Overhanging Planting for Garden Wall !!
 

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....

Peter...

Peter...

Peter

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

Overhanging Planting for Garden Wall !!
 

On Fri, 05 Mar 2004 16:18:46 GMT, "Pam - gardengal" wrote:


Thanks Pam.... the lithodora and helianthemum both are excellent choices. I didn't find
any info suggesting that cotoneaster was a cascader, but will continue to evaluate the
suggestions, (which were ALL good ones).

Thanks again.




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

Overhanging Planting for Garden Wall !!
 

Small Junipers and Winter Jasmine would be a colorful and evergreen mix.
Bambi don't like either. One creeps and the other spreads & cascades
great...I'm just below you in (officially 7a) I have had both before in a
tightly packed raised bed and it looked pretty cool.


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....

Peter...

Peter...

Peter

Overhanging Planting for Garden Wall !!
 

Peter in :

On Fri, 05 Mar 2004 16:18:46 GMT, "Pam - gardengal"
wrote:


Thanks Pam.... the lithodora and helianthemum both are excellent
choices. I didn't find any info suggesting that cotoneaster was a
cascader, but will continue to evaluate the suggestions, (which
were ALL good ones).

deer probably love cotoneaster since it's rosaceae.


--

Overhanging Planting for Garden Wall !!
 

Peter in :

On Fri, 05 Mar 2004 16:18:46 GMT, "Pam - gardengal"
wrote:


Thanks Pam.... the lithodora and helianthemum both are excellent
choices. I didn't find any info suggesting that cotoneaster was a
cascader, but will continue to evaluate the suggestions, (which
were ALL good ones).

deer probably love cotoneaster since it's rosaceae.


--