QUESTION: “I have a concrete wall that is 4 foot tall, and the only
place to plant is on top of the wall. We’d like to have ivy or
creeping fig, but everything I read indicates that it "climbs". I need
something that will grow down and yet cling to the wall. Is there such
a thing or do I have to provide wire outlines and try to train it
downward? I cannot find any solution to this question on the
internet.” – Tom Wigley

ANSWER: That’s a great question, Tom! With some plants, yes, you do
have to provide wire or string for them to get the “hang” of where to
grow. A few creepers that I am familiar with that will naturally grow
down are sedum (angelina variety), wooly thyme, lemon thyme, creeping
rosemary (which will branch down when its growth falls over a wall)
and creeping phlox.

QUESTION: “We have what is probably a 38 year old hawthorn tree which
sustained quite a bit of damage from heavy snow and wind over the
winter. I cut off some of the broken branches and left the fine tuning
to my husband. There were originally four sturdy limbs attached to the
main trunk. I thought perhaps that we would have to totally remove one
limb but that the rest would be ok with some careful trimming.

“Well, my husband really got carried away cutting away everything but
four bare limbs which are 4 to 5 feet long. It looks kind of like four
fingers sticking up, one longer than the others. In other words…
awful!

“My question is whether the tree will send out new branches and if it
could ever look attractive again. Or would it be better to have the
tree removed and start anew with another small attractive tree. I like
the looks of the Red Bud Forest Pansy, but would it be suited to the
weather in Eastern Washington. I would appreciate any advice you can
give me.” – Teresa Hathaway

ANSWER: When an older tree is severely damaged, it is difficult to say
whether or not it will come out of the shock and begin to grow again.
Given the age and what sounds to be the severity of the damage, you
might want to consider taking the tree down.

Should you decide to give it some time to see how it performs, it’s
worth bearing in mind that it will take years for the younger branches
to grow out. It sounds like the kind of cutting that we often see
along the sides of the road where the electric companies harshly prune
old maple and oak trees. They never really look good after that.

Red buds should grow well in your area as well as poplars, dawn
redwood and magnolias. Good luck with your tree.

QUESTION: “Our neighbors installed a chain link to keep their dogs in
their yard. The problem is, they do not weed whack the grass along the
fence. The clumps of tall grass are an eyesore. I would like to plant
shrubs and flowers to hide the mess. Some ideas of what to plant that
would require minimal maintenance would be very helpful. The span is
about 100 feet.” – Lana

ANSWER: Tall growing ornamental grasses would blend in very nicely
such as many of the miscanthus varieties and also the panicums. The
panicum northwind is a tall straight growing thick grass that is quite
pretty. Ornamental grasses only need to be weed whacked down in early
spring. Otherwise they look good the other 3 seasons.

As for some shrubs, you might look at the euonymus manhattan (an
evergreen) or althea (also known as rose of Sharon and hibiscus).
These would be my best suggestions on dealing with your situation,
replacing an eyesore with your own “fence” of grasses and shrubs.


The Plant Man is here to help. Send your questions about trees, shrubs
and landscaping to and for resources and
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