Landscape Help!?

Question

Our home is on top of a hill, and we just added an addition to our front deck. It now extends across the front, stopping about two feet from a 6' or so vertical wall that leads to the drive and (basement level) garage. I am looking for something to fill the 2'x10' area between the deck and the wall - specifically, for a ground cover that will fill in quickly, preferably with white to match the existing landscape and style of the front of the house. The area will have full sun, and I have heard that snow-in-summer is a nice option (and pictures I have seen are very pretty).

How does snow-in-summer look in winter? If it will all die off/turn brown, I need something to put with it (like an evergreen ground cover to give some color/texture in winter). Any ideas for a pretty front landscape that perhaps pairs snow in summer with something else? Also, the 6' vertical wall would look nice if something could cascade a bit over it...I look forward to everyone's ideas. (I am in zone 5)

Answer 1

Before you started to talk about snow-in-summer, I was thinking that this location would be perfect for grapes. You are on a hill, so you have good drainage, faces sun, grapes are beautiful, and produce yummies.

But, with the snow-in-summer, holly would look nice (especially if this is not an area expected to be walked in)

Answer 2

If the snow-in-summer you mean is Cerastium tomentosun, gray with white flowers it is an excellent drought tolerant ground cover. I don't know how cold it gets there my books say zones 6 - 11.

It is beautiful in flower (miniature 'baby breath' effect) especially in mass plantings and is 'tough as old boots'. I'm in Australia and I find it grows in autumn and spring. Flowers in late spring, goes to seed on top (just chop of with whipper snipper). Looks 'tatty' a bit for a few weeks in summer then starts to grow again. It really doesn't have much down time and it isn't in winter here. I grow it as a one foot edging around my garden beds, people stop to look at it when it is in flower. It is only a low growing plant. Liriope doesn't like full summer sun unless your climate is moderate. Ground covering junipers would be good hanging over the edge, perhaps ('Blue Rug").

When you quoted the area I took it to be the ground area but some people are looking at it as a climbing plant eg grapes did you just want a ground cover? If you wanted a small to medium height hedge type plant to cover some of the height under the deck you could choose one of the newer named varieties of Nandina eg "moonbay" etc they change colour with the seasons would grow in this position and you could put a row at the back and the ground cover in front. Hope this helps.

Answer 3

It looks to be a perennial and probably will die back in the winter time.

If you want something to cover your wall, you could use a vine. Wisteria is cold hardy and is an aggressive grower. It will spread well and has white or purple flowers. You could then plant a ground cover below in addition to the vine. Just be careful of the wisteria around structures as it will grab onto it.

Grapes could work, but don't offer any show of flowers really. Try a perennial on top of the wall that will cascade over. Phlox would work.

Answer 4

I'm not familiar with your snow-in-summer, but you could plant three 'rug' type junipers and your ground cover between them. The junipers over time will spread and cascade over the wall.

They are evergreen and most varieties get nice little blu-white berries on them.

Or you could pair it with creeping wintergreen. It's a ground cover that stays green in winter. It gets little white blossoms early in the season and puts on red berries in the fall. They last all winter long, provided the birds don't get them.

Answer 5

i agree with greg. grapes, or a climbing or rambling rose would be perfect. so many culivars to choose from.

Answer 6

a ground cover with white=liriope'alba'='munroe's white'