- Sue
- Loughton, Essex
- 20 Nov 2008
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7
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Hallo everyone, just to say I've just joined too, what a great site. Been a RHS member for years, although I hardly ever use the membership card except when I am on holiday. We tend to plan our holidays around RHS gardens and National Trust houses/ gardens, so apart from the hotel costs, the rest of the holiday is free. I used to go to the 'free' London shows but never go to the big flower shows like Chelsea, they are too expensive for older people on limited incomes and far too crowded and there is never anywhere to sit down, unless you buy an overpriced coffee, but I do appreciate the opportunity to walk around Hyde Hall when I get the chance, which is a 50 minute drive from here.
We garden on very heavy clay soil too, and I try to follow the Beth Chatto principles to conserve water. The first thing I did when I moved here seven years ago was order in tons of manure from a local stables. That did the trick, but it took ages to rot down sufficiently and even longer to break up the clods of clay. Honestly, you could set up a brick works here.
We have just removed a 12' x 6' area from our paved front drive and I spent the last three days, with a bit of paid help, digging out a flower bed and putting in a ton of shingle for drainage and on top of that, three tons of topsoil. That is the only way to work solid clay. Even so, the subsoil is still there lurking, 2' down, so if anyone has any suggestions for shallow rooted plants in semi-shade, please let me know.
I've already bought some lovely ferns for the really shady part and will underplant them with bulbs. I bought 6 pot-bound heucheras, all different colours from lime green to caramel and red and separated them into around 25 - 30 plants which will look like a tapestry - they are such undemanding plants! I saw one last year, plum pudding, I think in a huge grecian urn in a garden I was visiting and it looked fabulous in full flower.
It would be nice to have some height in the border. I am thinking of putting in a climbing plant on an obelisk, but a couple of shrubs to go along the fence would be lovely - any ideas, anyone?
I haven't tested the soil yet, so I've no idea what the new topsoil is like - but it looks a bit sandy, to me, but I will be adding in lots of compost - our bins are overflowing in expectation of their new home! . Anyway, it's nice to join you, Sue
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