HELP!!

I am very new to landscaping and planting in full sun! We just moved to zone 6A and we decided to till a very large slope in our backyard. One: because my husband could not stand mowing it. Two: I really wanted a perennial garden some where my boys could not ruin it. We tilled the slope and put small shrubs, perennials, and two dwarf trees. We decided to use english ivy as a ground cover (which the green house up the street recommended but now I am reading most people say is a bad idea). When i say we planted english ivy I mean we planted about 150 plants!. It is still no where near any of the plants we planted (ivy is about 6 inches long). So now I have a few questions.

Will the ivy grow in full sun (the greenhouse person said it would)?

If I keep the ivy can/should I stake it down around my perennials so it doesn't kill them?

Should I take the english ivy out and put another fast growing vine? If so what should I plant?

WEEDS!!! I don't want to use chemicals because I have small children. On the top of the slope is their swing set on the bottom of the slope is there soon to be wiffle ball field. Right now my husband and I are pulling and hoeing the area ALL the time. Should I use a flamer to keep the weeds and grass down?

Please help!! I like the over all look of the plants I think it 3 or 4 years they'll grow in nicely. I really don't care about the ivy. I just want a ground cover that will be nice all year and COVER the ground so I won't have all of these weed!!!

Thanks!!!

This message was edited Jun 9, 2008 12:26 PM

I see you've also posted this question in the beginner gardening section. Can you also post a picture, it would help a lot.

Here are some pictures of my very weedy garden. My husband will be home for the summer so it will be easier to weed. I don't want anything on the hill to be higher than two feet with the exception of the two dwarf trees so we can watch the boys in the field.

http://photobucket.com/raebeagsgardenslope1

I couldn't open the pics. Can you post on DG?

Pics wouldn't load for me either...

This is the left side of my very weedy slope. It ends at the weeping cherry tree and about 4 feet in from the black buck. We are probably going to do two to three feet of crushed stone at the bottom

This message was edited Jun 10, 2008 6:18 AM

This is 1/4 of the left side weed free!

This message was edited Jun 10, 2008 7:45 AM

This is the right side full of weeds!! Haven't weeded that side in almost three weeks ( I REALLY can't wait until my husband is home for the summer)!

This is the right side corner it ends at the peashrub dwarf tree. Again the bottom is going to be two to three feet of crushed stone. This corner is where home plate it so we are going to put a bench on the crushed stone (we don't know if we are going to put a bench or huge tree stumps).

This LARGER patch of grass and weeds is where we are putting in an S shaped (I believe) granite stair way. We are thinking about possibly putting in some dwarf Japanese maples in the curves of the stairs.
**Side note: I am soo glad we decided not to do the organic garden this year too!

I swear there are lots of pretty flowers and shrubs on this slope helleri, juniper, cypress at least 2 other varieties of shrubs 2 or three on each side. Coreopsis, Daylilies, cornflowers, daisies, daffidoles, phlox, coral bells, and a few others. I would say there are three plants of each on each side of the slope.
Was this a crazy undertaking?

Anything to keep from having to mow the slope. Think of the gas you'll save. I have a lot of English Ivy in my shade garden. It can take over. It doesn't seem to bother my plants, but it's growing over my walkway. I'm afraid it's going to travel into the farmers field. Oh well, it's better than that darn mustard weed that in his field already and spreads into my yard.

I think your slope is going to be pretty. The plantings will help keep the soil from eroding.

It doesn't look like there is enough room for landscape fabric. I would weed an area and put down mulch to help control the weeds until the plants start filling in and covering the bank. Post pics when it starts filling in. Good luck