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mrsnesbitt



Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 1576

PostPosted: Fri May 27, 05 11:09 am    Post subject: My Garden Wall Reply with quote
    

We have a stone wall at the side of our drive. It has lots of ivy growing up some trees and bravches but I want to do something with it. The grass is overgrown. Any ideas?

 
judith



Joined: 16 Dec 2004
Posts: 22789
Location: Montgomeryshire
PostPosted: Fri May 27, 05 11:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

How about replacing the grass with herbs like thyme and rosemary? It should be pretty free-draining so the herbs will like the conditions.

 
tahir



Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45674
Location: Essex
PostPosted: Fri May 27, 05 11:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

There's some lovely rambling rosemaries (and thymes) definitelly worth doing, good for bees even if you don't use 'em

 
mrsnesbitt



Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 1576

PostPosted: Fri May 27, 05 11:18 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

here's some more pics......how is the best way to get rid of the grass?
D

 
mrsnesbitt



Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 1576

PostPosted: Fri May 27, 05 11:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

and another..

 
Andy B



Joined: 12 Jan 2005
Posts: 3920
Location: Brum
PostPosted: Fri May 27, 05 11:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

mrsnesbitt wrote:
and another..


I would leave it alone, plenty of wildlife potential it that wall, so you shouldnt spray it and if you dig out bits of grass it will soon out compete anything you put in leaving you with a permenant weeding prob.

 
judith



Joined: 16 Dec 2004
Posts: 22789
Location: Montgomeryshire
PostPosted: Fri May 27, 05 11:32 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Gosh there is quite a bit of wall there, isn't there. I think you are going to have to get rid of the grass (or at least get it under control) before you can start planting, otherwise the grass will bully the herbs into submission.
If it were me, I would probably try tackling a small section first, to see how it works.
Will the grass come out easily? If so, pull it out, break up the soil, perhaps add some compost and then plant.
If the grass doesn't come out easily, then I would take a strimmer or garden shears to it, and then cover a section with carpet, weed matting, cardboard or whatever, until the grass has died off. That will take a few months to a year, unfortunately, so you probably won't be able to plant the herbs until next year.
If that is too long-term, then you could kill the grass off with glyphosate (Round-up), but be very careful where you are spraying as you don't want to hurt the hedge behind.

 
wellington womble



Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands
PostPosted: Fri May 27, 05 11:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I can highly reccomend campanula and some yellow stuff we have in our garden (I don't know whats its called - birds foot trefoil, posibly! I'll post a pic next week, if your interested. Happy to send divisions, if you'd like some. They're both pretty robust, and will spread if you let them. Maintenance free, really, too. The bees love the campanula

 
tahir



Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45674
Location: Essex
PostPosted: Fri May 27, 05 11:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Flame gun and then cover?

 
Andy B



Joined: 12 Jan 2005
Posts: 3920
Location: Brum
PostPosted: Fri May 27, 05 11:42 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

tahir wrote:
Flame gun and then cover?


Thats what we like environment friendly gardening.

 
tahir



Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45674
Location: Essex
PostPosted: Fri May 27, 05 11:44 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

That's not too bad, could do a lot worse

 
cab



Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

PostPosted: Fri May 27, 05 11:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Is it a retaining wall, i.e. is the field ont he other side higher than your yard? Or is it an overgrown dry stone construction?

If it's the latter, then I'd go looking around the neighbourhood and peek at the other dry stone walls. Different areas have different styles, and around your way the earth filled model might be it. You get them more in the South West than elsewhere, and eventually it becomes a big, gloriously wild flower filled grassy hedge.

If it's the case that you're in a stone-heartings area, then I may be temted to play with the wall a lot more. But a word of warning; grass holds walls like that together, you may suffer some erosion of the wall if you weed it, so proceed with lots of caution.

If you choose to keep it as is, go looking for some native hedgerow plants. There's lots of good eating in wild garlic, sorrel, chickweed, jacky by the hedge, fat hen, etc. Those plants should do OK if you pick your spots with care (the garlic somewhere shady, the chickweed and fat hen anywhere you expose a bit of soui, the sorrel snuk in between clumps of grass, etc). Add in some appropriate wild flowers (again, see what's local and in keeping with the area) and you've got a glorious, useful little wall there.

If the wall is holding back the field on the other side, be very careful. You don't want that field in your yard!

 
Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator


Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism
PostPosted: Fri May 27, 05 11:50 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I must admit as I'm getting older I prefer to leave as many wild things in as I can so I'd leave it.

But if I was to do something I'd start at one end and dig out the grass, repair the wall if it's needed (no cement required) and plant. I would work down in sections so the wildlife should be able to move and not sudenly get killed.

 
Andy B



Joined: 12 Jan 2005
Posts: 3920
Location: Brum
PostPosted: Fri May 27, 05 11:51 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

tahir wrote:
That's not too bad, could do a lot worse


True, you could nuce it.

 
tahir



Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45674
Location: Essex
PostPosted: Fri May 27, 05 11:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Andy B wrote:
True, you could nuce it.


Didn't think of that...

 
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