OK, that’s it – I have had enough of fighting the snails and slugs in the London garden and I cannot bear to put down chemicals and pick up the bodies afterwards. So I am going to find plants which they do not eat and only use those plants.
Plants which the snails don’t like are: alchemilla, ajuga, aquilegias, bergenias, brunnera, cornus, crocosmia, erysimum ‘E A Bowles’, euphorbias, ferns, fuchsias, grasses, hebe, geraniums, hellebores, Japanese anemones, libertia, nepeta, persicaria, philadelphus, saxifrage, sedums, verbena bonariensis, veronicastrum. Apparently they don’t like paeonies, anchusa, or potentilla either – paeonies would be an expensive experiment! I ought to be able to make an interesting garden with these plants, don’t you think? Now I am going to tackle each different garden area with the list in mind. I have different patches of garden: Hot & sunny, Partial sun, Dry shade, Damp shade, and Pots on the Patio.
I will start with something easy – Damp Shade – this is the main condition of the bed along the flint wall and these are plants which I could use and which are supposed to be snail-proof:
Bergenia ‘Abendglut’
Bergenia ‘Silberlicht’
Brunnera ‘Jack Frost’ – variegated leaves, clouds of blue flowers; H – 0.5m
Japanese Anemone ‘Robustissima’ – pale pink single flowers; H – 1.5m
Japanese Anemone ‘Hadspens Abundance’ – pink, single flowers; H – 1.5m
Japanese Anemone ‘Queen Charlotte’ – pale pink, double flowers; H – 1.5m
Japanese Anemone ‘Pamina’ – dark pink, double flowers; H – 0.9m
Liriope Musari – purple flowers; H – 0.5m
Persicaria bistorta Superba – sugar pink flower heads; H – 0.9m
Persicaria amplexicaulis ‘Firetail’ – dark crimson flowers; H – 1.2m
I developed a plan and planted earlier in the year and the border has definitely grown!
I have contrast, but perhaps not enough. Maybe I should reduce the bergenias (Abendglut) and add more ferns or perhaps some Persicaria amplexicaulis ‘Firetail’ which would add height and colour later in the year. Or perhaps I should try more aquilegia throughout the bed? Or I could just wait – I know the Japanese Anemones will spread, and spread, and spread…
And there is a disappointing corner where the aquilegias and liriope are just not flourishing. I have shaken the aquilegia seeds over the ground, and I am going to feed the plants in this corner, which is underneath a tree. It is watered regularly, but perhaps I need to have more nutrients in the soil.
What do you think?
Further information
Plants resistant to snails – a listing
Tips for stopping snails, and a list of plants
Plants & shrubs
Slug-resistant plants