Trailing Flowers- advice please?

[Lesley81]

Afternoon All,

I have a small and rather unsightly "rockery" in my garden, and as I rent, I am not able to permanently change things.
I was hoping to plant an array of trailing & climbing flowers (in pots) and arrange them over the rocks in an attempt to hide the ugliness.

I have created a bamboo ladder for things to climb up, keeping them off of the walls, and I plan to cover the rocks over with a mesh, or at least make a few minor rearrangements to hold things in place, but ultimately would love to have like a wild corner for the bees and bugs to take advantage of.

This part of the garden gets good sunlight from about lunch time until late evening in the summer, so plenty of light, but if it is too hot, it can be a bit of a heat trap too.

What flowers would you all recommend for such a project?

Thanks in advance

[veggiechicken]

Strawberries.

[Lesley81]

Strawberries.

I didn't think of that... I already have a good strawberry plant going from last year, I could easily move him over! Thanks.

[veggiechicken]

Nasturtiums are bright and can be trained up or down. Edible too.

[Deano's "Diggin It"]

I did some trailing viola's a few years back which made for a stunning display, but for the life in me can't remember what they were called, which is a tad disappointing because I would love to grow them again!



Oh and although not really a trailing plant, the year after we were all recommended to stop growing "Busy Lizzies" due to some decease that was running rife, I knocked up an hanging basket of them just to see if they would actually put on a bit of a show!



And they certainly didn't disappoint!

[Bren In Pots]

Nasturtiums are bright and can be trained up or down. Edible too.

I grow Nasturtiums in any gaps I have including spare flower buckets, the flowers are good in summer salads plus you can pickle the seeds for winter.

[More basil]

Surfinias are cheap and cheerful from the garden centre and will spill out over a good area and flower for ages. Climbers from seeds: Cobea scadens is great once it gets going with unusual flowers. Ipmoea covers huge areas if it's happy. Erigeron, while not a climber, spills over edges, looks very pretty and will self seed in between the rocks. If it is dry, rocky and sunny, perhaps treat it like a mediterranean garden with gaura, salvias and lavender spilling from the pots- bees love all those.

[Lesley81]

Thanks everyone, some great ideas here.

I am not familiar with a few of the flowers mentioned, so will do some investigating and see what I can come up with.
I am really trying to do as much as I can from seed this year, and have a massive selection.

Nasturtiums & Busy Lizzies are in amongst them. And I always have viola's in the garden, so will see if I can find the trailing ones Deano mentioned. ��

I also have Rhodochiton, cosmos, lobelia, sweet pea and canary creeper to name a few. But obviously a lot of these won't be planted out for some time yet.

Thanks again everyone, loving the suggestions.

[Deano's "Diggin It"]

Lesley!

Be very careful with the "Canary Creeper" it is very prone to catapiller infestation! and if it gets a grip it is really, really hard to eradicate!

Just saying!

[Lesley81]

Lesley!

Be very careful with the "Canary Creeper" it is very prone to catapiller infestation! and if it gets a grip it is really, really hard to eradicate!

Just saying!

Ahhhhh, thanks for the tip. It is lower on my priority list than some others, so time and space may knock them off the list...
I have enough trouble with slugs eating everything, so I can certainly do without caterpillars 🐛 as well.
Although, I am sure the abundance of birds in the garden would love that! 😁

[rary]

For an area that gets a lot of Sun you could try trailing geraniums or trailing begonias, I am surprised VC didn't recommend them as she has quite a collection of them

[Lesley81]

Thanks rary, I have some geranium seeds in my box, so will check what variety they are.
I had some begonias by my front door (in pots) last year, sadly the school kids enjoyed kicking them as they walked by ����, but I'll keep an eye out for some.

[Lesley81]

. If it is dry, rocky and sunny, perhaps treat it like a mediterranean garden with gaura, salvias and lavender spilling from the pots- bees love all those.

Picked up some salvia seeds today, the GC didn't have gaura, but I'll order some online. 😊

[rary]

Lesley watch for trailing geraniums at lidl or aldy they sometime have them good plants good prices

[Lesley81]

Lesley watch for trailing geraniums at lidl or aldy they sometime have them good plants good prices

Will do. Thanks ��