Garden wall idea.

twopenny

M ore neatly done obvs

And all bricks? To me too many bricks and it doesn't show them off

https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/109704940894626598/

Darn I can't find the lovely one with slabs edged with bricks but I think Bob will get it right.

Not sure you can interfer enough to work out your stride too. Blokes tend to build big and you need to reign them in or you'll end up doing gymnastics getting up and down them.

You can extend the last step or two beyond the wall to make them shallower and easy to walk. Again, think mid winter, walking down with a tray of gin and tonics, barrel load of prunings and how easy it is to navigate.

The guy laying my path and steps put in a giant one and I had to 'ask' him to take it apart as no way was I or my neighbours going to be able to get up that without crampons! whatever was he thinking.......well, working to his size not mine

Farway

YoungBlueEyes said:

Wee dram of haggis  

That'd be brilliant Farway, thank you I don't think I've seen it for sale anywhere...

No probs, better check first if we are talking about the same plant

-taff

or are you thinking of this one?

Farway

That's what I wondered Taff, both have same common name, although I see my one has "Ivy leaved" suffix

Anyway, two to pick from now. Or have both, why not?

I also have the tall one, growing from cracks in a car park

YoungBlueEyes

Your picture is the kinda thing I was thinking, but the slabs edged with bricks 2p. 

Edit- like this one from your link - 



I'll see what Bob reckons when he comes. I did ask about all bricks but fanning out slightly on each step, then fanning out a lot on the last step and he said it'd be a lot of work and probably wouldn't look like I'd think it'd look like. Chipping bits off the bricks has been a nightmare so far because they're old and a bit sort of crumbly.  I'll remember to mention step length 👍🏻

Your toadflax is what I was thinking of Farway, that'll look lovely across the bottom and can come up a wee bit and hide the fact that there are 3 courses on one side and 2 on the other    Your one looks a bit tall taff, I don't want to hide my all my bricks really. Striking colour though  

Thanks both for the kind offers  

Farway

YoungBlueEyes said:

Your toadflax is what I was thinking of Farway, that'll look lovely across the bottom and can come up a wee bit and hide the fact that there are 3 courses on one side and 2 on the other    Your one looks a bit tall taff, I don't want to hide my all my bricks really. Striking colour though  

Thanks both for the kind offers  

Right, I'll sort some out. .

It will soon settle in and spread about where it takes a fancy. I have some popped up in a wall basket.

I guess the seed blows in the wind as well as the plant creeping along

This is it hanging on my wall

twopenny

Yes, that's sort of what I had in mind Bluey. But with softer looking slabs and bricks.

These new builds look scarily industrial site.

I bet they sweep every leaf off as soon as it falls  

YoungBlueEyes

Yeah it wasn't a great example pic tbh, too sterile and tidy and clean for me. Industrial is just the right word!

Dustyevsky

Dustyevsky said:

Common toadflax can be a menace here if let loose in  prime border, where it will run. It's used to fighting its corner in hedgerows. In the limited space of a wall cranny, it should be OK. though.

Then there's annual toadflax, like Mrs Patricia Marrow had growing all over her unruly Somerset nursery. It's somewhat easier to pull out and manage, if you want to. She didn't!

This is the one I meant: Linaria vulgaris. https://www.plantwild.co.uk/product/common-toadflax/

Farway's is Ivy Leaved Toadflax Cymbalaria muralis

and taff's is Linaria purpurea

This may be a case where those awful Latin names are actually helpful!

YoungBlueEyes

Steps are done! I’ll get a decent pic tomorrow when the better weather’s here. I envisaged 3 steps, filling the pad at the bottom, but that didn’t happen because boy reasons. Anyway, here they are -  

Thanks very much everyone who’s given an opinion and guidance, and particular thanks to 2p for the Jekyll pic and the pintrest link that this whole thing sprouted from