Plants for Gravel Gardens

The type of plant you are looking for is one that is relatively drought-resistant and requires little maintenance – in addition you don’t want rampant growers as they will take over the garden and you should give some consideration to colour. While most plants work well with grey gravel, too many silver and grey leaved plants in a grey base could look mundane or even blend so well the whole thing would become invisible! Make the garden fit into the larger environment by using larger rocks, pieces of driftwood etc if you can find them. In a coastal garden include some flotsam from the beach, add ethnic objects like clay bowls and tiles for a Mediterranean or Mexican themed garden and something surreal like a bleached rabbit skull for a succulent garden!

Set the flat but textured area of gravel against a dramatic climber on a grey trellis. Suitable plants for this would be the red and orange Campsis or the pure white jasmine like flowers of the Trachelospermum.

The ornamental onion or allium looks great in a gravel garden and is cheap to buy. The drumstick alliums in purple and pink are particularly good.

Cistus or rock rose makes a fine show and its small oval leaves are studded with papery flowers in very bright colours.

Nerine bowdenii is a good bulb for autumn, as it bears bright pink heads of trumpet shaped flowers from late September to November when nothing much else is happening in the garden.

All the poppies will thrive in your gravel garden and their bright flowers will make a dramatic effect against the gravel background.

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