Thanks everyone!! This is the left side DONE!! Next weekend it's the right sides turn!! I ended up weeding, torching, covering the whole thing with landscaping paper (900 sq ft)and mulching (10 yds)!! I know I am going to lose about 15 daffodil plants by doing this because I don't remember where they are planted but I guess that is part of being a beginner!!
Thanks again!!
Looks nice. What is that you planted--some type of groundcover?
yes it's ivy which everyone on the DG forum is telling me will kill my perennials so I am thinking about eventually using thyme as a ground cover. If you look under my name with the thread HELP. You can see what a mess it was with all the weeds! I planted all the plants in May but I just couldn't keep up with the weeds all summer having two small children. I like the way the mulch looks but eventually I don't want to have to do a lot of work on the slope. One because I want to save my back and legs all of that work. Two because I have an acre of land, other perennial beds and hopefully next year a vegetable garden. Three I love buying plants not mulch! Thanks for your comment! I love this website!!
Creeping phlox is another "polite" ground cover you might want to consider. The ivy will crawl over and suffocate everything in its path but things like creeping thyme and creeping phlox aren't nearly as bad. I have creeping phlox growing as a ground cover around several azaleas in one of my beds and it looks real nice. I'm trying to get ground covers going everywhere I can because I don't like the expense of mulch nor the time it takes to put it all down. I have 5 1/2 acres and lots of flowerbeds to tend to. Also, like you, I'd rather buy flowers than mulch--it's expensive! Eventually those babies will be big enough to "help" you.
I do have some creeping phlox in there now. I am not crazy about ivy but I feel in the next three or four years when everything starts getting bigger. I can start taking out the ivy. If I knew I was going to mulch it I would have never planted ivy but since the money is already spent I think my husband would have a heart attack if he saw me throwing them away already. I love ground cover too! It's just something else for people, insects and birds to enjoy! I have other beds with pacasandras (SP?) and creeping phlox. Thyme is the ground cover in my herb and strawberry garden.
Hey, raebeags, I had the section at a time, landscape fabric and mulch idea for you. I am so glad that it worked. It looks very beautiful. Good job.
Thanks Smokey!!! It took me a long time but it was well worth it because it's done. Now I can concentrate on buying and planting more plants!!!! Well once the other side is done!THANK YOU!! THANK YOU!!! THANK YOU!!!
add a few shrubs to give you some height too so that in winter you have something to look at, even if it is just the outline or shape of the shrubs, find ones that flower at different times so you will get colour for longer, and remember green is also a colour, so even a few evergreens will brighten up winter days, the roots of them will also help to keep the soil in place on a slope, in heavy rain you would be surprised at how much soil can be moved at a time, you have done some amount of work and am really proud of you, you will admire this for many years and add to it as your confidence grows with your gardening skills, so well done, good luck. WeeNel.
Thanks weenel!! I am trying to keep all the plants to 2 feet tall because at the bottom of the slope is our wiffle ball field.We want to be able to watch our children play from the top of the slope. Also in between the slopes we are putting an S shaped granite stairway. I think in the S curves we are going to put a crimson Japanese maple and one of the lime green japanese maples. So do you have any suggestions on small shrubs that flower? Thanks!
Hi Rae, sorry it took so long getting back to you, there are some Rhododendrons and Azalias that are able to grow to this hight, BUT only if your soil is acidic enough to grow them, or lavenders grow to about 2 feet if pruned after flowering to keep the flowers coming the next year, some types of Hypericums if you select one that wont grow too tall, Nepeta Cat mint forms a large clump and will cover a wide area and a little height, Cistus, Rosemary pruned to the height you want, Hebe will form a round ball shape and has nice flowers, some of the ornamental Acers are good and come in all shapes of leaf and colours, Erica, Heathers come in all sizes and colours, they also flower at all different times right through the season if you choose well, Box can be pruned into any shape or size, Holly too, there are some wonderful Junipers that are miniature forms and colours, go to the library and look for books on gardening on banks and rock gardens as there are a huge selection of plants to choose from that will give you either colour / flowers or fruit/berries in winter, there are also ground cover creeping plants too, what you want are plants that the roots will hold the soil in place once they get established so you dont have any soil movement in winter or rain seasons, good luck, WeeNel.
