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Shrub choice for a sunny side of house

17 years ago

I would like to find out what type of shrubs would work well in a bed down the side of my home - trying to cover up the basement foundation up to the start of the siding - about 3 feet. The area is on a bit of a downhill slope going away from the house, so the soil seems to dry out quickly. This side of the home gets sun from about 11AM to 5 PM. I had planted two Annabelle hydrangea at one end of this line and they have done horribly, so I am moving them somewhere else and I'm back to square one. I'm pretty open to any type of plant - evergreen would be ideal since I would like this to stay a nice cover for the foundation all year. However, I love a full-leafed flowering plant, so anything goes here. My hours at home during the week are limited due to my work schedule, so high-maintenance probably isn't going to work (besides I'm a rookie and likely to kill anything that's really picky...)Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

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Comments (5)

Saypoint zone 6 CT
17 years ago
Potentilla is drought tolerant and easy once established. Also, Cotinus (Smokebush), Kolkwitzia (Beautybush), Hypericum, Rosa rugosa, and Flowering Quince, if you don't mind a shrub that spreads out and can be hard to contain.
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SheGoesAbout
17 years ago
The following have done well at my house in full sun, clay soil, against a brick house:

Knock out roses: can't kill them
Meidland shrub rose
Dwarf clethra
Barberry (but I don't care for it personally)

Crapemyrtle and fothergilla do well also but they get taller than you want.
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I'd suggest you consider conifers, and look especially into junipers as you are on the sunny sides. I can't decide whether the pebbles will aggravate the heat on the plants through reflection or help to cool the soil for them. Likely a bit of both. The upright junipers include many interesting ones such as gold cone, a contorted form, and several blue ones like Wichita Blue, Blue Arrow, etc. Other than this, spruces may also like the conditions; again there are many ornamental varieties that can make for a very interesting display. Ask over on the Conifers forum for places to shop in your area. BUT to tell you the truth, many people jump to the conclusion that breaking up a wall requires planting AT the wall. It doesn't, depending on how much yard you have adjacent to the wall. If you have space, plant a tree or some deciduous shrubbery out there, and in many cases, from many angles, it softens the house wall just as well AND keeps the mess and habitat away from the house. Deciduous shrubs will grow out from any wall reaching for the light, which is why I wouldn't recommend them for a wall planting. KarinL
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Call a local nursery (not Lowes or Home Depot) and ask them 1) if they have one of those, and 2) if they can order it. That would at least tell you if it's possible to obtain it in your area. And certainly ask your landscaper. Don't settle for just plain abelia, it won't have the better characteristics.
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Gggrrrrr...must have been a GW quirk that didn't show the January photo when I first re-opened this thread. My apologies for the double post of that photo (I WISH there was some way for the originator of a post to delete it afterwards, as one can on other websites!). Anyway, here's a few photos I found that show a bit more detail on the LH side, upper half, where the two tree roses "Double Delight" and "Delany Sister" reside. This is an older photo and some of these plants didn't work out so were replaced. The little clump of silver-leafed gazania, at the foot of the variegated dianella, was outcompeted by the ceratostigma and eventually died. The vine on the trellis is a purple passiflora. In the above photo, the green groundcover leaning into the walkway, past the second "Ladies in Waiting" pink shrub rose, is Santa Barbara daisy. This is in front of a very pretty mid-height pink-and-white alstroemeria, and surprisingly, has never managed to overrun it. It makes a super companion to the roses when cutting for the vase. This is a more recent photo. Bottom left you can see the "Ruby Comet" argyranthemum. This is an improved descendant of "Ruby Slippers" which was super-tender. "Comet" seems much more hardy, it hardly blinked this winter. That flourishing bright green plant at the foot of "Delany Sisters" is....flat leaf parsley! Worked great and I think I may try to keep one regularly here. It did a great job hiding the tree rose 'legginess'. The small yellow flowers are those of the yellow erysimum, when it was young and sitting up straight, not leaning into the pathway as it does now, LOL:
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I have a Blaze climbing rose in partial shade that does OK. My Clematis Jackmanii gets very little light and does well. Skypencil holly is the right shape but perhaps a tad too formal for the look you want?
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drewhaben
17 years ago
Just about anything you plant will need extra water until established. What about Boxwood. Mine are up against the house and get all day sun as well....Wintergem variety.
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jenny_in_se_pa
17 years ago
One of my sisters has a similar west-facing (but raised) bed along the side of her house.

So far, she has an oakleaf hydrangea (at the shadier NW spot), a 'Glowing Embers' hydrangea, a peony, daphne 'Carol Mackie', 'White Knight' weigela, a mass of daylilies (different varieties over a tulip bed), a yew (that came with the house), a 'Profusion' beautyberry, and an herb bed with a fig at the SW corner.

For your size desire and as an evergreen possiblity (and aside from the yew) - the daphne might be a good choice as it is dwarfish and very fragrant. I was concerned about it being on that side but it has settled in beautifully and is budded up to bloom right now. It has such a nice compact habit and appearance too.

You might also consider red twig (or yellow twig) dogwoods or itea 'Little Henry', which is a dwarf itea. These would give some multi-season interest.
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buttercupia
17 years ago
You didn't mention what zone you are in. Sounds like your site is hot and sunny, and you want a low maintenance shrub? Carol Mackie might be too high maintenance and it appears to not like too hot and dry a spot? Ames St. John's wort Hypericum kalmianum 'Ames' is a hardy yellow flowered shrub if you can find one. A knock out rose is also hardy, disease free and floriferous. Wegeilas sp? come in many various sizes, lots of flowers and leaf colors to choose from vareigated to red to green and are easy to grow as well as hardy in full sun.
Also, nearly any of the spireas would probably be easy to grow there.. check these for height and color of leaf and flower to suit your place.
Evergreens offer various junipers.. low growing from the rug types or gold tipped varieties to the blue star.. then arborvitae come in various sizes.. Danica and hetz? midget are around two to three feet round.. others are available.. check out your local nursery.. there are lots of things available. Just make sure they're tolerant of dryish soil and low maintenance plants.. of course you'll have to water deeply and well once or twice a week during drought especially the first summer...It helps to make a sort of a narrow trench about a foot away from the plant so the water will soak down into the root area rather than down the slope when you do water. I know what you mean about hydrangeas in a hot dry spot.. the "hydra" means "water" I would guess.. Hope this helps..
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