On 12 Apr 2021 at 01:57:38 BST, "John Rumm"
wrote:


Since spring is nearly here, I could do with getting something planted
in the raised beds I built when I stuck the patio back together last year:

http://wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index.php/..._patio_rebuild

I would be interested in some planting recommendations...

There is a bit of ivy left on one side that will probably get to the
trellis before long - but I don't want that to get too carried away. I
would rather have something a bit less "dense". Also better if the root
systems are not not too destructive, or far reaching (the beds are about
5m form the house - but are partly filled with masonry rubble).

Honeysuckle, clematis, wisteria?

A splash of colour would be nice, something that can be pruned back
fairly hard so that it does not get out of control. Might be good to go
for a mix of species that don't all flower at the same time each year to
get a longer spell of something nice to look at.

I'm far from an expert, but my experience is that jasmine will thrive in
partial sun - in 4 years it's gone from a twig bought from Aldi to full
flowering bushes 3m high, and 3m in both directions. I've just cut it right
back, and expect it to go rampant all over again. In flower most of the year.

Similar experience with wisteria, and over 7 or so years has become very
established, 5m along a trellis. No flowers yet, and I gather the roots can be
very invasive (unlike jasmine, which I think is relatively benign).

Wisteria loses its leaves over the winter, but the jasmine seems to be a good
recreation area for birds - they seem to enjoy the cover, and I found an empty
nest in amongst the recent prune.

--
Cheers, Rob