Need Plants for This Area

I am looking to trade for plants that will fit Terry's Terrace. I have much to trade. Please see my post here:

http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/528227/

Terry's Terrace is a "hallway" between two additions to my house. This is the entrance my brother Terry uses to come and visit me. He lives next door and we are thru this area several times a day.

The area is very narrow and everything I've planted here has gotten so big that it would completely cover the narrow rock pathway. I've spent the day uncovering the rockway again, and I finally just started ripping out plants. I have a tiny gardenia bush in the right corner up next to the house which I intend to keep. This is the only area in my gardens where it will survive winter. I currently have moonflower daturas planted along the long tall solid wall. Under the window I have a clematis which I will move. Its trellis keeps falling over the sidewalk. Between the window and the door is a whiskey barrel water garden which will stay. I intend to move the moonflowers this fall when they are done blooming. And everything else in the bed will be ripped out this week.

I intend to build an arched entrance at the beginning of the terrace and make it a private little garden area. I'm looking for showy plants that won't get too big for the space. The beds are only about 2 ft wide on each side of the pathway and about 16 ft long. This is also the warmest microclimate in my gardens, so I can stretch the limits a little and grow things here that aren't exactly hardy in Zone 7a. Also, this area gets full sun all day.

Do you have any ideas or plants to share? Check my previous post to see what I can offer. All ideas are welcome. Terry complains if he has to walk down the sidewalk and something touches him. LOL

Thanks for any suggestions.

NancyAnn

I would attach pots to the wall either with shelves or some kind of bracket or make a wire trellis for plants to grow up (passies, morning glory, moovine come to mind.) My brian is fuzzy _ I will think on it and post more idea tomorrow.

Is the position of the pathway absolutely fixed? I think you'd have more options if you curved the path from its starting point toward the corner door, leaving a larger corner of bed next to the door. Perhaps the whisky barrel planter would fit better in the big corner (assuming it's movable)... It might be nice to have a visually clear path to the doorway. You could almost just run the path along the right hand wall, but you don't want it to feel too narrow... Making a wider bed and a skinny bed by angling or curving the path would give you more options, and you could do climbing vines or just groundcover (thymes, maybe?) on the skinny side. I like mysticwill's idea of putting planters on the wall.... maybe half-round ironwork ones? Although one or two tall climbers would be nice, you may not want to put tall plants along every possible wall, or again it'll get to feeling hemmed in.... planters on the wall give you extra interest without looming over you or taking up all your foot room.

I don't know Terry's tastes, but I'd love a fragrant entryway with herbs like thyme & lavender, to add to the nose appeal of that gardenia you mentioned. Herbs love full sun, and most of them can be kept in bounds fairly readily by pinching back regularly.

All those things you are digging out you can send to me.

I think both suggestions are great. Even mine ;o)


lol
Sandy

Sandy, I don't have time to mail out all the things I'm digging out, but if you lived close enough, you could drop by and get them. I just posted them on Freecycle and have four people coming by to get them. I love Freecycle!

Thanks for all your suggestions (even yours, Sandy. LOL). I do have plans to put planters on the wall. I've already bought most of them, even some that will fit right in the corner. This wall actually goes up taller than the other walls, so it's pretty massive. I want to make a bamboo trellis to grow a vine on, maybe something evergreen. I have some coral honeysuckle that has been evergreen for me.

I don't plan to move the sidewalk. I like how it winds down the center almost, leaving 2 ft wide beds on each side. Up near the door, the corner is actually pretty big. That's where the gardenia bush is planted. It will eventually fill the corner space and it is fragrant.

The whiskey barrel is sitting on a slab of concrete that we couldn't move when we began all this. So the whiskey barrel is all I could "plant" on the concrete. LOL What you don't see, which I'm completely pleased with, are the hardy begonias that are growing in the tiny space between the whiskey barrel and the door. They are bold and tidy and perfectly fit. I'll attach a pic below.

When I looked at the picture I tried envisioning what I would expect in a magazine. I'd remove all the plants, put in a nice walk that would curve toward the door where I see the bricks and cement steps (cement and brick sounds ideal for a sunny walk) and put herbs, as was mentioned, for fragrance along with tropicals on the big sunny wall, or pots (I'm thinking cast iron holders with pots of gardenias, etc.) and on the opposite wall where the walk would be closest to, I'd put something big and impressive on the wall. You could put a copper trellis with a 2" breather space on that wall and plant a clematis (or three) that won't get out of bounds. Ground cover of a nice dark color mixed with a light one (Ajugas are ideal for that) and then you're done.

The way you work (like a maniac) you'll be done in two days!

There's already a rock walkway there that I love and won't move. My mom used to own some land in the Ozarks (mountainous area). And I hauled all the rocks down the from the mountains years ago. Since the name of my gardens is The Butterfly Ranch, I really like the natural look of rock. So my rock path will stay. The bricks you see come off the brick patio next to the porch. If I had had enough rocks, the patio would have been rock too. LOL

I don't want to put too much in pots because I'm terrible about watering and this area is full sun. For ground cover in this area, I have a beautiful variegated ivy (forgot its name). It's very slow growing, but I may move it and put one of my many sedums here.

You're right though. This spot would be great for herbs. Because it's warmer than other areas of my gardens, it will extend the growing season for the herbs. Which ones could I grow in ground that wouldn't be too invasive and too large? And which ones are better suited for containers? I also have a couple of very large strawberry pots that Walmart clearanced to $5 each. Which herbs could I fill those with?

Money is an issue, so I have to work with what I already have on hand. So the trellis will probably be made of bamboo. A lady from Freecycle gave me some and will let me come back for more if I need it. But I sure would love a copper one. I checked into buying the materials to make what I want and it would have cost too much.

You guys are great with these ideas. I think I could plan it better if the beds were completely empty--a blank slate. But at this time, I can't move some of the plants because I don't want to disturb the blooms or I simply don't have another place to plant them at this time. Of course, I could just send them all to Sandy and I wouldn't have that dilemma then. LOL

N.

That hardy begonia is lovely! I just got some from a DG friend, and I'm glad to know it stays pretty tidy.... that will help me place it!

I do love your stone walkway, so I hope you didn't take my comments negatively about repositioning it... I was just trying to give you more options. I had another idea about the plantings, looking at your picture again just now. I think I would put any larger/taller/bushier plants along the right side, and use shorter groundcovers & containers like those strawberry pots you mentioned along the left. That way, the narrow path will feel more open (which should please Terry), and you'd also be able to see & appreciate your lovely big water garden container.

I can't quite picture the "arched entrance" you mentioned, and I'm not sure how wide an archway you're talking about, but you might consider placing the arch so it frames the pathway and the lower-growing plants & pots on the left (if you like that suggestion), so you have a more styled, archetectural line-of-sight to the doorway, with lovely, lush plantings off to the side. I think that making your design a little less centered in some way may help open up that space.

It's hard to make suggestions from a picture, though, and it sounds like you have a good feel for what will work there! I can't wait to see what you end up doing... :-)

I don't know how well you can tell from the picture, but the path is winding--weaving this way and that. So some spots are 2.5 or 3 ft wide. I can like a bit of planned chaos and non-symmetry in my gardens. I like them to look naturally carved out of nature rather planned out. That's one reason I scatter a lot of annual seeds--they come up wherever they're happy. Of course I do "help" by pulling out what comes up in the "wrong" place. LOL

I've been scoping out some things. I have lots of mints that I keep in containers. I could scatter them throughout this area--some in pots on the walls and some on pedestals and others just placed on the ground. Gail gave me a lavendar bush that surprisingly I haven't killed, so I'll move that into this bed. I will also put a few black elephant ears along the big wall. They don't get too out of hand and they'll survive winter right here in this spot.

The arched opening will straddle the pathway and be about 3 ft wide. I'll use bamboo to build a trellis closing off the end of the terrace at the two corners of the house, with the arched opening in the center. Then I think I'll grow a passiflora vine on the trellis/arch. I have one that keeps coming up in that spot, so since I can't beat it, I'll just incorporate it into the design.

At one time, I had planned to make this area an "edible" garden, and since you guys have suggested herbs, then I think that's what this garden will be. I can stuff all my herbs and mints in this area, along with taro, bromeliads and whatever other edible plants I can find.

You guys are great for brainstorming! Thank you!

NancyAnn

Yipee! I'm glad to know you've still got the lavender. You know I only have two now (started with 4 and killed one myself!) but I'd gladly give you one if you wanted it! It's the least I could do for all you have given me.

I've looked at your pic and been in that walk many times, but I don't know nearly as much about different plants as you and your taste is so much different than mine, I would not be a good source for suggestions.

I have stayed home "sick" again today. I couldn't resist. I got so much done yesterday, that I had to maintain the momentum! I mean, really, how many days do you get like this in July??? My hands are sore from weed pulling, but I've gotten the rest of that mulch pile put on the "yellow" section of the backyard garden, and had just enough left to "sprinkle" on the freshly raked paths (free of grass I might add) so that they don't just look like DIRT. You've got to come see!! I still need a couple of loads of mulch, though. I wish I'd brought the camera home from work so I could post a pic!! Dang-it!
Gail

lol :o)

If you like the idea of "copper", why not paint the bamboo telllis, once you have constructed with one of the metallic paints you can get at HD or Lowe's. It might add that little sparkle you are looking for...also, have ou considered putting a large window box on the window? I think, maybe the thyme in between the rocks and stones would be nice...and maybe in the corner(s) you could plant some really pretty foilaged cannas as the background plants. You could use daylilies, crocosmia, verbenas or phlox as low plants, also I use stokesia asters for some of my borders, they do well in the sun and clump like the grasses...it really depends on the the theme you are trying for, or the look. Tropical, cottage, etc. So there are so many options! I am in your zone, so if you think of something you would like to try and don't have it, let me know and I will see if I can help with the plants. I would definetly have some low growing type plants along the sides of the path and build with height and interest back to the wall areas, it would seem more open that way. I have a side garden with a walk that has the mondo grass, ajuga, then iris, lilies, cardinal flower, and along one side a white hydrnagea in the corner. Ferns are also another option, there are some that do fairly well in part shade. Hope we have alll helped to confuse you further!!! Like looking at wallpaper books! Too many choices!
JanetS

Since you seem to be leaning toward herbs - maybe put some creeping thyme around the walkway. It's often found in the "stepable" plants section. It will release thyme fragrance when walked on, and grows pretty much very low to the ground.It will probably live year-round in that spot without any trouble.

Janet, do you landscape for a living? If not, you SHOULD! Your ideas are just wonderful! I love the idea of painting my arch/trellis copper. WOW, now that will certainly draw the eye! And as simple as it seems, I never considered the window box under the window. That's perfect! And I do have thyme I can plant around the walkway. Great suggestion!

Wow, I'm beginning to visualize it all now. I'll fill it up with plants and have plants in containers on pedestals and decorative tables scattered throughout. In my mind, it is really beginning to look like a terrace garden I saw near my sister's house in TN. My sister's boss lived in an upstairs apt over her business. So she lived in downtown between two buildings. Here are some pictures of the terrace she created between the two buildings, leading to her apt entrance. This is what I hope for "Terry's Terrace".

In the hall

More Hall

The Courtyard she created

A bigger view of her courtyard

Beautiful pictures BC! Your sister did a great job and you can do one, too! Your sister's layout really reminds me of my favorite town, New Orleans, and all the cast iron wall hangers for pots, cast iron decor for walls, pot holders on the ground, etc.

At a party last week I took the picture, to follow. See how the center portion of the path is stone? I love the look of it but maybe you might feel it encloses the space too much.

The big Strawberry jar could also be home to tiny hosta! For herbs the prostrate rosemary with it's flowers of blue is lovely and both that one and the erectus is so good with barbecues (and good for you with grilled meats). I'd keep mint in pots, on top of bricks, or you'll just spend time weeding it out. The chocolate mint smells soooo good! So does the orange and apple.

I mixed all the mints and put them in a wrought iron stand holding a huge pot. I can use them and they're not invasive.

I know this is a fuzzy photo but the only one I have of her pergola and walkway!

Very nice, Arlene! I love the path! That might be something to consider later.

The terrace garden above is my sister's boss's terrace, not my sister. I'm afraid in my family, I inherited the only gardening genes. My sister has finally begun to take an interest in her yard, but nothing major. She doesn't like to work outside. Isn't that a shame?

Yes, I love the cast iron planters and wall hangers, but they're all so expensive. I looked at some on clearance at Hobby Lobby and they were still out of my price range. Perhaps I could add one every now and then and not feel the crunch too much. I do love the New Orleans style terraces. I think that is what I want for this area.

And you all have been full of wonderful ideas. I'm eager to get started, but I've begun weeding another section of my gardens while the ground is soft. So I'll have to wait a while on the terrace. Thanks for all the ideas! I'm writing them down and drawing a plan and making a plant list as I look around my gardens at what I have. I found some umbrella palm that is semi hardy here. I think I'll move it to the Terrace garden. It should survive just fine there by the whiskey barrel, maybe nestled in behind the begonias.

NancyAnn

One of those big flattish wall fountains could go on either wall! If you bought one with a larger basin it might fit one of your favorite water lilies.

If you're going to keep the same paint scheme color then some of the really dark lilies (blood red) along with some artemesia would be grand.

You might like to hang some pots on the vertical spaces using the Terra-Latch hooks that they sell at Park Seed. They are pretty cheap and I really like them because you can change the pots out whenever you like.

Here's a link to them:

http://www.parkseed.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/StoreCatalogDisplay?storeId=10101&catalogId=10101&langId=-1&mainPage=prod2working&ItemId=6897&PrevMainPage=textsearchresults&scChannel=Text%20Search&SearchText=terra&OfferCode=RH1

Now that's a great idea!