Planting and use of space - public spaces

What should we plant in an area which has:

Poor
Dry
Stony soil
Not much sun
To match with three maples – one red and two orange/yellow dwarf

Response from Gill Warren:

I think the challenge is to “tie the area together” with mass plantings.

Also to have something doing its thing when the maples are leafless.

How is your budget?

For instance Renga Renga lilies are great as they mass well, cope with the dry and are ok with limited sun, and are cheap to buy and easy to propagate.

However, they can look tatty if they are not groomed periodically, and can be prone to snails.

On the other hand, Clivia miniata are robust, need no grooming, work in the same conditions ( will sulk for first year) have orange flowers in winter when not much else is around but they are much more expensive to buy. Is that a problem? Should not be in the long term as they are a long term plant, but budget may be a consideration.

So

1 - tie the front edge together (and these can flow into other areas to get some continunity with the rest of the garden) with Liriope muscari (white or blue flowers) and Bergenia white
This means you have a fine strap leaf and a broad leaf edging.
2 – use ground covers to be lowish plantings of ground cover camellias (winter action) – check if Camellia quintescence
2 – as above Ajuga reptans “Catlins Giant” – this will spread but not a bad thing re budget and no care etc – shorter than camellias
- and Clivia miniata
3 – add shrub layer of Daphne odora (fragrance, pink flowers, hardy and no care required), mixed with Asplenium bulbiferium (Hen and chicken fern) (so you have round and ferny leaves)
4 – any taller shrubs required, use Pieris which is of the same family as the camellia but wont get too big. Also hydrangeas for summer flowering if there is space, and Loropetalum – can be red leaves and flowers, or cream flowering with green leaves. They are slow but very pretty shape.

Thanks

Gill Warren - DesignfortheWise

Designer – interiors and landscapes

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