Lavender Advice

[peanut]

I was thinking about peanut's problem again...how about a hebe hedge? Some very nice ones 3x3 feet, but there are bigger or smaller if you like. Evergreen, lovely flowers that last for months, bees like them too. Very good value plants, and I've seen them for sale pretty cheap.

How funny you should say that! Only today I was reconsidering my options and I've been considering Hebes for those very reasons you mention, long lasting and loved by Bees! I've seen some very pretty pink and mauve flowered varieties!

Great minds Babru!

[Babru]

I was thinking about peanut's problem again...how about a hebe hedge? Some very nice ones 3x3 feet, but there are bigger or smaller if you like. Evergreen, lovely flowers that last for months, bees like them too. Very good value plants, and I've seen them for sale pretty cheap.

[Babru]

I have a Snow Pixie osteospermum. I've found that as it spreads out there are shoots with little roots forming in the clump. I've potted them up separately and made new plants.

Same goes for the erigeron. Sedum, you just dig a clump up and it's a new plant.

I've never managed to get an aubretia to root, but I did buy a pack of mixed colour seeds. I'm just interested to see how easy it is to grow.

[Jungle Jane]

I was reading about taking cuttings & it said use a seed compost with little or no nutrient in,to encourage root growth rather than top growth. I don’t know if that helps at all,I’ve never taken cuttings,the established plants seem to have shallow roots though.

[Martin H]

NB these types of plants take very readily from cuttings so you can bulk them up fast.

I've heard others say it's easy, but I've tried several times to take Osteospermum cuttings and they have always failed. They start putting on new top growth before dying off, on inspection they haven't made any roots.

Do you have any tips to help me? I'd like to try one more time when they start growing again (even though the plant labels forbid it).

[Babru]

Jungle Jane's osteospermum suggestion is an excellent one. There are a number of low growing evergreens you could also plant, that would give colour over a long season. Things like aubretia (spring, comes in purples, pinks and blues), cerastium (snow-in-summer, white flowers, silver foliage, very tough), erigeron glaucous, flowers all summer, pink or blue daisies. Also, lots of the succulents are mat-forming like sedum and stonecrops, often yellow flowers and interesting foliage colours.

All of these are fast growing and will keep their leaves year round. A trim annually with a pair of scissors or shears will keep them tidy.

NB these types of plants take very readily from cuttings so you can bulk them up fast.

[peanut]

^^^^ they need educating!

Absolutely, everyone has neatly manicured weed free lawns, to the front at least, not a single buttercup, daisy or god forbid a dandelion dare raise it's pretty head.
I often feel like sneaking out under the cover of darkness with wildflower seeds and sprinkle them everywhere like fairy dust.

[peanut]

A patch of cardoons, artichokes or other thistle that appeals to bees. A bit prickly for dogs, interesting foliage, lovely flowers, just the kind of thing a cottage garden would contain. Would catch rubbish, though, if such a thing exists in your village.

No, no rubbish, strictly dog poo only.

[peanut]

One choice is osteospermum,mines green all year,always looks good,here’s photos of summer & winter,need deadheading for continual flowers.

They look beautiful and I think could work! Thank you!

[Jungle Jane]

One choice is osteospermum,mines green all year,always looks good,here’s photos of summer & winter,need deadheading for continual flowers.

[Snoop Puss]

A patch of cardoons, artichokes or other thistle that appeals to bees. A bit prickly for dogs, interesting foliage, lovely flowers, just the kind of thing a cottage garden would contain. Would catch rubbish, though, if such a thing exists in your village.

[Nicos]

^^^^ they need educating!

[peanut]

Can you not just put up a simple , low, step over wicket type fence? Made from pallets?

You could scatter a few bee friendly flower seeds on either side of the base….or simply rake over the whole area and sow cottage garden wildflower seeds behind the fence.

Maybe make a few freestanding insect houses too to give more of a feel of a wildlife survival patch!

Where we used to live there was a small area at the top of our road which had small shrubs and litter was forever getting blown into it.

Just trying to help with a simpler long term option

I love that idea, but I think I'd risk the wrath of the neighbours. You know what it can be like in a sleepy English village, unless the wildflowers appeared overnight in full bloom looking spectacular someone will start to complain about it looking messy, not being in keeping or a low fence being a potential trip hazard. I can just hear them all now!

I need to come up with something though...

[Nicos]

Can you not just put up a simple , low, step over wicket type fence? Made from pallets?

You could scatter a few bee friendly flower seeds on either side of the base….or simply rake over the whole area and sow cottage garden wildflower seeds behind the fence.

Maybe make a few freestanding insect houses too to give more of a feel of a wildlife survival patch!

Where we used to live there was a small area at the top of our road which had small shrubs and litter was forever getting blown into it.

Just trying to help with a simpler long term option

[peanut]

Thank you all.
Hmmm.
The piece of ground I want to plant up is a strip of land 2x3m which abuts the pavement on one side and a gravel driveway on the other.
When I say keep the dogs off, I mean people walking past with their dogs on leads (I am hoping that if this area is planted and pretty most of the people will think twice about letting their dogs poo on it), not mine running riot on it.

I am very open to other suggestions, I want something low maintenance, pretty for as long as possible and bee friendly.
New suggestions welcome!