looking for suggestions for planting around retaining wall

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blgarden Lawrence, KS Aug 17, 2012

We have just built a new retaining wall along the side of our house in a space that was eroding heavily. As beginner gardeners, we are looking for suggestions about what to plant above and below the wall. The wall is about 35 feet long, 3 1/2 feet tall. The area gets some sun during the middle of the day, esp. in the summer, and is pretty shady the rest of the time, because the space between the houses is narrow. See pictures attached.

We are looking for something fairly low maintenance, that will also look attractive and grow well in it's location. We are thinking of some kind of shrubs or ground cover, and would like to put something in this fall if possible, but if it is better to plant in the spring what should we do with the space to prepare the soil over the winter? We are located in Lawrence, Kansas.

Thanks for any advice or suggestions!

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LandscapeGardener Spring Hill, FL(Zone 9a) Aug 19, 2012

A wider angle photo showing all else around the retaining wall will help in proposing what will work in the area. Also, what is the soil type and how do you plan on watering the new planting?

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NancyGroutsis Hopkinton, MA(Zone 5b) Aug 19, 2012

blgarden, you've built an attractive wall and I do think shrubs are a great idea, especially to cover the pipes near the stairs. I'm guessing in Lawrence, Kansas your hardiness zone is 6? A calycanthus (Carolina Allspice) might do well in the mostly shade garden area you're designing. I planted a large calycanthus this summer in an area that gets about 3 hours direct sunlight per day and it's doing okay.

However, my calycanthus needs a lot of water so I suggest installing a soaker hose or some other system to keep the new shrubs hydrated. as for groundcover you can't go wrong with pachysandra for shady places, but it can be very invasive so only plant it where you don't mind it growing everywhere (probably not within the wall itself). And of course, hostas are excellent shade plants. However, they have shallow roots and won't prevent erosion as shrubs do.

DoGooder

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flowAjen central, NJ(Zone 6b) Aug 20, 2012

A Hydrangea to block the view of the pipes then fill will hosta and heuchera

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