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Bill O Herlihy Rank attained: Hazel Tree


Joined: 17 Jun 2012 Posts: 6 Location: Cork
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Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2012 7:51 pm Post subject: Advice on covering bank |
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Hi all,
I'm new here and new to this gardening lark. I am looking for advice on covering a bank that drops from my driveway down to a part of the garden.
The bank is approx 30mtrs long so I am looking for something low cost and lowish maintenance. I would like something that will grow fast and over time I will probably add a few bits and pieces to add a bit of colour and break it up a bit.
Any ideas or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
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Bill O Herlihy Rank attained: Hazel Tree


Joined: 17 Jun 2012 Posts: 6 Location: Cork
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Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2012 8:22 pm Post subject: |
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The Garden Shop Rank attained: Rowan Tree


Joined: 05 Aug 2011 Posts: 133 Location: Laois
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Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2012 8:33 pm Post subject: |
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Hello bill
Some options include:
Heathers (space 60cm apart and weed regularly, should fill out after 2 or 3 years) Summer flowering heathers (Calluna) require acidic soils, otherwise go for winter flowering Ericas
Cotoneaster dammeri, this is a commonly used fast growing, evergreen ground cover with red berries in autumn / winter. (space 100cm apart)
Ivy can be used if your bank is shady. Its fast growing, evergreen and neat. but will require regular cutting back once established.
Another option is St johns wort. Its native to ireland, flowers yellow in summer and likes a sunny location.
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Bill O Herlihy Rank attained: Hazel Tree


Joined: 17 Jun 2012 Posts: 6 Location: Cork
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Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2012 8:40 pm Post subject: |
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The Garden Shop wrote: | Hello bill
Some options include:
Heathers (space 60cm apart and weed regularly, should fill out after 2 or 3 years) Summer flowering heathers (Calluna) require acidic soils, otherwise go for winter flowering Ericas
Cotoneaster dammeri, this is a commonly used fast growing, evergreen ground cover with red berries in autumn / winter. (space 100cm apart)
Ivy can be used if your bank is shady. Its fast growing, evergreen and neat. but will require regular cutting back once established.
Another option is St johns wort. Its native to ireland, flowers yellow in summer and likes a sunny location. |
Cheers for the reply, I googled them all and they all and they all look nice. The bank is north facing and wide open to all the elements, are all of the above hardy ebough to survive?
One other question,I often see similar banks with plastic on them to keep weeds down, would this have to be done with these plants?
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The Garden Shop Rank attained: Rowan Tree


Joined: 05 Aug 2011 Posts: 133 Location: Laois
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Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2012 8:53 pm Post subject: |
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The plastic is a weed membrane (or weed fabric) and i would recommend using it. However; in your case the slope of your bank seems quite steep and you would not be able to cover the weed membrane with decorative bark chippings. So it might look a bit unsightly, but again would save on A LOT of weeding.
All the plants suggested are hardy, but my favorite: St johns wort would not like the north facing aspect
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kindredspirit Rank attained: Chlorophyll for blood

Joined: 10 Nov 2008 Posts: 2300 Location: Mid-west.
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Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2012 8:58 pm Post subject: |
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A bank of prostrate junipers? There're blue ones, golden ones and ones that are green but turn ruby red in the winter.
A whole bank of Purple Ajuga (Evening Glow for example). It'll stifle all the weeds and your lawnmower will keep it in check at the bottom.
A bank full of creeping thyme. The yellow ones and the green ones.
With all these three suggestions you can stick in some taller plants here and there to relieve the monotony.
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A little garden in Co. Limerick. Some non-gardening photographs. |
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Bill O Herlihy Rank attained: Hazel Tree


Joined: 17 Jun 2012 Posts: 6 Location: Cork
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Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2012 9:01 pm Post subject: |
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The Garden Shop wrote: | The plastic is a weed membrane (or weed fabric) and i would recommend using it. However; in your case the slope of your bank seems quite steep and you would not be able to cover the weed membrane with decorative bark chippings. So it might look a bit unsightly, but again would save on A LOT of weeding.
All the plants suggested are hardy, but my favorite: St johns wort would not like the north facing aspect |
Anything that avoids weeding is good and to be honest I wouldn't mind it looking unsightly for a while bas long as eventually it would be covered by the plants.
St.Johns wort does look very well alright but I am up very high and that bank gets a right battering in the winter.
Much appreciate the help and will be off to the garden centres tomorrow.
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Bill O Herlihy Rank attained: Hazel Tree


Joined: 17 Jun 2012 Posts: 6 Location: Cork
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Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2012 9:08 pm Post subject: |
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kindredspirit wrote: | A bank of prostrate junipers? There're blue ones, golden ones and ones that are green but turn ruby red in the winter.
A whole bank of Purple Ajuga (Evening Glow for example). It'll stifle all the weeds and your lawnmower will keep it in check at the bottom.
A bank full of creeping thyme. The yellow ones and the green ones.
With all these three suggestions you can stick in some taller plants here and there to relieve the monotony.  |
Again, all beautiful looking especially the Purple Ajuga. How many of these would i need? How far apart are they set. How much roughly are you talking per plant?
These are probably very basic questions but I am a total novice
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Greengage Rank attained: Chlorophyll for blood
Joined: 09 Nov 2011 Posts: 3129 Location: Kildare
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Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2012 8:20 pm Post subject: |
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Dogwoods planted in banks of Green, Yellow, Red,
Forget about membrane waste of time and money
short answer
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kindredspirit Rank attained: Chlorophyll for blood

Joined: 10 Nov 2008 Posts: 2300 Location: Mid-west.
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Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2012 6:16 pm Post subject: |
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Bill O Herlihy wrote: | kindredspirit wrote: | A bank of prostrate junipers? There're blue ones, golden ones and ones that are green but turn ruby red in the winter.
A whole bank of Purple Ajuga (Evening Glow for example). It'll stifle all the weeds and your lawnmower will keep it in check at the bottom.
A bank full of creeping thyme. The yellow ones and the green ones.
With all these three suggestions you can stick in some taller plants here and there to relieve the monotony.  |
Again, all beautiful looking especially the Purple Ajuga. How many of these would i need? How far apart are they set. How much roughly are you talking per plant?
These are probably very basic questions but I am a total novice  |
Purple Ajuga.
1 metre apart.
30 metres long = 30 plants.
3 metres high x 3 = 90 plants in total for the bank.
Cost (depends where you buy them) at €3.00 ea. = €270
At €6.00 each = €540.
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A little garden in Co. Limerick. Some non-gardening photographs. |
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kindredspirit Rank attained: Chlorophyll for blood

Joined: 10 Nov 2008 Posts: 2300 Location: Mid-west.
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Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2012 6:21 pm Post subject: |
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Greengage wrote: | Dogwoods planted in banks of Green, Yellow, Red,
Forget about membrane waste of time and money
short answer |
Dogwoods are lovely.
They have one drawback, though. In the winter when the branches are bare, windblown bits of paper, plastic bags and debris get caught in the twigs and can look unsightly. It's very hard to get them out.
You can see this in the winter where there are banks of them planted in parks and alongside roads.
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A little garden in Co. Limerick. Some non-gardening photographs. |
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Greengage Rank attained: Chlorophyll for blood
Joined: 09 Nov 2011 Posts: 3129 Location: Kildare
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Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2012 10:05 am Post subject: |
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we are talking about a private garden here not a municipal park where public have no respect for facalities
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Greengage Rank attained: Chlorophyll for blood
Joined: 09 Nov 2011 Posts: 3129 Location: Kildare
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Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2012 10:15 am Post subject: |
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Dogwoods and Rosa rugosa on bank
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Sive Rank attained: Chlorophyll for blood
Joined: 18 Apr 2008 Posts: 1731 Location: Co.Wexford
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Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2012 12:05 pm Post subject: |
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I think massed dogwoods look magical....especially in the winter when we really appreciate their beautiful colours.
A good idea, Greengage.
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Greengage Rank attained: Chlorophyll for blood
Joined: 09 Nov 2011 Posts: 3129 Location: Kildare
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Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2012 1:09 pm Post subject: |
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yesssssssssss approval at last
Tks, I thought it looked good myself and the client was chuffed especially in winter /Early spring when the light catches it just right. Theres a couple of Ornimental Apples (Malus John Downie and 'Director Moerlands and Evereste) planted on the bank for Autumn fruit and leaf colour.
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