I have this huge mulch bed that I’d love to fill with some fast growing/spreading ground coverage/low maintenance plants. I’m open to ideas. We’re on a cliff so something to help with erosion would be great too. Do I seed? Start with trays and let grow? Planting Zone 6B. Thanks in advance! (Excuse the mess we just had a storm come through)
by cdmsixteen
19 Comments
Hosta and coral bells.
Native perennials.
Hostas and coral bells sound terrific and add in a creeping plant or two as well. Creeping phlox? To hold a slope you need deep and shallow roots plus foliage cover to break the force of the raindrops.
Lean into native plants and you won’t need to water much. Check your state native plant society and r/NativePlantGardening for potential plants.
Put creeping phlox on the edge so that it can spill over. This is what it was meant for!
Native wildflower seeds
Depends on the amount of light it gets.
If shade something native like violets or phlox
If sun something like creeping thyme or phlox
Always and forever native plants. Native grasses can have pretty deep roots
Wild geranium, penn sedge, and wild strawberry, if native to you like they are to me in northern Illinois.
Fast spreading native plants that do well in shade or part sun, which you can easily make space in later for bigger plants.
Native plants or hardy succulents like sedum
the blood of your enemies?!? it’s always the blood of your enemies.
How much sub does this area get? That would probably help you decide
Wild geranium, prairie smoke, black eyed susans, and bee balm are all excellent native perennials with little upkeep. If you add some type of asters you’ll have things in bloom for most of the season.
Pollinator-friendly plants native to your location!
Mulch. Trees, mulch understory trees, mulch, bushes, mulch more flowering stuff, mulch…..somewhere along the way, you sell the house or die, someone else takes over, or the trees you planted do.
Huge herb garden! Edible cover, colorful, perennial, low maintenance. Saves major money on herbs throughout the year
Any native perennial, shrub, or even a shorter tree would be great.
Blue fescue, creeping phlox, creeping juniper, in the front. Some taller native shrubs and/or grasses at the back along the retaining wall.
Veggies interspersed with low maintenance shrubs
Native perennial plants, things to consider when choosing which plants; how much sun does the area get, how much are you willing to water during a drought, soil type and which zone you live in. Good luck and I hope you have fun, I had a blast putting a pollinator garden in my backyard.