I've just had a lovely stone raised planting area built on the front of my house, it's full of soil and ready to go.

I've only had grass before and a few pots so I'm an absolute novice so I don't know what to plant. I don't want anything that will grow tall as it's under a window, hopefully something that doesn't just last one season and something that doesn't require too much maintenance.

The area is around 8 feet x 2 feet, fairly sheltered but north facing.

Someone suggested lobelia as it will trail over the stone?

Any suggestions would be most welcome, ie where to get stuff from, when to plant, what to plant.

thanks in advance

Alan :)

have you considered a low maintenance rock garden?

fairly sheltered but north facing.
Someone suggested lobelia as it will trail over the stone?

Hi Alan.
Lobelia would look lovely, but you'd need to replant it each year as it's an annual. Very cheap though.
For plants that will see you year-to-year, personally, I would go for:

Spring Bulbs/corms (plant sept-Nov) Dwarf daffs stand up well to our wet springs, thread through with grape hyacinth, clumps of crocus etc

Forget-me-not - these are biennials, but they self-seed, so leave them to do their own thing, and just pull out any that you don't need each year. Comes in white, pink and of course blue. Sow indoors anytime now and plant out in early spring. Flowers Spring.

Aqueligia (Granny's Bonnets) You can get some excellent combinations of colours on these. The bees do all the hard work for you. Sow seeds March they flower in early summer. If you want to keep the colour of the flower true for next year, then don't let them seed - deadhead.

Hardy Geraniums (not to be confused with Pelargoniums, which are often sold as 'geraniums'). These hardy's are herbacious perennials and die back each winter. Leave on the old stems for protection if you can, then cut them back in the spring when the new growth begins. You can't go wrong with these. Plant them around March. They'll flower from sprins to autumn depending on the variety. If you have a spring flowering one, cut it back after it's flowered, and most times you'll get another smaller flush of blooms. They can drape nicely over the edges of your bed.

Heuchera I got some lovely pots of these last year from the Botanical Gardens. Chocolate, orange, purple or almost black leaves. Low growing. Plant in March, flower June-Aug

Astilbe Feathery white, red, pink, purple or peach flowers, often bought in supermarkets and DIY stores for some late summer/autumn colour. Plant from March onwards. They'll self seed, but they don't come true (look like the parents), so treat as aquilegias if you want to keep the colour.

Dicentra (Bleeding Heart). I love these. Little arching stems in late spring - early summer with little heart-shaped, dangly flowers all along the length. You can get them in white, pink, purple and red.

Fuschia's do very well in the shade too. Both Hardy and Bedding (annual) varieties. My hardy ones are trimmed back when the new growth begins in the spring.

Then of course you can get some aummer/autumn bulbs/corms in to keep it all going. Lillies are my personal fave, especially scented ones:

Hardy cyclamen plant Sept-Oct. You get some lovely markings on the leaves. This low-grower flowers in the autumn months (don't confuse it with the spring-flowering variety). It flowers before the leaves appear in around October.

Tuberous Begonia You can buy these now, and start them off (Feb) indoors (15c). Plant out in late May/early June for summer flowers. In autumn, lift the tubers, dust them off, and store over until the following Feb, and off you go again.

Colchicum (autumn crocus) aren't actually crocus, but look like them. Plant June-Aug and Lilac flowers spring up Sept/Oct from nowhere. Then the leaves appear in the spring. They're also known as 'Naked Ladies'


Lastly, some shrubs:
Camelia
Euonymus - some nice variagated varieties
Pieris
Christmas Box
Skimmia
Sweet Box
Lilly of the Valley

I hope that's helped. Any chance of some photo's when you get cracking? I love to see other peoples gardens :thumbsup:

ETA:
Check out Morrisons and Wilko's for your plants. You can get some pretty good bargains. Failing that, there's B&Q & Wickes; Rhinegold and Loxley Nurseries down Loxley road, and High Riggs Nursery up Stannington.

Aquelegia are great - but don't ever give them as a cut flower!

They were originally given to Ladies of the night!!!

Don't think you could go wrong with Hayley's advice! Couldn't have put it better myself!!

Good luck with it, and remember if something doesn't do well try something else!!

Wow... thanks for the advice guys... something to get my teeth into.

Hayley you should write a book:)

LOL thanks

I suggest Perenials like hardy geraniums that come every year, and just need to be cut back in autumn. You can get them in different colours, and swathe them through the garden.

Can I just put in a word for ferns? Fair enough, they die back in the winter, but they can add such a lovely, fresh green touch to your planting, and they are quite beautiful.

not all ferns die back Dozy. I haven't been able to find the name of it yet, but a pal of mine has a light green fern in her Notts garden, and it hasn't died back. I'll have a mooch round and see if I can find it.

I think it might be Hart's tongue fern.

another evergreen fern is 'Hard Fern' (Blechnum spicant)