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Old 05-03-2004, 04:52 PM
Pam - gardengal
 
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Default Overhanging Planting for Garden Wall !!


Peter wrote in message ...
Are there any suggestions for plantings suitable for planting over
a small garden wall?? A few minor criteria....

Zone 7a (unofficially zone 8) Maryland between the
metropolitan area of Baltimore and Washington DC. Temperature
ranges from - 5 degrees in winter to about 105 in summer where 4 years
of earth scorching drought turned into the wettest spring / summer on

record.

This area faces south, but is somewhat shaded by tall shade trees during

the
hot summer afternoon.

The wall is only about 24 inches tall and stretches for 20' along
a driveway. A raised bed is on the other side. Nice composted soil.

Looking for something that is evergreen.... and also deer resistent

Actually anythjing that poisons deer would be a welcome relief....
the deer population is out of control. All edible plants have already
been destroyed. Bambi is no longer cute or wanted and has turned the
area into a plant wasteland.. (nope, can't shoot them...this is a

densely
inhabited area). County is totally in retreat and overrun by the

problem.
Some of the largest Whitetail deer can be found here in an area that is
bounded by 3 major highways and Interstate 95, packed with major
shopping malls. I've seen 400 pound Whitetails in front yards at 6:00 pm

in the
evening and herds of 6 or 7 traveling on bike trails at 10:00 am on Sunday

morning.

Small flowers would be nice...... once upon a time, this green suburban
yard had flowers and shrubs and birds and grass.... that was before the
dought, heat and deer took everything away. Even the birds are gone
(Thanks to the government poisoning the crows in panic over the West NIle
Virus scare). Is this what they called "Silent Spring" ??? It was

completely
the work of mother (xxxx) nature going berserk....no pesticides have been

added.

There used to be carmellias, tulips, daffodils, euonymous, peonies,

laurel, roses,
hydrangeas, dogwoods, crepe mytle, leyland cypress, rose mallows,

helix hedra,
azalea's, rhododenron's, nellie steven's hollies, oriental poppies,

bleeding hearts,
ferns, plaintain lillies, hostas and much more.... even the forsynthia

bushes have
been chewed down to nothing. What the deer didn't get, the slugs and

beatles finished
off.

Anyway I"m rambling ........ Plant recommendations anyone ??

Evergreen,
fastgrowing, indestructable, deer resistant, drought resistant, heat

resistant, has
flowers and trails down rocks under conditions where not even juniper

grows anymore.

Any suggestions ??? Thanking you in advance....


There are a whole series of rockery plants that should work in this
situation. Rockcress, cotoneaster, iberis, helianthemum and lithodora are
all evergreen cascaders, but most will prefer more sun than not. For slighly
shadier situations, look at heaths and heathers, sedums, saxifrage, Serbian
bellfower (not evergreen), bergenia. If this is an area that will receive
reflected heat in the summer months, you could try a prostrate rosemary, but
its hardiness is qestionable in your area.

If the juniper will no longer grow there, you may have other issues to
address - either it is too shady or drainage is not good, cuz IME, juniper
will grow ANYWHERE, specially where it is not wanted.

pam - gardengal