Cypress trees and planters

meishka

We are landscaping our garden. We have built breeze block planters against a 6ft breeze block wall, the planters are 30 cm in diameter. I'm looking for low maintenance plants with a Mediterranean feel. Would a few Cypress trees be ok in this long planter? If not does anyone have any other suggestions? That are evergreen and low maintenance? Dont want to go down the bamboo route (although I love bamboo!)

Slinky

I'd have thought that 30cm (1ft) containers are likely to be very dry and will require a lot of watering whatever you put into them. You'd be better planting cupressus directly into the ground for them to grow enough roots to find water.

Silvertabby

Unless the planters are bottomless?  That said, I think they would still be a bit small for cypresses.  How about some dwarf(ish) standard olives or figs?  With some seasonal bedding at the bases.

meishka

Yes sorry meant to say the planters are bottomless and 20 ft long! The planters are 30 cm width 50 cm deep, sorry, not diameter

Emmia

meishka said:

Yes sorry meant to say the planters are bottomless and 20 ft long! The planters are 30 cm width 50 cm deep, sorry, not diameter

That still doesn't sound very big for what will become mature trees

Apodemus

How about Rosemary bushes for that mediterranean feel, pretty blue flowers and pretty tolerant of abuse/neglect?

Emmia

OP what is the purpose of this planting? Is it to provide privacy or just to edge the garden, and provide a backdrop to other planting?

-taff

And sage, come in variegated or purple, not as hardy as the green one though

Apodemus

-taff said:

And sage, come in variegated or purple, not as hardy as the green one though

Yes, sage is a good shout, especially if mixed in with other taller plants.  Rosemary can grow to about 3m or so given time and suitable environment, which might be what the OP was looking for.  Ok we're not talking cypress-tree heights or speed of growth, but not too bad for hiding a breeze-block wall.

twopenny

As said most of the herbs. Rosemary, Thyme, Sage, they come in all shapes and sizes and colours.

The height difference looks good too. And don't forget lavender. That comes in all sorts.

I've got a Med feel to my front with 3 different sized lavenders which attract different bees, shaped Bay trees which keeps them down to a reasonable size, and of course some terracotta pots of Geraniums (Pelagoniums)

Add a couple of olives.

My neighbours have just planted some pencil cypruses in pots outside their garage. I'm waiting to see   but they do water all potted shrubs daily.

Don't forget, the real Med feel is terracotta and tiles. Unless you are going for the Millionaire feel

-taff

I think they're be ok in there if you kept them small...I've cut the leader or whatever you call it out of mine [we're not talking about the other one that looks like a bottle brush ]  so it won't get bigger than what it is now [ about 8ft] ...which is plenty tall enough for my front garden.