Any Gardeners about? What do I plant in this? (with pics)

[John McM]

Hi Guys, We've just had steps/retaining walls built and now I need to plant up the chalk banks. I want to somehow knit the loose chalk together with carpeting plants. I've tried drilling pockets with a 4" core bit but it's just too loose. I've tried drilling it with a post auger but it just crumbles away and breaks off in chunks. Any ideas what to do and what to plant? I'm in Hampshire.

Many thanks

 

[wizer]

you are basically looking for drought tolerant plants like mosses.

Here you go:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/design/p ... rden.shtml

 

[matt]

I think I'd be tempted to secure some mesh over the area (plastic so it can be removed later) with some slack to backfill with decent soil. Then cut holes in the mesh to plant in to. Once the plants are established they should hold the whole lot together. Alternatively, fill the space behind the wall and plant some climbers.

 

[paulm]

I think Matt's got it covered, don't think anything worthwhile will grow on the subsoil and near vertical faces.......

Cheers, Paul

 

[wizer]

don't think anything worthwhile will grow on the subsoil and near vertical faces.......

 

[Racers]

Hi,

On one of the Grand Designs Programs they where covering a mound with some plastic stuff to stop the soil sliding off I think it was this http://www.terram.com/content.php?nID=136;langID=1 then planting grass


Pete

 

[Grinding One]

I think you need some netting quick to hold that.Then put a good soil over it and plant a tight growing plant,If you get rain,you`ll have a slide in your yard.

 

[Harbo]

Given time weeds will grow - look at the old railway cutting on the A34 Whitchurch By Pass and the M3 at Tywford Down.

Cuttings like that were generally sprayed with Hydroseed (Hydro Turf) - a mixture of bitumen, fertiliser and grass seed.
The netting etc will work but you could try planting ivy and other ground covering/trailing plants in pockets at the base and let them grow up.

Rod (whose garden's on rock chalk but flat!)

 

[John McM]

Cheers chaps, kind of confirms what I thought really. Netting/pockets and carpeting plants it is.

 

[paulm]

don't think anything worthwhile will grow on the subsoil and near vertical faces.......

That's why I said go with Matt's suggestion for netting or similar (or climbers), the grasses and soil on the banks in the picture don't stick there by themselves I don't think !

Cheers, Paul

 

[user 5053]

I would plant a variety of alpine type plants such as alysum, aubretia, eidelweiss, sedum etc. You could also plant various ground covering plants that grow well in harsh conditions such as ivy, vinca, lonicera nitida, pachysandra, hebes, cotoneastor etc. Go to RHS website for more info.

 

[contadino]

For that sort of gradient, you'll need netting to start with. Things like lemongrass will bind & hold the soil together but need to get established first.

 

[frugal]

If you do not want to cover it in membrane, then hessian is just as good and will look less offensive.

 

[eggflan]

Ivys in the bottom and add wire stretched across the face about 6" apart , the ivy will grow up in no time and then you can just run hedge trimmers over it every spring to keep it in check , you could train the planting over the walls in places to break up the flat surface of the brick work 8)