Ideas for planting behind a retaining wall

Hi all you wise Pacific Northwesters!

I have a retaining wall (see the pic that follows). The whole wall is about 100 feet long. Some of in the shade, some in the sun but most of it gets some fierce afternoon sun this time of year. My earth is decomposed granite (which I amend of course!). anyway, i am looking for some new ideas for planting behind the wall - i have about 6-8" of space behind the wall before the groundcloth covers most of it. Does anyone have ideas with regard to what i can plant there? nothing too tall so we can see the forest and garden behind. i have tried lots of plants and what seems to do best are pansies and petunias. I'd love to have some perennials so i dont have to fork out the dough twice a year to plant. your input would be much appreciated!

thank you!

Xeric plants would work very well for you, but 6-8" isn't a lot of space.
How much room for spreading?
Colour/form/texture choices? Anything evergreen?
Full sun from what time of the afternoon in spring, summer, and fall?
I would stagger the bloom time & vary the plant heights for more interest.

Looks like a fun challenge to me!! Beautiful setting!

May I make the suggestion of prostrate rosemary (this is very much on my mind right now because I have a vaguely similar situation that I am about to plant up).

Several nice things about rosemary - extremely hardy, the prostrate variety stays low, but will drape itself nicely over the edge and ease the boundary towards the back of the bed without getting invasive - gets a nice bee attractant flower mostly in the colder weather, and smells great when brushed or rained on. (I think the smell will also compliment the scent of the conifers too, as will the colouring)

And here is the really great bit - it takes brillantly and quickly from cuttings!! When you are working on a stretch as long as this that is a big bonus!! Working from 4 plants I already have, I took 60 cuttings and got 100 percent take! That's how cooperative it is.

I would suggest planting up the entire stretch, and then over time remove some and interplant with the occassional taller plant - maybe a couple of penstemon's, a couple of grasses, maybe something in a taller terracotta pot - to give the area more interest and variety and creating a middle ground that gives a focal point between the grassy area at the front and the trees behind. The rosemary will give a good back cloth to suit what ever other plants you choose over the coming years.

Hmmmm, look forward to what you come up with.

You know, I was thinking along that line too. I had prostrate rosemary a few years back (I removed it to make room for something else, fickle me). If I remember right, it bloomed very blue flowers in the winter or late winter (nothing else was blooming). It came in handy for cooking also!

pardalinum, that's it exactly - fabulous blue against those slightly grey deep green plants when nothing else shows - and they can bounce with early bees if the sun comes out. I think its a brillant plant.

I'm going plant shopping. Gotta find that particular Rosemary!

thank you for your suggestions! i will be searching for the rosemary too!

You might also want to check out the Helianthemums & Halimiocistus. They are evergreen & would thrive in this application. Along with Rosemary, they have the same moisture/soil requirements.
Another: Lithodora.

Halimiocistus - ohhh, Katye, yes - that would be a good combination. Very nice.

I agree: prostrate rosemary...
also:
Kent beauty oregano***(for sure!)
daylilies
coral carpet roses
trailing purple lantana
mini (sdb) irises
lavender(spanish, or other...these also can be found in minis and dwarfs)
catmint(walker's low)
-T

Betsy - I am familiar with your area heat-wise, but wanting to know what a typical winter low-temp is for you. I believe that Lantana is considered hardy to zone 9, but definately worth trying, as it is low-maintenance.
If you are having a hard time locating some of the things suggested here, I would recommend looking into ordering online. There are quite a few reputable companies out there, and you can look up their track record here on DG.
Also - people love to swap plants & trade seeds, so that is another avenue to pursue.
If you can find Oregano 'Kent Beauty' - buy it! It is indeed a beauty, and so undemanding.
Wishing you the best - K

seed picker, nice list - I feel a tad on the slouchy side just coming up with the rosemary - very well envisioned. I'm going to have to locate the Oregano Kent beauty - sounds great, anyone have a picture?

I didn't take any of mine this year, but there are some great photos of Kent beauty in the plantfiles:
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/58220/

woowoo - that is definately going on my list. That's gorgeous - and tasteful, very nice.

this is great! i do so appreciate your suggestions. i have several catalogs to peruse and i will gleefully pick through your thoughtful suggestions and choose which of your ideas will suit my fancy.

i live in zone 8A - it rarely gets below 15-25 degrees for more than a few days in the winter. our climate is such that it rains from late oct through april/may with some snow (that generally melts in a day or so). then we get little rain from mid-may through mid oct.

it is a delight to have your input on my favorite topic : )

that kent beauty is really something! what an interesting plant!