Groundcover planting under flight of steps?

I have a long flight of wooden stairs that go up a west facing slope to my deck. The area underneath (about 14 inches from ground to underside of the staircase) is ugly. Right now, it's gravel with weeds. The stairs are near a southfacing wall. So this area gets a lot of heat and not a lot of rain, and intervals of sun/shade. I would love to try planting under the steps with a lowgrowing groundcover. I tried sedum (stonecrop) which hung on for a while, but did not thrive.

I am willing to dig out the gravel and improve the soil, but would like some input on what to plant. Or any other thoughts on how to landscape this very odd, difficult spot.

Any ideas?

Ajuga?

There is a large Ajuga as well as the smaller one, but it will need water every now and then.

Do you think heat tolerant plants would do. I will have to send you a list that I made for myself for next year.

I was considering ajuga, maybe different colors in sort of "swaths" down the hill...I'd really appreciate the heat tolerant plant list! Maybe creeping thyme? The problem is that this eyesore is the first thing visitors see when they come to the back door of the house (and we use the backdoor more than the front!).

This is a list I made for myself of heat tolerant plants for my area (Zone8-9) to use in my containers for next year.

Echinacea - Coneflower
Cosmos
Lantana
Ornamental onion
Kalanchoe thysiflora -Paddle plant; have to see it to appreciate it; med.-large in size
Rudbeckia fulgida – Black eyed Susan
Eryngium planum - Seal holly
Impomoea – sweet potato vine
Tradescantia palida - Wandering jew

Without a doubt -- Vinca - grows anywhere! In any conditions! No need to amend the soil. Drought and heat tolerant. Only problem is, once you've put it in, it will take over the entire area. However, I have some places where nothing else will grow, and you can pull it out if it creeps out where you don't want it.

Dax

Vinca or periwinkle would be nice especially since it blooms.

Wow, thanks you guys! The heat tolerant plant list will definitely come in handy, and VINCA, I never thought of that! I thought it only did well in shade.

I have been toying with this fantasy.... what if I created a sort of "dry stream bed" effect under the steps? With some big boulders, a "stream bed" of pebbles, and some ajuga and sedums and other stuff planted along the sides of the "stream"? So that it sort of looked as if there was a waterfall or stream UNDER the staircase?

I guess my ultimate fantasy would be to install a recirculating system to actually HAVE water flowing under the stairs, but I wonder if the moisture would be too much for the wooden stairs (they are pressure treated)?

Any comments?

Why, it would be beautiful! You're talking my vision too -- here are two pics which should answer your questions. First, the wooden bridge over the stream -- my husband built it out of pressure treated wood, and it's been there for 4 years now, no problems at all so your steps should do very well.

This pic also shows the vinca (on right top at waterfall), then Silver Brocade artemesia. On the opposite of the falls is creeping sedum which grows right into the stream. This area has about 5 hours of sun per day.

Looking south from the bridge itself, you can see the extent of the groundcover. That gorgeous deep yellow on the left side of the stream growing into it, is Creeping Jenny. It's a real stunner!

Hope this helps you see what you can do with your vision!

Dax

Dax, thank you SO MUCH! This is exactly the sort of thing I am thinking of...only it would be a much steeper watercourse, so it would be actually like a tiny trickly "waterfall". But the streamside plantings are PERFECT! That's just the sort of things I think would work. The hillside I'm talking about faces West and it's on the South side of our house, so it gets some pretty intense sunshine/heat in the summer. I am going to copy and keep those pix you posted so I can use them to refer to.

And *LOL* OF COURSE the Creeping Jenny is a stunner...It's LYSMACHIA! *LOL*

Hope you send pics when it's done -- would love to see it! Dax

Dax, those are very nice pictures. Makes you want to take your shoes off and sit a while.