GARDENING: choice needs to be spot on for planting between paving stones

WHEN it comes to the area between paving stones there is a select band of plants that are suitable or at the very least capable of growing in such a location, TOM ATTWOOD. The conditions during the warmest days of summer are extremely dry and the stone will absorb additional heat from the sun raising the temperature of the soil directly beneath (that's often why you’ll find an ant nest or three beneath paving slaps when you lift them up as they love the dry, warm and arid conditions). It is also likely that any soil between the slaps will be limited in depth. If you’re laying stone or concrete pavers in a new area leave a generous planting pocket in the ground that will drain during the wettest months. If, however, you are dealing with existing paving then you will have to work with what you have but as a bare minimum you need a depth of 15cm for the planting space and a good 10cm or so to realistically stand a chance of getting a plant established in the first few months of it being planted. With all this in mind the plants you choose need to be spot on and if you get it right the results can be superb; poor choice in plants and it’ll look dreadful extremely quickly. The hardest and most time-consuming stage is the first few weeks of planting. Until a good root system has formed their watering needs will be high. Therefore, if you’re planning a fortnight away, leave the planting until you return so you can be on hand with the watering can. The plants you use are mostly grouped under the alpines as they lend themselves to these conditions. These would be my top five plants to use: Erigeron karvinskianus, the Mexican or National Trust daisy-prolific jolly daisy flowers.