We have a patch of lawn next to one side of the house that slopes and is eroding. We want to plant some plants to help. It is shaded in the morning but gets afternoon sun. What would be low maintenance (I kill almost everything), pretty, and help the erosion issue?
__________________
LawyerLady
I can explain it to you, but I can't understand it for you.
Are you looking for a groundcover, or bush that can serve as a hedge or screen? Do you want evergreen or perennial?
LOL. Umm......you should know you are pretty much speaking greek to me.
I would like something pretty, easy to take care of, and never really have to think about. We are going to overseed the grass a bit, but frame it out along the upper driveway and put something along the house. So whatever is along the house, I don't want to get too out of control - maybe 3-4 feet, and I don't want it to damage the siding.
__________________
LawyerLady
I can explain it to you, but I can't understand it for you.
What about Sedum? It makes a great ground cover & comes in all sorts of varieties. Most are flowering & you can plant a variety so some bloom early & some later into the fall.
Oh, no to the black eyed Susan. Sorry. We have a bit the former owner planted and I don't like them when they are not blooming. It looks messy. I'm actually going to pull them up.
__________________
LawyerLady
I can explain it to you, but I can't understand it for you.
I just discovered Lupines last year, and they came back nicely. I dont know much about them but they appear to do good in afternoon sun. Without the flower tho, it is kinda a boring plant, so I am not sure you would want to try it.
Are you looking for a groundcover, or bush that can serve as a hedge or screen? Do you want evergreen or perennial?
LOL. Umm......you should know you are pretty much speaking greek to me.
I would like something pretty, easy to take care of, and never really have to think about. We are going to overseed the grass a bit, but frame it out along the upper driveway and put something along the house. So whatever is along the house, I don't want to get too out of control - maybe 3-4 feet, and I don't want it to damage the siding.
I would go with azaleas. Although deer like them when desperate, they aren't as appetizing as hostas or Yews. They are pretty, although there is that week or two when the flowers are spent that they don't look so hot.
If you want something to look green and lush throughout the year with beautiful red berries in winter, go with dwarf Burford Hollies. They average 4-6 feet, a little bigger than you mentioned, they can easily be trimmed and shaped if they start to get too big. Just make sure they are dwarf and not the regular sized ones.
If looking for something that grows lower to the ground that is an evergreen, dwarf japanese plum yews have sort of a tropical look to them and are a deer resistant type of yew.
Camelias are nice, too, but the afternoon sun might be too much for them, unless the sun is filtered. They are evergreen and produce beautiful flowers in Spring, and being up against the house would provide them with protection in the winter.
If you want to add a bit of showy yellow into your landscape, go with the Golden Mop Threadleaf Cypress. It will grow to about 3-4 feet, is deer resistant and drought tolerant once established. It is a beautiful plant that requires little maintenance, although it needs watering the first couple seasons and prefers well-drained soil.
Blueberries. I have a hill that was eroding so we planted blueberries. They're growing like weeds and are plump and juicy right now. Not sure how blueberries would do where you are.
__________________
“Until I discovered cooking, I was never really interested in anything.” ― Julia Child ―
Blueberries. I have a hill that was eroding so we planted blueberries. They're growing like weeds and are plump and juicy right now. Not sure how blueberries would do where you are.
I didn't think of planting fruit. That would be nice. Hmmm.
__________________
LawyerLady
I can explain it to you, but I can't understand it for you.
Our little garden measures 8 foot by 22 feet. We are throwing cucumbers and zucchini at the neighbors. And the garden is on the west side of the garage. It does fine, well, more then fine.
But if you don't want to have to do much work, go with large plants.
Hostas do not do well on the west side if they get the sun all afternoon. I'm learning that the hard way this year. They do just fine on the east side though.
__________________
I drink coffee so I don't kill you.
I quilt so I don't kill you.
Do you see a theme?
Faith isn't something that keeps bad things from happening. Faith is what helps us get through bad things when they do happen.
Maybe find a cute little bench and create a small sitting area.
I found this. Gives an idea.
__________________
A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
It depends on the type of hostas. Some can grow pretty tall, others maintain a lower growth. Once the azaleas become taller and fuller, it would look pretty no matter, however. We planted encore azaleas in the back last summer. They are supposed to have a second bloom, although I haven't seen sign of the second coming yet...
Creeping thyme is pretty, although ours didn't survive the first winter. We went with creeping jenny in the back. It's taking off like a weed. Some say it's invasive, which it is sort of, but so beautiful and very easy to pull up when it gets too close to the plants. It is a brilliant yellow/green which turns red in Fall.
A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
It depends on the type of hostas. Some can grow pretty tall, others maintain a lower growth. Once the azaleas become taller and fuller, it would look pretty no matter, however. We planted encore azaleas in the back last summer. They are supposed to have a second bloom, although I haven't seen sign of the second coming yet...
Creeping thyme is pretty, although ours didn't survive the first winter. We went with creeping jenny in the back. It's taking off like a weed. Some say it's invasive, which it is sort of, but so beautiful and very easy to pull up when it gets too close to the plants. It is a brilliant yellow/green which turns red in Fall.
Creeping Jenny? I would kill you if you planted that next to my yard. Gosh, I hate that stuff. Chokes off everything.
Out on the farm, we have it sprayed to kill if off. It really is invasive.
Please don't take offense. I have never heard of it used for landscaping around here. Glad it works for you though.
__________________
I drink coffee so I don't kill you.
I quilt so I don't kill you.
Do you see a theme?
Faith isn't something that keeps bad things from happening. Faith is what helps us get through bad things when they do happen.
It depends on the type of hostas. Some can grow pretty tall, others maintain a lower growth. Once the azaleas become taller and fuller, it would look pretty no matter, however. We planted encore azaleas in the back last summer. They are supposed to have a second bloom, although I haven't seen sign of the second coming yet...
Creeping thyme is pretty, although ours didn't survive the first winter. We went with creeping jenny in the back. It's taking off like a weed. Some say it's invasive, which it is sort of, but so beautiful and very easy to pull up when it gets too close to the plants. It is a brilliant yellow/green which turns red in Fall.
Creeping Jenny? I would kill you if you planted that next to my yard. Gosh, I hate that stuff. Chokes off everything.
Out on the farm, we have it sprayed to kill if off. It really is invasive.
Please don't take offense. I have never heard of it used for landscaping around here. Glad it works for you though.
I first fell in love with it at our local gardens.
We have a rather large area around the pool where I want the jenny to take over so we don't have to mulch anymore. Jenny does the trick. I have since used cuttings to start it further in the north 40. Hoping it will choke out weeds and virginian creeper that takes over. My father comments on it every time he comes over, and is envious. It really looks beautiful in our area. I do see it's invasive tendencies. I might be complaining about it in another year or so, but for now, it's exactly what I wanted.
Pachysandra. Low - 6-8" - no maintenance, and does very well in full or partial shade.
Deep green, with small white flowers in late spring (not for cutting for arrangements),
evergreen. They are Nature's thermometer - whenever the temp reaches 32 degrees,
the leaves curl up into themselves, and then relax when the temp reaches 33 degrees!
Inexpensive to purchase, and you can divide them after a year.
It would do well in front of azaleas - they like the same kind of soil.
Fairly drought tolerant - they'll perk right up when given fresh water.
Pachysandra is nice. Just remember first year it sleeps, second year it creeps, third year, leaps.
For some reason, the pachysandra we had out front around the pine trees died last year. The stuff we have in the back is still beautiful.
That's what bamboo does!
We have a nice, thick, natural bamboo fence.
Maybe I could get my own panda!
__________________
A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
Take a trip to the mountains and dig up some laurel.
It's beautiful.
__________________
A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
Blueberries. I have a hill that was eroding so we planted blueberries. They're growing like weeds and are plump and juicy right now. Not sure how blueberries would do where you are.
I absolutely love my blueberry patch. We have gotten so many this year!
purple sage--really a sort of blue-gray with purple blossoms--extremely low maintenance--drought tolerant--have them near the front corner on one side of the property and they've grown to about 8' x 15'--once established, you can pretty well trim them to any height/configuration you like
__________________
" the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. "--edmund burke
We had pachysandra in three locations as I was growing up. My father used to dig it up, separate the roots, tie them into a loose knot, and replant them. They were absolutely lush and full, without spreading where we didn't want them. That was about 30 miles north of NYC.
Burns - you're absolutely right about purple sage - they respond to changes in atmospheric pressure - you can tell when its going to rain!
