Planting for a steep bank.

optimum · Posted: Mon Aug 27, 2012 11:53 am Post subject: Planting for a steep bank.

Hi folks hope you can help me out, i am hoping to plant the banks shown, I really dont know where to start or what to plant,I dont have a clue on shrubs/flowers, and have only started growing my own veg a couple of years,
The banks are quite steep,
So any advice

tippben · Posted: Mon Aug 27, 2012 1:06 pm Post subject:

What kind of theme do you want? The soil looks quite thin and rocky, so I'd personally go for wild flowers, plus a few trees and shrubs. Verbascums, Poppies, Wild Strawberries, Ox Eye daisies etc, plus Sorbus, and Viburnum opulus (Guelder Rose).

Greengage · Posted: Mon Aug 27, 2012 9:10 pm Post subject:

ill wait to see what everyone else suggests but for me at the moment i would plant different varieties of dogwoods for winter colour and ease of maintenaince

kindredspirit · Posted: Sat Sep 08, 2012 5:37 pm Post subject:

It looks it'll be difficult to maintain. (Vast expanse of a steep slope)

So, I'd plant a row of dense shrubs at the bottom and hopefully they'll grow up and hide the bank.

Perhaps that's not what you wanted to hear and you want to make a feature of the bank? Let us know your thoughts.

ponddigger · Posted: Sat Sep 08, 2012 6:38 pm Post subject: slope

hi a nice pondless waterfall would would work on the slope Very Happy

ponddigger Very Happy

djh · Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2012 6:06 pm Post subject:

It is best to start with strong growing ground cover plants like honeysuckle, sedum, euonymus, hebe, alyssum etc. Later you could add some focal point plants that grow up through the ground cover. It will be a lot of work getting rhe plants started and planting immediately before a rainy period saves watering every day.

Her Outdoors · Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2012 10:12 pm Post subject:

Bit of a mix here and they are ready for pruning, but you might get some ideas.

JK Mayo · Posted: Fri Sep 06, 2013 9:50 pm Post subject: Wild Flowers on Steep Bank

Hi Folks,

I also have a steep bank to plant - will post pic over weekend.
Two questions - one: Was thinking of going with wild flower mix, but afraid that they might invade the veg garden below - will it prove a problem?
Two: I have attached a pic of a lovely stand of trees. We would like to repeat something similar on top of the slope, but on a much smaller scale. Any suggestions of trees 15 to 20 feet high. Was thinking of mixing different sorbis and prunus nigra.

Cheers
JK

tagwex · Posted: Sat Sep 07, 2013 12:40 pm Post subject:

I had a steep bank to fill a few years back and for ground cover i used sea thrift, camomile grass and cotoneaster. They filled in the blanks, plenty of cover, low maintenance and colour too. Added a few taller shrubs later on - turned out well i thought.

Geranimojess · Posted: Sat Sep 07, 2013 4:19 pm Post subject: Re: slope