Help! Suggestions needed.

Could you try some hardy geraniums, in part of the area Jen ? .. as an experiment.
I guess some of those would be suitable for your requirements. Dawn Saunt wrote useful blog recently, giving a link to where you might buy different geraniums for various situations. Her blog is called Hardy Geranium and was written in March 2018.

Wow, TT, that's a good idea and I have a few clumps already growing in the back garden so could take part of one and try it ?. On my last plant shopping trip, the little nursery that we like also had a few in different colours then the one I have got. We like it there as she only sells perennials and only those that are ready to plant straight out. Will have a look for that blog. Thank you ?

I'm glad you like the idea, Jen..
there are lots of hardy geraniums available, so some will be more suitable than others for the situation you wish to work on. Good luck !

Also found the blog and looked up nursery she mentions. There is a contact number so I might give them a call in the morning as they would know what has the best chances. Then order a couple as would never just ring up for advice then get somewhere else. We get enough of that with our work so I know how it feels ?.

Yes, it is nice to be genuine and honest. Will be fun to order new plants from the nursery mentioned, and you can certainly make a start by splitting the clumps growing in your back garden, because those will be 'freebies'.

I wonder if the native yellow primrose might do OK there. It self seeds well and is drought resistant in our garden. It blooms early too and would show when the Geraniums are still waking up.

Dorjac... do you have the native yellow primrose thriving in sunny areas, or does it need to be in shade please ?

I have ordered geraniums from this site Jen,I rang them up and they were most helpful and knowledgeable,because they only grow hardy geraniums,good luck with your border.

Dorjac. Primrose are one of Hubbys favourite and we have tons of the native ones in our garden thanks to previous owner which hubby was over the moon about but unfortunately I think in front of the wall will too bright and hard for them but next time I dig up one of the 1000s I have then I could try it ?

Callie, must admit I went back on his website and saw that he was open till 6pm so I phoned. So helpful!! Took my email address and said he will send me a list of what should cope with harsh conditions and spread. So hopefully should get that in a couple of days. Nice that you can also recommend him as well. Thank you

I like the idea of hardy Geraniums. They seem to grow anywhere.

Hywel, i have some Wargrave in back garden. Never had them before and so impressed with them. Flowers it little heart out and for so long

As you say, it's a matter of finding the right plant for the right place. This location has a few challenges but far from 'mission impossible.' I would advise against anything tall and bushy which could pose a traffic hazard or requires you to be out there in the road trimming & clipping. So, something low growing, colorful, tough & low maintenance.

I never had luck with heather. Maybe it's my location (New York). They never came back after one brutal winter.

Look at Creeping Phlox. It's a tough low-growing evergreen ground-cover that will give mounds of color for weeks in red, lavender, pink, white or bluish-purple. It just needs feeding early spring and a little 'haircut' once the flowers fade.

Cone flowers & black-eyed susans would give additional color from summer into winter.

You are very welcome Jen.

As you already have a succesful Euonymus and a Cotoneaster horizontalis you might stick with that as you know it works. If you go for geraniums be prepared to keep trimming them back as some varieties get rather wide rather quickly. (Unless you go for good old fashioned Geranium sanguineum. Its tough, spreads slowly and flowers well, but it does disappear in winter when you could have bulbs such as miniature daffodils underneath it.

Hi Jen, I have a book re problem situations, I will have a look in the morning. I think Steras idea of small daffs like tete de tete is good and they’ll die down no problem, I’m pleased you like the Geranium idea.

Thanks Bathgate. Luckily the sidewalk is about 9ft wide there and stops just down the road and we are rural so don't really get people even walking by as there are times when customers park right in the gateway so I have to park my car up on the sidewalk to get it off the road till customer has gone. I will look into the Creeping Plox as I had seen it for sale last year, wanted to buy some but then thought with my dreaded Horsetail problem in my front garden that it wasn't a good idea to put ground cover in yet till Horsetail more under control. Luckily there doesn't seem to be any in this bed. I put some winter flowering Heather in the garden last year and it made it through the bad winter we had last year so hopefully it will grow there as Tim had decided he really wants some there. Don't know much about Black-eyed Susan, will have to look them up.

Thanks Sue, I have sent the Pictures to the Hardy Geranium nursery on his suggestion so hopefully any suggestion he makes will be suitable, fingers crossed. The idea of daffs there is a good one.There are four clumps of daffs already there, 2 of the smaller and 2 of the larger, put in by previous owner.

Thanks Dawnsaunt. That would be so kind of you.

Hi Jen, I've looked in my book and unfortunately it doesn't cover your situation. Good luck with the Geranium :)

Dawnsaunt, Thank you so much for having a look in your book. It was very kind of you. I had a reply from Gary today saying that he got the photos (I sent them through messenger). They will help in his suggestion list which he said will put together as soon as he can. ?

That’s great, I sent him my particular conditions and he saved me so much time by suggesting what would work :-)

??

Hi TT. I have 2 primroses blooming for years in the same sun soaked, dry patch in front of my patio. I was surprised they have stayed so long in what looks like such a hostile place. They pop up in other places in the garden as they self seed. One self seeded primrose in a more friendly place is now very leafy and large. The primroses on what seems like death row stay smaller! My garden can get a bit junglified!

Hi Jen Lewis I have Wargrave too in a variety of places, all deliberately planted for shade. Tete a Tete grows well under the middle of Wargrave too. Wargrave does not take over in this garden. The first plant a dug up freebie from a discrete wayside position years ago. Responds well to cut back after first bloom.

Dorjac,I have just ordered Wargrave it sounds nice underplanted with tete a tete,I think I will give it a try also.Hope you don't mind me pinching your ideas Jen.?

Dorjac, since moving here I have cleared out so many of the weeds that the Wargrave has benefited from it and doing really well this year. I have 2 big clumps and 3 smaller ones in back garden. 2 of the smaller clumps is from a bigger one that I divided last year. I love it. Didn't think about putting Tete a Tete under it when I replanted it last year but if I get more geraniums out front will have to do that then. Thanks for tip on how to keep it looking nice.

Callie, lol, you go for it. That's one of the things a love about GOY, is will all get ideas from each other. ?

Thanks Jen,I agree about goy,it is very good and everyone is so helpful.I have bought plants and shrubs since I have been on this site,that I would not have looked at,so glad I did I have got some lovely ones.Good luck with your border.

Thanks Callie. I'm the same. Looking and hunting down far different plants then I would have done.? enjoy your new geraniums

Thank you.