creepers

Our property starts at a semitraffic with a ditch, then a semisteep hill, then it very gently rolls up to where the house is. Right now, the ditch and hill are very neglected, and yucky. I would love something pretty way down there to greet myself and guests with before they get to the oasis at the top :) Kind of like a tease for what will come. What are your favorite creepers that I might be able to use to take over the ditch and/ or the hill? Something that is a perennial, or self seeding (its a LONG walk down there :) )

Trish

Hi Trish,
How about orange daylilies? They're also called "Ditch" lilies. Crown vetch is another plant that seems to do well in ditches.

It has to be something that can cover an area about 20 feet wide and 600 feet long. I'd love to do daylilies in that area, but I'm afraid my wallet disagrees.

If you'd suggest crown vetch, would you also suggest morning glory? I've got thousands of morning glory seeds that I collected all over Georgia and Tennessee last fall.

Also, is there any concerns with crown vetch really taking over outside of the area in which we want it?

I've never grown crown vetch but I'm sure it's invasive. I wouldn't use it unless it's in an area that you can control with the lawn mower. I see it used a lot for erosion control on steep embankments. As far as Ditch lilies go - Trade for them! I have tons here and I see people offer them all the time for trades. If you want to hit me up in the spring I'd be glad to send some your way. They spread pretty quickly and will fill in a large area in no time.

Well, if the Ditch lilies are so easy to grow, I'd rather use them than the crown vetch. I'll hit you up in the spring for some. :)

I can send you some too in the spring...as a thank you for this site.

I accept your generous offer!!

I could send you a few (daylillies) as well.Also as a thank you for this site! I also have Native Louisiana Iris that might do well in your ditch, and boy do they take off! Bye! Lisa

Hooo boy!!!!

Hi Trish! I agree with all - iris and daylilies will give you a great display of color! Almost no maintenance and they multiply rapidly. You might want to add some dwarf canna's. They give great color, foilage, and are an almost no maintenance plant.

I have daylilies and iris "out the wazoots" and will contribute to "the cause."

Let me know when your snow/sleet, etc stop, and I'll send them. My iris have not been hurt by winter so far, and the daylilies can be dug now also. I have yellow, pink, rose, and salmon daylilies and purple and yellow iris.

Grits

No Dave, that is "Aye-eeeee" not Hoo-boy! :-)

Dave tells me that the ditch gets flooded pretty bad when there is rain, and the bank is fairly steep- would all of these lillies and irises grow OK on the bank?

Trish

Trish, the Irises would not only do well, they would set up a village! Bye! Lisa

I know that ditch lilies will grow in water. There are quite a few iris that will grow in water too. I'm not sure about the Louisiana iris... or hybrid daylilies. I think the hybrid daylilies will get taken over by the more aggressive plants and you should save them for nicer parts of the garden. The yellow iris psuedacorus and iris versicolor both will thrive in water and wet soils. Sounds like you'll have your ditch well planted next year!

Yeah!! Thanks so much, girls!!

I'll be looking in your direction to get me started this spring :) Of course, I'll send pictures of the new and improved drive-up appeal!!

Thanks sooo much!!

Trish

How about obedient plant down in part of the ditch. I can share some. Also yellow daylilies and iris for up on the hill.

mamakane- Send it on!! I will have the best looking ditch/ roadside the county has seen!! You are all so sweet!

Trish

This spring the city is going to be place a drain pipe through my yard and I have to move alot of plants and there are quite a few of the native orange daylilies that I will have to dig up. I can send them to you if you are interested. They are growing in a natural ditch and do well whatever the weather, flood or drought (and they get flooded quite a bit). I also have a very steep slope in my backyard and I have daylilies irises, and creeping roses growing there and they are doing very well. I planted japanese and sacred irises in the soggier soil and they grow wonderfully. I wish you the best of luck and let me know if you would like to have the daylilies.

Newt- I would love some- thanks!!
We'll call the road facing part of the property the "DG Mile"!

Trish, 10-4 on the DG mile (will be the million dollar mile when you finish, ha)
Grits

Hi Trish,
I really like this particular plant, mind you it likes partial shade. It has pretty yellow flowers in the
spring:)

http://www.acergardens.com/plant/lamias.html

oh Wendy- I do like it, but alas, I habe full sun down there :(
Thanks for sharing, tho. That may be a great ground cover elsewhere!

Trish