Suggestions please.

[Oddquine]

I moved in here in June 2007 to a garden which hadn't been looked at for five years. I have weeded, pruned and am currently still removing all the rosebay willow herb, nettles, docks, raspberries and dandelions still appearing as a result of not quite getting all the bitties up, but it is now fairly clear to be planting other stuff.

But I have a problem..........shallow topsoil........as the garden was originally all chucky stoned because it was intended to be an old buddies no maintenance one, there seems to be topsoil only to a depth of about a garden trowel blade and half the handle with blue plasticy stuff underneath and what looks like broken slate under that.

There is an established rampant hydrangea, a couple of potentillas, some shrub I don't recognise but is quite nice, climbing roses, honeysuckle and cotoneaster , crocosmia and a hosta already, but there is a fair skelp of the garden to be filled with something.

Can anyone tell me of any shrub/plant which doesn't need a lot of depth for the roots to fill up the empty spaces?

I'd really like a paeony, a lilac, a burnet/scottish rose.....and southernwood and lavender..................but am prepared to get tubs to grow them if necessary....... or, if I can get topsoil, I'd be prepared to raise the whole area.

I haven't had a garden for about ten years......and wasn't very knowledgeable then.....and I don't see much in books about the depths of soil required for planting.

So any help suggestions will be gratefully received.

Garden is fairly sheltered and facing more or less down Lybster towards the sea.......whatever direction that is!

[porshiepoo]

Hi Oddquine.

Unfortunately Paeony like a deep rich soil so unless you can enrich your beds and deepen them (maybe raise some?) then you'll have to put it in a pot. But the pot needs to be deep enough and just a little tip - Paeonies hate to be moved and can refuse to flower if they're not happy.

Have you tried Cranesbill? That's a pretty tolerant plant and will pretty much stand anything.
Theres loads of Hosta varieties that should thrive - especially in a semi shaded area.
Campanula does OK in shallow soil I think.
Iris don't like to be set deep so they could do very well.
Monarda,
Heuchera
Sedum

I'd stick to keeping Lavender in pots as the really nice ones 'Kew Red' etc won't do well through the winter outside.

Hope you get going with this garden. If you still need any plants come the end of the year or beginning of next year I have a few that would be suitable e'g Hosta, Iris (big white ones and yellow ones), Cranesbill (several varieties) plus other stuff you could try like Tree Lupin and Tradescantia.

p.s If your garden faces down the village to the sea it's South facing like mine - Perfect!!!!!!!!!!

[Oddquine]

Thanks, porshiepoo. Have googled your suggestions, because I've never heard of most of them and think they would be good..particularly the tree lupin.

I've sown cottage garden seed in the meantime to fill the bare spaces, and they are growing like weeds.....and I hope, when they are over that I'll be able to get a good dig over and grub up the last of the bitties of the real weeds.

I am browsing every online catalogue for plants and tubs....even opened an ebay account.

My problem is that I'm not good at decisions.....I want everything I like the look of.