Browse Forums Landscape & Garden Design 1 Nov 30, 2009 1:34 pm Leading up to our front door we have on either side of the path a retaining wall with a narrow planter box built in. Can anyone recommend me a good plant to put in there? We were thinking maybe Rhoea's (not sure of the spelling - i think maybe they are called moses baskets?) Thanks Re: Plant recommendations for a narrow planter box 2Nov 30, 2009 5:57 pm First of all, where are you located? What direction is it facing? Is it sunny there in winter? Is it sunny there now? Is there soil in the planters? Is there drainage in the bottom of the planters?? Re: Plant recommendations for a narrow planter box 3Dec 01, 2009 9:44 am Ok Fu, I am going to try and and answer your questions as best I can. We are located on the Mid North Coast. I think we face south - have to check with hubby. There is soil in the planters and I am 95% sure that there is drainage. The one thing I know for sure is that it is always sunny. Hope that helps Fu, thanks for your time. Re: Plant recommendations for a narrow planter box 4Dec 01, 2009 11:29 am cool, how tall do you want the plants to be? Re: Plant recommendations for a narrow planter box 6Dec 02, 2009 12:01 am well I need to know these things if I am to give good suggestions Give the rhoeos a miss, they turn to rubbish every winter and not only that, everyone has them. Lets look at some sort of different things, Righto, grasses are going to be the go for a safe bet. Dianella Emerald Arch. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Dianella rainbow twist. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Kangaroo paws like the short lived black Macropidia. amazing colour for the two years or so they live for. like dry conditions. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Grow some of the Anigozanthhos Flavidus kangaroo paws maybe. they get tall flower spikes but flavidus is a species from around Albany and grows in swampy areas so will be well suited to the wetter summers you have over there. They tend to be the species that is bred into nearly every kangapaw sold over east for that reason. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Baloskion pallens Didgery sticks. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Ficinia nodosa (not sure of common name, maybe knobby rush?) looks really good. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Correa dusky bells Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Grevillea Deua flame Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Caprosma tequila or evening glow. I find the colour in evening glow to be much more stable. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ There is a dwarf Native Frangipani you might be able to track down over there. Hymenosporum nana I think it is. Grows to a metre. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Dampiera as a ground cover with almost ultra violet flowers. It would cascade over the retaining wall and act as a mulch. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Banksia birthday or cherry candles. A whole load of those would be a show stopper when the flowers get going. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Re: Plant recommendations for a narrow planter box 7Dec 02, 2009 12:34 am Am I right in that Deua Flame requires good drainage? One of ours died and the other is suffering dieback. We didn't improve the soil when we planted them and when I googled it seems drainage is an issue with them. Would being in raised planter boxes be enough or should rosy ensure the soil in the planters is good quality? (I know, I know, best to make it as good as possible, feed the soil not the plant ) Re: Plant recommendations for a narrow planter box 8Dec 02, 2009 12:54 am Yeah they do need a good gravely soil. The botanical name refers to the rhyolitic soils they grow in. A good go for west Aussies having such free draining soils and in a planter box with gravely soil and good drainage it would be a ripper Re: Plant recommendations for a narrow planter box 10Dec 03, 2009 2:19 pm rosypaige Wow Fu, thanks for all the suggestions! Do you have any suggestions for a shorter plant maybe around 30cm or less? At under 30cm - you'd be looking pretty much at things classed as 'ground covers'. Something that is relatively slow growing might be an option. I like the Woolly Grevillea 'Mt. Tamboritha'. Nice bold green foliage with bright red small flowers. You should be able to google for some pics. It won't run wild like other ground covers might. You could also consider something with a contrasting silver foliage - like a coastal saltbush. Re: Plant recommendations for a narrow planter box 11Dec 03, 2009 11:58 pm The correa hedge I have at mine is kept to almost 30cm. I haven't measured it, but it would be close to that, maybe 40 or 50? I could clip it back to 30 and keep it there easy as. When it was establishing, there was a fair bit of clipping, maybe every 3 or 4 weeks. But now it is more like 3 or 4 times a year. bugger all really. Hedging isn't about picking a plant that grows to the height you want the hedge. that is the wrong approach. Hedging is all about you making the plant grow in a shape and size it would not otherwise do. Very similar to espalier, to topiary and pleaching. Plants that traditionally grow to 4-6m can be hedged to 2m or less in many cases. Check out the cuphea in another thread active at the moment. Thanks again for this information. If you do hear anything different, would be great to know 4 8256 dimensions on your original plan are inconsistent and with accurate dimensions (including site plan, upstairs and down) i could make a proper scale drawing with furniture… 3 7520 So it looks like we finally have some movement on site! Definitely later than expected, but I'll take any progress at this point. I'll drop by over the weekend to get… 5 27731 |