| Author |
Message |
    
Moonfleate
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 04, 2008 - 12:24 pm EST : |   
 |
I am seeking advice on mass planting for a long south-facing (but shaded by trees) brick retaining wall. The wall is about five feet high and over a hundred feet long. I'm presently thinking of a mass of just one or two types of cascading plant--something with a good 'structural' texture, and that stays green in winter. I favour whites and blues.
I have seen some impressive cascading arabis and aubretia-- but do they grow long enough to hang down four feet? I am also wondering if the wall will be sunny enough to promote good growth, as-- though south-facing-- it is shaded by a long line of trees.
In gardens in England I have seen lithodora growing against walls to excellent effect, but again I wonder how well it will do in partial shade --or would you call that "filtered sunlight"?
(I will try to attach an image to this post. )
Moonfleate
- BC,
Zone "?"
|
Oldiebutgoodie
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 04, 2008 - 03:27 pm EST : |
|
Although it won't hang down the full length of the wall by any means, I think some Caryophyllaceae (Snow in Summer) would soften the look of the wall. I love the look of Hedera Helix (English Ivy) as well. It will definitely grow all the way down rather quickly. Both have a tendency to be somewhat invasive, though, unless one is rather ruthless with them.
Oldiebutgoodie
- Ontario,
Zone "5b"
|
Oldiebutgoodie
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 04, 2008 - 03:30 pm EST : |
|
Oops, I forgot to mention that English Ivy stays green all winter (even under several feet of snow!)
Oldiebutgoodie
- Ontario,
Zone "5b"
|
Periwinkle
My Favorite Photo
My Weather
My Garden
My Time
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 04, 2008 - 05:03 pm EST : |
|
What do you think about Sweet Autumn Clematis?
Denise--Northern Wisconsin, Z3b |
Garden_spider
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 05, 2008 - 12:06 am EST : |
|
I'd sure be leary about English Ivy here in the Pacific Northwest--here in Washington, it's considered a noxious weed, and is illegal to sell or plant. Not sure what its status is in BC.
If you want a native plant, try Kinnikinnik or Beach Strawberry (Fragaria chiloensis). The strawberry will spread, but is easy to pull out of places you don't want it. I don't have any experience with Mahalia mat (Ceanothus prostratus), but that's another one that might work.
For non-natives, you can't beat Trailing Rosemary. You could also try some fountain shaped grasses (Hakonechloa comes to mind, as do some of the Miscanthus).
Not sure from the pics how many hours of sun you will get on the wall. Kinnikinnik likes full sun, but will do will in partial shade. The Rosemary will need full sun, and may get lanky and not bloom well in part shade (depending on how much shade). The Hakonechloa likes part shade and plenty of water.
Garden_spider
- Washington,
Zone "USDA z7"
|
Growit
 Supporting Member
My Favorite Photo
My Weather
My Time
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 05, 2008 - 03:03 am EST : |
|
I too would avoid the ivy!! I spend my life pulling it out. Why on earth it was exported from here as a garden plant I have no idea!
Ceanothus repens won't hang. Have a look at 'my favourite picture' under my avatar. It tends to stick out rather than dangle. I would suggest clematis as Denise did or try Jasmine, winter and/or summer flowering. Both would rather hang than climb. Lack of sun will stop so many flowers being produced on the summer flowering Jasmine but it will still get some. Winter flowering is evergreen and prefers shade. Summer flowering is semi-evergreen.
Here is a picture of my summer flowering Jasmine. It is not in full sun and still gets flowers as you can see.
The wall is a 44inch drop but I have to cut the bottom off so it would hang lower.
Growit
- Hants UK,
Zone "8/9"
|
Growit
Supporting Member
My Favorite Photo
My Weather
My Time
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 05, 2008 - 03:19 am EST : |
|
Not so impressive when they finish. The flowering season is not very long and they look very scruffy the rest of the time.
It is fine in partial shade but I don't think you will get the drop you want. It will do a couple of foot at most.
Growit
- Hants UK,
Zone "8/9"
|
Oldiebutgoodie
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 05, 2008 - 09:27 am EST : |
|
Although English Ivy grows fairly rampantly in my garden, it is not hopelessly invasive. I simply get out my pruning shears and cut off offending vines or yank entire plants out by the roots.
I'm guessing it's our climate that keeps it at bay. Yesterday was mild enough to melt enough snow so that I could see patches of lawn here and there. I didn't get to see the English Ivy, though. It was still sleeping under several inches of that darn white stuff. (I have a rustic obelisk that was partly covered with EI, but all that was exposed to the elements had died back.)
Anyway, I was really getting the itch to get into my garden (despite knowing that Old Man Winter hadn't finished with us yet this year.) The sun shone; there was no wind; and the air held the promise of spring. All day long, weather forecasters were warning of another winter storm.
This morning, much to my chagrin, the forecasts were fulfilled. We got almost a foot of snow overnight. What a disappointment! Living in a snow belt in southern Ontario, I learned long ago to grin and bear it. But this winter has just gone on far too vigorously and far too long!
Oldiebutgoodie
- Ontario,
Zone "5b"
|
Moonfleate
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 05, 2008 - 12:01 pm EST : |
|
Oldiebutgoodie, Periwinkle, Garden_spider and Growit, I thank you all for the input.
I'm familiar with snow-in-summer and english ivy, as it's not uncommon here in Vancouver. I agree that it's attractive, but I'm looking for something with a more unusual "wow" factor for the area---if only during the blooming period.
Growit, that Ceanothus you have posted as your favourite picture coincides more with the image in my imagination (and imagine a hundred foot row of that!!), however you say it won't hang. An alternative plan to covering the wall could be to fill up the grassy strip at the base of the wall, and have something like the ceanothus planted along the top. The summerflowering jasmine is also very sumptuous. I'll do some research on both these plants, along with their various relatives.
Garden_spider, I'm unfamiliar with Kinnikinnik, Beach Strawberry and Trailing Rosemary, but will look these up on Google Image search. The grasses you mention are something I had in mind as a possibility for the grassy strip next to the sidewalk...mixed in with sedums/euphorbia??.. but don't know how the latter "boulevard/low-maintenance" plants would visually mesh with something like ceanothus, jasmine or clematis on the upper wall....
As you can see, I am at the very beginning of the design process here, and am happy for any ideas.
Periwinkle, I know next to nothing about clematis, though I understand that some of them are evergreen. I'll explore that option too.
I am trying to figure out what garden zone I am in. It might be 8.
Moonfleate
- BC,
Zone "?"
|
Stephie
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 05, 2008 - 12:53 pm EST : |
|
Alpine strawberries, including the pink-flowered "Panda" will cascade, will grow as a carpet at the bottom and in partial shade, will give you lots of little, tasty strawberries. I have both the white and red berries and added "Panda" for the pink flowers; alpines flower all season too. We put containers between our grape arbors and they cascade down really well.
Stephie |
Stephie
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 05, 2008 - 12:55 pm EST : |
|
And they stay green all winter...including the tag-alongs.
Stephie |
Growit
Supporting Member
My Favorite Photo
My Weather
My Time
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 05, 2008 - 02:01 pm EST : |
|
Oh good. That was going to be my next question as Ceanothus and Jasmine are winter hardy for me but might not have been for you!
I know! It would be breathtaking in season although you would have to wait 5 years for it to look like mine.
The problem with it would be the distance it would want to grow out from the wall before it went down. Mine sticks out at least 3ft from the wall if not more and from the picture you posted I don't think you will have the room. It will be sticking out over the pavement. It is not a very forgiving plant and the branches would stab anyone walking along!
Another one worth considering is Lysimachia nummularia aurea. Very invasive if in the garden so normally sold as a trailing basket plant because its spread is indefinite. Wouldn't matter if it is dangling over a wall, I know it is NOT blue or white but it is very showy and always gets commented on in the summer when it drips down like a curtain.
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/28814/
Growit
- Hants UK,
Zone "8/9"
|
Lovinlife
Supporting Member
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 25, 2008 - 12:26 pm EST : |
|
I could not recommend the English Ivy either. I've helped several people try to get rid of it because it is a haven for aphids and can get so out of control.
The creeping plants you mentioned are so gorgeous when they bloom, and maybe it's ok that they don't reach the full four feet? Your concern about them being in shade is certainly legitimate, but remember they bloom in early spring. Therefore, if the trees around them are deciduous, then they may not yet be producing shade when the flowers are blooming. The plants would be fine then in the shade after they finish blooming.
I saw many plants while I was in Spain that are not creepers per se; however, when they get very large they tend to cascade because of the sheer weight of them. Have you considered putting some annuals along the top along with the perennials? The cascading petunias (Wave and Supertunia) get to nearly 3' long, and the blue-purple or white ones would be beautiful on those bricks.
OK, now you have to let us know what you decide and we will expect photos (grin).
Lovinlife
- Utah,
Zone "5"
|
Moonfleate
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 01, 2008 - 02:20 pm EST : |
|
hello fellow gardeners,
I have been slow in responding to all the excellent advice I have collected on this forum, and for that I apologise. One excuse is that it has been so unseasonably cold this year (even recent brief snow flurries) that I am likewise still in my winter mode, and have not stirred much in the garden store direction. I also haven't decided on what plants to use, though I think that the English Ivy (as much as I love it) will be saved for another location. I'm planning on a leisurely afternoon soon at the Van Dusen Gardens here to see what they have there that offers "winter/early spring interest"; if it looks decent at this time of year, then it could be a definite contender.
Moonfleate
- BC,
Zone "8"
|
|
