Playground planting plans, sweet shops and painkillers

My brain is aching.  If I'm honest, this may be due to the copious amounts of wine I drank last night. However, it could also be something to do with planting plans. 

Don't get me wrong, I love plants.  I love growing them, discussing them, reading up on them but it's the need to make actual decisions about them that I abhor.  It's like sitting in a sweet shop, all ready to gorge yourself, when you remember that you can only select a dozen or so sweets and... no... you can't have those, they're the wrong colour... or those, you know they make you come out in a rash... and definitely not those, don't you remember they turn your tongue purple?

Today I've been facing restrictions galore.  I've been trying to come up with a planting plan for the children's play area we're developing in the village.  Sounds fun?  Think again.  Here are just some things I've had to consider...

Making it relatively low maintenance (possibly the least welcome phrase in the garden design world)

And wildlife friendly

And colourful

Plus being tough enough for an exposed site

And full sun

And probably a pretty rubbish soil (although we will do our best to improve this)

Oh, and if it could look good all year round that would be nice....

After a couple of strong painkillers and an afternoon in which my frown lines went deeper than any Botox injection could reverse, I have at last got a plan.  Here's the plant list.  Do feel free to tell me where I've gone spectacularly wrong, but please do it in hushed tones, I'm still feeling a little delicate...

Phormium tenax purpureum

Stipa gigantea

Stipa tenuissima

Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light'

Allium 'Purple Sensation'

Allium sphaerocephalon

Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii 'Goldsturm'

Achillea 'Cloth of Gold'

Hemerocallis 'Burning Daylight'

Hemerocallis 'Black Emmanuelle'

Sedum 'Purple Emperor'

Stachys 'Silver Carpet'

Centranthus rubra

Sambucus nigra 'Black Lace'

Kniphofia 'Minister Versschur'

Acanthus spinosus

Crocosmia 'Emily McKenzie'

Helianthus annuus 'Black Magic'

Helianthus annuus

Verbena bonariensis

Veronicastrum virginicum 'Fascination'

And yes, I know that's quite a few more than a dozen.  And, OK, you have a point, herbaceous perennials hardly scream 'low maintenance'.  What's that?  Sunflowers won't stand an exposed site?  Ummm.. well, yes, perhaps you have a point.

Look, I tried OK?

I'm not very good with sweets either...

Comments

[Mark D]

I know at least 3 of these...I think that means Im crossing over to the flowery side just a little. Oh no Im not, the hermerocallis are edible and the phormiums ace for tying things with. Phew, that was close

Drinking on a school night, you ought to be ashamed....

[Dawn/LittleGreenFingers]

There I was wondering if I should rabbit-proof the planting, little realising what I really needed was a Diacono fence.

Seriously... you eat Hemerocallis?

[bangchik]

You got the criteria to move on for the children play area. Kids somehow would love varieties ... ~bangchik

[JamesA-S]

You might not know that Phormium leaves were used as body armour by the Maoris. They are tough enough to deflect an arrow or a long range musket ball.
You might need this especially as they are really hideous plants that will drag your otherwise delightful planting scheme into the gutter. In their favour They are the lowest maintenance plants on your list.

Other questions raised by this post include:
Where do I get a string painkiller? sounds as if they might be fun to misuse.

Also, on the more important subject of sweets, the Blackjack is the perfect example of your dilemma. The idea of having scarily discoloured lips and tongue is exciting except that they taste repulsive so the end is not really worth the journey.
But, your children will be interested to learn, the same effect can be achieved by gargling ink or chewing a fountain pen cartridge.

[Dawn/LittleGreenFingers]

Janes - I just knew you'd have a go about the Phormium, but I'm actually quite fond of them - even if they do feature in every car park in Christendom.

Blackjacks sound intriguing but my youngest son has already bypassed the sweet and just bites the tops off felt tip pens. Thankfully, he has yet to discover my black ink cartridges so at least his mouth is limited to a bright and cheerful palette.

[Pauline Régnier]

I like your choice. Do you have to plant only ONE variety? For me, I would choose Verbena bonariensis (wich was the first that came in my mind when I read your specifications).
Otherwise, in my town (Lille, France), poacea are often used on playgrounds : my kids adore it, they can play at "hide-and-seek", imagine they're adventurers lost in the savanna. And as it's a windy area, the scene is always dynamic.
It's "childrenproof", and charming all the year.

(Please, be lenient with my english!)

[Pauline Régnier]

Sorry, I read too fast. Off course, you can use more than one variety...

[elizabethm]

I like it all very much (apart from the phormium of course). I can't interest you in adding some shrubs? Some cistus maybe or largish hebe?
Sorry, I'll go away now.

[Elephant's Eye]

Hemerocallis - day-lilies - very beautiful on a plate of salad. Even my 96 year old mother ate them. Look good, but just taste sort of buttery. Nasturtiums are more interesting to eat. PS cows and sheep eat flowers, why don't we?

[Karen - An Artist's Garden]

When I first read your list - I went away to research if the phormium had spikey ends - then I could point this out - then you couldn't plant them (sorry) - I never did find out if the variety you mentioned bit back - but the ones I dug out here did.

Anyway now I have returned and see that James has said it like it is - apart from one thing - blackjacks are yummy - although to be fair - they tasted yummyer ... er let me see (counts backwards on fingers) 45 years ago - they have probably taken some ghastly ingredient out since then.

[Karen - An Artist's Garden]

PS - I adore everything else on your list apart from the acanthus ... but that is only because it is spiky and I have an aversion to plants that hurt me.
K

[Dawn/LittleGreenFingers]

Pauline - thanks so much for visiting. You can rest assured that your English is so much better than my non-existent French that my leniency will know no bounds...

Elizabeth - you are probably right. I'm not overly fond of Hebes but I might have a look at some Cistus. There is definitely a lack of shrubs but I think I have become a little obsessed with this looking like some kind of giant meadow.

EE - I'm rather excited about the edible nature of Daylilies - I just hadn't realised they were munchable. The kids at pre-school thought nasturtiums were amazing for this reason so it's another tick in the 'interesting for kids' box.

Karen - I hadn't realised gardening was such a dangerous business. And yes, blackjacks probably used to have something delicious but deadly in them - my money's on lead.

AND TO YOU ALL.

I'VE TAKEN OUT THE PHORMIUMS!

OK?

[Steph]

It all sounds wonderful if not rather a lot of work. Talking of play areas you will be glad to know that I have removed the swimming pool steps from the walnut tree, and am in the process of finding a more rustic 'escape route'! I can't plant anything at the moment as the ground is solid!

[Dawn/LittleGreenFingers]

Steph - Actually, my maintenance schedule for the area currently says 'strim in February - avoiding trees'...!

Glad to hear there's progress on the tree house front - would love to see some photos when it's done

DX

[Yorkshire Lavender]

Verbena bonariensis look great with a few of them clumped together. Look really good in the wind

[Metropolitan Mum]

I 'have to' skip planting for now as we are moving house soon. Phew, that was lucky... :)

[Avis W.]

Wow,
Your selection does sound colorful, and rudbeckia is nice and sturdy! And the verbena will bring butterflies, which will be a big hit. What about lamb's ears? Very tactile, tots love touching it. Cheers!

[Karen - An Artist's Garden]

Just popped back to see if the phormiums had gone
:)
K

[Dawn/LittleGreenFingers]

YL - one of my favourites too. Unfortunately, budget won't stretch to clumps so I will have to let them self seed and create their own.

MM - cheat!

Avis - am with you on lambs ear. I've put in silver carpet as I think it has the best colour.

Karen - have now scored them through. Happy now, you phormium-hater you?

[Karen - An Artist's Garden]

tee hee - yes thank you Dawn
K