My Garden

suggestions for wall-top troughs...

Last post 30-09-2009 1:17 PM by gardencoach. 4 replies.

• 05/09/2009 04:07 PM

  Emily53 Location: W.London Joined on: 03 Sep 2009 Posts: 2

  Reply | Contact My neighbour and I have taken down the fencing panels which were fitted on the 4ft wall between our city gardens,  and  we are planning a row of troughs... 1.  It is windy but sunny, 2.  about 4 metres long (6 troughs) 3.  She likes things neat and I like colour and we both prefer low maintenance. It's a foot wide, so we could easily have different things facing each way... 4.  We'd like a year round display - possibly by rotating the troughs? 5.  To include some edible plants - herbs , fruit?  Any suggestions & comments?  e.g. how to make then light enough to move but heavy enough not to get blown off!   Looking forward to hearing your views, Emily

• 08/09/2009 09:37 PM

  In reply to

  AlexS Location: Reading Joined on: 06 Sep 2009 Posts: 58

  Reply | Contact I've learned from experience to have low-growing things in troughs on walls, as wind dries them out and if you've got e.g. a conifer it will inevitably blow over. You could always do some DIY e.g. posts and/or rails fixed to the sides of the wall, to stop things blowing off. I find adding big heavy cobbles between the plants in the trough works very well too: you can put the trough in place then add the stones - they don't look unsightly and are quickly masked by leaves, and also help retain moisture. You'll have to get someone else's ideas on planting as I always get it wrong first time! but rotating troughs does work, especially if you have somewhere you can bring one on until it's ready, and rest a display that's taken a bashing from the elements. Alex Alex

• 08/09/2009 10:32 PM

  In reply to

  richardpeeej Location: Leicester Joined on: 22 May 2009 Posts: 808

  Reply | Contact I have made a few troughs,some on the ground, (large) and another type (smaller size) raised up on legs for easy maintenance. If I were to make one for the top of a wall, I would make it as a 'H' section as this would straddle the wall nicely and would not  be blown off in the wind. You could  make it in manageable lengths to move around as you wish. Trailing plants would look good in there such as trailing lobelia as this would cascade over the sides, I would also grow some lettuce in there as it would save buying and there are many different colours eg lolla rossa which has a  reddish tinge. Herbs would be good as you say  they would give you a nice fragrance, eg mint (pepper, spear,apple,lemon) Hope this helps and wish you all the best with it. Richard

• 21/09/2009 10:22 PM	In reply to
  Emily53 Location: W.London Joined on: 03 Sep 2009 Posts: 2	Reply | Contact  Brilliant suggestion!  We've bought some beautiful ceramic posts which would be impossible if we put heavy crocs at the bottom, so it's going to be polystyrene for drainage, and cobbles on top! I'd never have thought of it.  Thanks, Emily

• 30/09/2009 01:17 PM	In reply to
  gardencoach Location: surrey Joined on: 09 Jul 2009 Posts: 13	Reply | Contact Grasses like wind and sun - try festuca glauca , carex comans frosted curls, penisetum hameln; they look lovely blowing in the wind and are virtually no  maintenance Linda www.greengardendesign.co.uk