Please help me create a mature area to plant

longwalks1

our garden is mostly laid paving, which we want to pull up and replace but leave a section (that has sun from about 7am til 6pm in the summer) of soil to plant several trees/bushes that are rapidly outgrowing their pots.
we've got 3 x flamingo trees, a buddleiah, a forsythia and 2 bumblebee bushes (sorry don’t know their proper names)
question is how deep soil, and what soil will we need to use to replant them all? They’re each in a 40cm high by 40cm diameter pot and are starting to get root bound - so I want to pull up some patio by the fence, dig it out and create/fill a nice new area for them to all flourish. 

Just want to say I’m amazed at the amount of wildlife that are already attracted to these plants.

-taff

Depends on what the soil is like under the slabs. If hardcore has been added underneath, scrape off as much as you can. Dig a spits worth to see what the soil is like and to see how compacted it is. Depending on what you find, you might have to do two spits worth. If the soil is heavily compacted, and has a lot pf sand/gravel/hardcore mixed in, add something to break it up a bit, like compost or soil improver. It all depends really on what you find underneath

Davesnave

You should expect to create at least 30cm depth of good soil that's easy to work. Below that there can be sub-soil, like clay, or where I live, stony brash, but so long as roots can find a way into it, it'll be fine. People might think that having 60cm or more of easily-worked soil would be wonderful, but where I have that, some larger shrubs end to grow fast and then fall over in strong winds.

The first thing is to establish what you have. A lot of people cut corners with patios, so what's underneath might not be too awful.

Grenage

Aye, you don't need much for the plants to survive; they generally just need enough soil to get going.  I mean, how many buddleias have you seen growing out of railway bridge brickwork or chimney stacks?

longwalks1

Thanks all, will take a look over the next week or 2 and see whats under the patio

Grenage - I bought the mrs a small buddleih plant 3 years ago (it was about knee high), in a beautiful white, deep blue and purple, and nows well over 6ft tall already!   

[Deleted User]

The plants you have there aren't small shrubs, they're going to need a good space between planting each of them; allow for 60cm (min) between each plant or you'll end up constantly pruning/cutting them back and then they'll lose their shape and possibly their flowers and the area will no longer be an 'easy on the eye', natural area.

The flamingo plant you're talking about is actually a beautiful shrub (i have one and love it) called Salix and at this time of year the newly emerging foliage will take on a pretty cream/white/pink hue.
Are these growing as standards ?
If so these are better as 'stand alone' plants and their beauty might get lost in the planting of all the others.

I have no idea what a bumblebee plant is !

Regarding planting: before taking them out of their pots place them on the ground (or use something to mimic/guage the space) and play with the pattern/layout you like best, don't just plop them in the space like lollipops all in a row, planting in odd numbers creates a more natural look, again - not just plopped, arrange them in a pattern.

Once you've measured out that area plant up your shrubs and water copiously to establish them into their new setting.
Then, enjoy