What Plant Should I Us?

[andydingdangdoo]

Hi,

I have a raised wall in my back garden which is probably about 2 meters in length and about 2.5 meters wide. It has a large bush in it which borders my house, several trees and few other scraggly plants but otherwise is bare mud and fairly uninspiring. I am not a massive gardener so I was hoping someone could recommend a plant I could buy several of and plant at intervals and it would eventually grown and take over filling in all the gaps.

The area is fairly shaded but does get some sun and my soil is clay like. I am also looking for something that looks good all year round. Any suggestion (perhaps I am asking to much :))

[dannyk13]

Have a look at the range of Berberis plants,

[gness]

Have a look at Pachysandra, andy....x

[shoota]

Cotoneaster horizontalis.

[ladyalex]

You coul also look at hellebores.....large ones, not the Christmas or Lenten roses....Helleborus argutifolius.
They need very little attention, grow quite big and flower winter/spring.
Ours are in bloom right now despite all the cold weather. The flowers last for ages.

[penelope2]

https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=842

Well worth a look.

[shoota]

Each of these berries has a lovely white flower in spring...:
http://www.crocus.co.uk/images/products2/PL/00/00/00/10/PL0000001028_card2_lg.jpg

[Buenchico]

Also worth playing with:
https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/search-form

[andydingdangdoo]

thanks all I have looked up all these plants, the Pachysandra look a little plain and the others look like they may have fawns which as I have two little children and these plants will be at about head hight for them I am a bit concerned about.

I saw an offer for 6 lavender plants for £5 and I wonder if I bought 4 sets of these and planted them out if they would be a good soloution but have looked up and it says they don't well in shade. This is the kind of thing I am looking for though. A flower that takes over once I plant several of them and eventually group up making the whole thing look full and wild but intended that way rather than a scruffy bare mud patch.

[shoota]

Cotoneasters don't have thorns but they do have woody stems.

[andydingdangdoo]

Ok, thanks everyone for all your help!

[Chipchopper]

After giving this some thought, I think Hypericum hidcote or H. calycinum would look good as an informal under-planting with tour existing trees and shrubs, plus maybe a patch of evergreen ferns in the more shaded areas.

A mulch will help retain moisture as well as keeping the weeds under control.

[megfitz]

How about::
Christmas Box,evergreen and fabulous scent in Dec,Jan Feb.
Escallonia,evergreen with small flowers,
Callicarpa ,leaves turn purple in Autumn
Photina new leaves are scarlet, needs pruning in Autumn,
If you want you could plant a Climber such as Clematis, Passion Flower, Honeysuckle or Jasmine to grow through whatever you plant, for different interest all year.

[Prudie]

I have filled a north facing bed that never gets sun with crocosmia (I call them montbretia). They clump together well and are perennial. Even when their bright orange flowers aren't blooming they still have healthy long leaves and look good in the bed.

[whiskeryron]

https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=380 Have a glance at Clematis Montana.

[Canary42]

montbresia classed as a weed ---> http://weedsbluemountains.org.au/montbretia.php

Looks nice though, so that wouldn't bother me.

[Prudie]

That's in Australia Canary, they don't grow like that here. Poinsettias grow like weeds in the Canary Islands but we wouldn't class our Xmas flowerepots as having weeds in.
:-)