What if we treated the sloping site like a gravel garden, and planted with spaces between the plants?
Miscanthus ‘Malepartus’, 1.8-2m; purple flowers; average growth speed; cut down in the spring
Jarava Ichu, 60-90cms; white flowers July onwards; semi-evergreen, fast growing; comb in spring (alternatively one of the Pennisetums)
Libertia Grandiflora,evergreen, 70-90cms, white flowers in May
Carex Testacea, 40-60cms; evergreen; comb in spring
Libertia Grandiflora
Jarava Ichu (http://www.knollgardens.co.uk/product/jarava-ichu-2/)
Carex Testacea (http://www.knollgardens.co.uk/product/carex-testacea/)
And on the building side – Cornus Alba Elegantissima which has red stems in the winter.
Cornus Alba Elegantissima
Cornus Alba ‘Elegantissima’ (www.pflanzmich.de)
We need to include large daisies – Rudbeckia Deamii?
And then we could add pops of colour along the borders with alchemilla and nepeta to pick up the blues across the path.
Alchemilla Mollis
Alchemilla Mollis
Nepeta ‘Six Hills Giant’
And we still have sedums and bergenias in hand!
Bergenia ‘Abendglut’
Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’
Looks good Candy, what about clipped box balls and liriope for contrast under the magnolia with gravel around them if you want a more minimalist look on the left hand side…?
Hmm, thus speaks the professional! I am beginning to wonder if this is a step too far for me – but then I remember the friends are real beginners… Clipping is a step too far; we need grasses which can be hacked down, and sedums which can be cut off because they are clearly dead…
Well if clipped forms are too testing, hebes could do the same job, nice evergreen mounds and no maintenance along with the grasses as contrast
I will propose Hebes, which I personally like – they may be too ‘girly’ – I can try