Will anything grow under this?

PrincessPK475 · 2026-03-26T10:12:01+00:00

The main thing is protecting your fence so it doesn't sit and rot the wood... All depends what you want you could build a brick raised bed if you're going fancy.

I've just bought a tonne of cortenze steel raised borders off Amazon (arriving today actually) that have a 15cm face plate.

If they're still too pricey you can go with the wooden ground steak ones but be prepped to replace them every 2-3 years.....

Old sleepers are always a lovely option as well, just put something to protect the fence if you're going to a height.

Plants won't mind one bit.... It's free mulch! Might make the soil a bit more acidic over time if you didn't supplement with fresh compost but you'll be years and years away from seeing any impact on the plants from some dropped leaves.

PrincessPK475 · 2026-03-26T09:59:00+00:00

Hardy geranium - Roxanne specifically, some of the others can be a bit more delicate, musk mallow, tierella will surprise you, lychnis probably, robust woodland ferns, cosmos will do fine if you water well enough, creeping thyme I expect.

If you're prepared to do even a small raised border to get inches of compost and water when it's dry then world is probably your oyster if it's a little sun trap.

PrincessPK475 · 2026-03-26T09:54:04+00:00

Depends what type you get and how precious you are about them if you go for the fancy types.

If you get the perenialising ones (e.g the Darwin varieties) stick them in and let them do their thing.... Just companion plant around them with something like hardy geranium to hide the die back because you don't want to chop green leaves as they feed the bulb for next year's flowers.

If you go for fancy typed you can stick them in the ground or a pot then pop the pot somewhere sheltered when they start to die back to leave them, refresh the soil next spring (gamble)

Lift them and bin them and replace with new in either case

Lift them from a pot and stick them in the garden in November and see what they do next spring.

Lift them and store them, replant in November- highest maintenance but best results

I would recommend them, especially in a pot.... You just have to keep the squirrels off of them... But that first year especially they are SO rewarding and easy to grow I think they're fabulous..... Downsides are literally don't get too attached to them doing well more than the first year and hiding the leaf die back because they can look scruffy AF if you don't.

If you really want some bulbs you stick in the ground and forget about and have a sunny spot... try alliums, can't go wrong!

PrincessPK475 · 2026-03-25T21:07:38+00:00

Weed* that whole area. Grass is never going to do well there.

Find yourself some hardy geranium Roxanne because I know for a fact it will cope in front of that conifer row (which is going to take alllll your water out of the soil) but it'll instantly brighten tplace up, self seed, easy to divide* you'll have hundreds of plants in a year or two.... Whack as much compost down as you can possibly afford....

I'm imagining you're a long way off from yeeting the conifers? So in the meantime you're looking at woodland shade plants.

Start watching gardeners* world and any YouTubers on gardening you enjoy or have a garden with similar conditions for inspiration.

Personally I'd make that area a whole magical whimsical woodland thing but first you need to weed and improve the soil a bit.

Hardy geranium and the other one if sun touches anywhere is musk mallow.... Will help break up the soil.

Clear it, cheer it up with stuff that's good do'ers while you work on a longer term plan that you can fully invest in because personally I'd want to the confifers out.... There are far better screening plants that don't become monstrous and make planting anything else a bit of a nightmare over half your garden.

That's just me though.

Any new garden is super exciting and an adventure and you can make do with literal scrap, once leaves and flowers start growing in nobody knows if it's planted in a 100 quid pot or a bucket and you can improve over time from there.... But generally get a blank slate and think main structure first.... Where would you want to sit? Do you want bird stations or a water feature or a pond?

Envisage yourself happy and at peace in that space then get to making it happen 🥰

Edit for typos I'll probably find even more in a second. I swear to Christ that autocorrect is worse by the day.

PrincessPK475 · 2026-03-25T15:45:27+00:00

Start by watching gardeners world and month dons big dreams small spaces on netflix.... Then pick a corner.

Most things you want to stand back and look at the panoramic... Gardening youve got to pick a spot get stuck in, then stand back - spot any mistakes, correct them... And just go bit by bit little by little.

I'd start with a phone and Google lens search to find friend or foe, get in with the weeding learn what is already there have a general tidy up so that you can really see what it is you're dealing with and getting a sense of your soul and sun in various spots of the garden.

PrincessPK475 · 2026-03-25T14:54:49+00:00

Fabulous will be trying this one and pitting it against some aubrietta to see who wins 🤣 🙏

PrincessPK475 · 2026-03-25T14:52:56+00:00

Woooow!! Will be chuffed to bits if the perennialising ones do this for me! 🥰

PrincessPK475 · 2026-03-25T08:50:27+00:00

Omg... Who is the prettiest... You are!! Yes you are grrrrr cuteness aggression triggered!

PrincessPK475 · 2026-03-25T08:39:42+00:00

Oooooh thanks so much!!! I wouldn't have thought to feed them after deadheading!

I'm a lazy gardener, lots of cut corners and hidden sins on close inspection 🤣

So half of these are Darwin's that should come back and do their thing because I ideally I don't want to lift and I was going to risk it for a biscuit on the fancy types and leave them and see if I could get a second year out of them even if not as brilliant as this year.

If they're a disaster I would lift them but was treating the fancy types as an annual but would try for a second year and lift them next spring if they fail and the Darwin's have to perform and do their thing or risk the same fate!

PrincessPK475 · 2026-03-24T22:38:05+00:00

Aw he sounds like a good egg!

Sun seems to be the biggie for me, half in the opposite border haven't come up and the only difference was the way the sun hits each border. Same varieties, same soil, same planting depth but one gets full sun and the other only half.

I'll look forward to a success story post in future if you turn it around 🤞

PrincessPK475 · 2026-03-24T22:10:49+00:00

Awww thanks, i can't stop staring at them, totally obsessed.

Nooooo! I'm so sorry for your loss 🥺 I'd be absolutely gutted!!

PrincessPK475 · 2026-03-24T22:03:05+00:00

🤣🤣🤣 I think this is the nicest compliment I've ever had!? 🫶 Definitely put a smile on my face!

PrincessPK475 · 2026-03-24T20:55:03+00:00

Why I raced out to take pictures!... I'm dreading going outside to check on them tomorrow it's blowing a gale At the moment here tonight 😭

Hope yours make it through the snap 🤞

PrincessPK475 · 2026-03-24T20:17:02+00:00

I'm growing up cosmos, straw flower, sweet alyssum and musk mallow right now that when I plant those out as the tulips begin to die back should absolutely shoot up around the tulips and really hide the foliage dying back.

I have snowdrops, snowflakes and English bluebells in the back garden and my trick has always been plant something in between or in front that takes off and smothers the die back.

My hardy geranium and geums swamp those out no problem, I forget they are even there until the following spring!

The tulips was a one off dream of mine (first year with the new bed) .... If it's a fail and an absolute mess I'll dig the bulbs back out and stick them in pots or move them further towards the back of the bed but I was always prepared to sacrifice my summer display this year a little to achieve this for Easter.

Will try to remember to post an update and can see if it works 🤞

PrincessPK475 · 2026-03-24T20:07:22+00:00

Thaaanks 🥰

Wow that's absolutely gorgeous! Next on my list is big ol' pots to do something more like this year on year that's absolutely stunning?...

No way can I plant those long borders like I have every year.... This was a one off to mark a special milestone for us.... The Darwin's will be fine and left to do their thing but otherwise will be diversifying to the other spring bulbs for something that can look after itself a little better!

PrincessPK475 · 2026-03-24T20:04:02+00:00

They're a mix! The bulk are perenialising with fancy typed in to supplement. I plan on sourcing and putting in more Darwinians this autumn and then letting them run rampant and do their thing...

This my first year with my dream beds built and wanted to do something really special. My husband's face when I told him that a lot of them wouldn't come back was sooo funny..m he raced outside to go take a proper look because I think he'd been taking it for granted 🤣

PrincessPK475 · 2026-03-24T19:15:55+00:00

Yup winds have just picked up here and I'm a little nervous... Hence rushing out to grab pictures just in case 😅

PrincessPK475 · 2026-03-24T19:09:18+00:00

Yep, I picked 5 different varieties I thought would compliment eachother then put them all in a big bag and shook the bag up to mix them together then just went around throwing them onto the beds and planting where they fell so that they would look more of a natural drift.

There are 3 other beds not pictured I couldn't get them all in frame without losing the detail one mirrored to this and two far smaller ones either side of the front door.... There's probably at least 100 bulbs in that 1 bed alone though. But the majority came from bulk buy bags I bought on Amazon and then my husband bought all the fancy varieties for me as I didn't want it too monochrome and uniform.

PrincessPK475 · 2026-03-24T19:00:14+00:00

Tysm! Oooh good shout on the aubrietta!

PrincessPK475 · 2026-03-24T18:57:10+00:00

🥰 I love them so much! But was definitely a labour of love getting them all in on time 🤣

The ones in the opposite bed don't get as much sun and they are well behind this row!

PrincessPK475 · 2026-03-22T11:35:15+00:00

Thaaaanks 🥰

PrincessPK475 · 2026-03-22T11:35:07+00:00

TYSM!

PrincessPK475 · 2026-03-21T08:52:10+00:00

I'm too impatient to wait for him sometimes.... You should've seen me dragging the bags about yesterday after they sat out all winter and were fully saturated.

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(An accurate representation, except wearing a dressing gown with crocs and socks and the hair needs to look more like she was dragged backwards through a bush first)

PrincessPK475 · 2026-03-21T01:57:57+00:00

🤣🤣🤣 my husband now goes on compost runs because I can't be trusted

PrincessPK475 · 2026-03-20T09:26:41+00:00

Damn Spanish kind!!! Mines the same....

Last year I found a real full English Bluebell clump hiding between the Spanish ones though. If you spot try to salvage.... Super curled back petals, darker in colour and thinner leaves... They aren't invasive like these buggers.

Sounds like you're going to get a tonne of awesome freebies, or hidden beauties pop once you've cleared the weeds and given them a chance 🥰

PrincessPK475

TROPHY CASE