That is very beautiful, Evelyn! What are your dimensions?

There are many sedums that drape and are not aggressive like our Jenny but I'm wondering if it will be dry and sunny enough there.

That is really beautiful Evelyn. What kind of sunlight does this area get? Adele

Thank you! :o)
Claire
It's 4x6 and 2ft deep. That area was my sedum bed. I've got quite a few different groundcover sedums that may work. I even thought about tucking some in the cracks with a little dirt.
Adele
It's on the west side of my house so it gets mid to late afternoon sun.
I'd really like to have something that would give me even small flowers.

Its funny but I just took home some cuphea glutinosa today from work. They get the sweetest, tiniest flower. Blooms all summer.

This is from the site that I sent the picture link:

Cuphea glutinosa makes mounds of thin, wiry stems bedecked in tiny leaves and masses of petite blossoms. The flowers are open-faced (not tubular), five-petaled affairs of bright lilac highlighted with a fine red-violet stripe through each tiny petal. In containers, Cuphea glutinosa drapes over the edges to soften and disguise them, while in borders it forms a bouncy mound about 10" tall. Texturally, everything about it reads "delicate". It's drought tolerant and hardy in zone 7. Inky-purple Coleus 'Dark Star' makes a stunning backdrop.
Sun / z7-11 / Mexico / Lythraceae / #452

Adele

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:588387}}

Adele,
I really like that one! I'm going to put it in the left corner. Going to rig up a type of waterfall on the right side. The only planting area I have is at the top and so far only an anise hyssop & ginger are there. Since the pond is bordered on 2 sides with a walkway & the front to my brick patio...the rest of the plants will be in pots perched on the rock edge.
Thank you for telling me about that cuphea!
Evelyn

If you have enough sun, I might suggest Portulaca x Yubi...a large leafed Portulaca that has great color all summer. Lovely pond!

Pam
Thank you!
I've never tried portulaca on that side of the house but I do like that Yubi.

Yes, PF, I'll be looking for those Yubi's in the spring. I'm in the process of building a little stream and pond, too, efine, so I'm paying attention to all your incoming info.

I'm using a preformed tiered "stream" and only a 38" diameter pond. I just wanted enough for about 3 fish and a few pond plants. I always swore i didn't want a pond b/c the ones i've seen "in person" looked bad, like a swill hole (I don't mince words!). I think they have to have some ups and downs to them...like yours. Mine is also on an incline in the middle of a rock garden.

Portulacas are like sedum with flowers, so they will be a nice colorful touch next summer (is it here yet?????)

Evelyn - the pond is beautiful - you did a wonderful job. I am still in love with creeping jenny and think it would look lovely drapping over the rocks - yes it can be agressive but it does pull out easy. Another semi-agressive vine would be varigated vinca but again pulls out easy.

I agree with lynne on both the creeping jenny and the vinca major... maybe intersperse the two and just yank and prune if they get too vigorous... and if they overwhelm the spot in the long run, pull them out completely and try something else...

Just WHATEVER you do, DON'T plant any spearmint there... You'll NEVER, EVER get rid of THAT! :)

Happy Ponding!
Jeff

I think Lamb's Ears would look great there too, it drapes a bit, and the silver velvet would look stunning against the color and texture of those rocks. Great job!

Jeff..know what you mean about the mints. My farm was covered in lemon mint and it has taken me 13 years to get rid of it. All mints go in pots!
I have creeping jenny on a rock wall on the other side of my patio and I do like it there. The wall really needs to be done over so the jenny covers it until I can get to that project. I also have vinca major and have finally got it where I want it...it's not the variegated but does well in the woodland areas.
Didn't think about lamb's ear. I have a nice clump that needs dividing so I may put a little on top of the wall and see how that does.
Thanks everyone for the great ideas!
Evelyn

Evelyn, if you plant creeping jenny there (and I agree with lynne that it's gorgeous) you will never get it out by pulling unless you take out the entire wall and reconstruct. It regenerates for the smallest piece of root. I love it though, especially at this time of year when it gets cooler, jenny gets chartreusier and crisper looking. As long as you always want it there, go ahead, you can keep pulling back on her. She's fab with purple, like oxalis or purpleheart.

claire in sanford

I agree about the creeping jenny. On the other rock wall I have to keep pulling it out at the top cause it creeps the wrong way....LOL...right into the bed behind it. I don't want to do that at my pond. That back area of the pond is a bit difficult for these old bones to reach from either walkway so I really need something that drapes but will stay rather tidy??

What about a rose? 'The Fairy' is an easy care rose that flowers all year for me with only a couple of hours of direct sun (though it gets quite a bit of indirect light). I don't think it gets very big. I think some draping branches of that could look stunning next to the wall. -Ais.

Aislinn
That's an absolutely lovely rose...and it drapes! Now I wish I had a larger planting area above the pond!
Any idea where I could find such a rose?
Evelyn

Yes, I have one and it makes long, draping canes full of mini dollhouse flowers, yet it is compact. It is a disease free rose and a constant rebloomer...unpatented so you can get it at Walmart.

Thanks Claire!
If there is anything I can help you with with your new pond project...please let me know!
Evelyn

Back on the subject of V major, when we first got ours, much of it was variegated. I've since read that it tends to revert to the non-variegated as it spreads and reproduces, and my personal experience has borne that out, as NONE of the new plants have been variegated, so getting the variegated might be a waste of time unless you get enough to fill your spot and pull out all the new ones that pop up.

Happy Ponding!
Jeff

Really? My variegated vinca major spreads crazily and stays variegated. Of course things behave differently for different people. You can have all you want from me!
Evelyn I got my 'Fairy' from Pickering online. supposedly it is easy to propogate by cuttings, but I have never tried. Maybe I can give it a shot. Coming to the Spring Swap? -Ais.

the scentless heliotrope would look nice there. it's not evergreen, but goes, goes, goes all summer long. only plant it if you want it forever- it makes long, thick roots that are impossible to get out. tony avent sells it, but i'd be happy to give you some. it has a spread of about 3' by the end of summer- but you could trim it to keep it in bounds. reseeds some, but is easy to pull when small.

columbines would be lovely coming out of some of the cracks, too. i have some sedum tucked in craks around my pond, and it's worked well. i like jenny- so i'd have been inclined to plant her- but pup is o so right. she'll come back from any fragment if you decide to try and get rid of her. my pond's in the shad quite a bit, and i purposely planted moss on it, which has now spread to much of the back wall. i've been delighted with the holly, lady, painted & climbing fern volunteers i've gotten, as well as columbines and strawberries. for dryer areas you can tuck in lichen.

oh, another great pond drapey plant is water myosotis. spreads something fierce, though. it stops where the soil gets too dry or the sun too hot. wonderful little blue flowers. a pot of oenetha- aka flamingo feathers- might climb your wall if placed close by in the water. mine does the opp, since its's near an outer rock wall(i built some of my top pond up, rather than dig down- it looks more natural than you'd think.)

your pond is gorgeous- you did a great job!

Two things I would suggest are prostrate rosemary (lavender blue flowers at various times and edible leaves), and Sedum sarmentosum (yellow flowers in spring) with a nice drape to it.

For planting UP instead of down, you might consider annuals like Mina lobata over on the edge - cream, yellow, and orange flowers, and good ol' heirloom named varieties of morning glory. One seed would wind its tendrils in and amongst the rocks with a little poking in now and then for a lot of color during the cooler periods of Z7.

For some refreshing rich summer color, you could try some native ferns tucked into the ledge rocks.

Of course you could go with a bit of moss - several million forms are available - many in the wild. I think all ponds need some moss to make them look natural. O.K. y'all think I am nuts to actually PLANT moss but there are so many that are not bad guys and they look like what nature intended the rocks to be covered with.
Nancy

Another thought, for an evergreen that will bloom when many other things AREN'T blooming, so long as your pond isn't in too much full sun is helebores (lenten rose). They'll start blooming sometime in the winter and bloom up until April or May, depending, and be evergreen all year if conditions are right... you could, perhaps, underplant some prostrate rosemary, which will also bloom in the winter, and then maybe something else that will bloom in the spring and/or summer... I'll have to give those choices a bit more thought.

Happy Ponding!
Jeff

I've never been bowled over by rosemary flowers...they are beyond dainty. Kind of subtle for a rock wall...the prostrate form would be fitting though.

How about ground or woodland phlox? Someone gave me a very healthy bucketful at the fall swap. It has noninvasive, draping, needly, deep green foliage and a gorgeous matt of flowers in spring (colors vary from white to pinks and lavender). It is very popular in the North...wondering if it will do as well here? It doesn't bloom continuously, but it behaves itself otherwise.

BTW, can anyone grow Lady's Mantle in our humid Zone 7...all has croaked for me here...in MA & NY grew like a weed.

'Mind your own business' (Soleirolia soleirolii) is the nickname of a pretty, miniscule plant that does well scrambling among rockeries, its been a while since I saw it anywhere

Oh my! All such wonderful ideas! Didn't even think about growing up. I may have to do that through pots since I don't have any spaces big enough to hold enough dirt. Wonder if they make small rock containers?? or I might have to lurk on the 'garden junk' forum?
Jeff..matter of fact I do have a hellebore at the top of the pond! Nan...I have moss growing on an old brick pathway in full sun...how can it be transplanted? Slice & stick? That would probably look good along the bordering rock. A little sedum stuck here and there between the rock...mmmmmmmm....sounds like a plan!
Thanks guys! You're all great!! I'll try to post pics when I get it together.
Evelyn

I know this is an old string but I just had to share. I found 'The Fairy' rose for my pond!
Ais...thank you for the suggestion
Clare...thanks for telling me to look at Walmart.
Now...can I plant now?? or should I wait till the weather gets more stable??
Thanks again
Evelyn

Evelyn,
I'd love to see "before and after" pics

Tanya

Evelyn, if the area stays damp, you might try planting some Mazus reptans in the area. I should have some to share if you are coming to the swap in Raleigh. Another possibility is Veronica peduncularis 'Georgia Blue" which I also should have extras of by the time of the plant swap. It does well in sun or shade and is not fussy about moisture.

I like creeping fern. It is a different perennial that is not used very often.

{{gwi:588391}}

ralphw...not sure if I'll be able to make the swap but I do appreciate the offer. They really sound wonderful. Got to look them up.
byrdlady...what a cool looking fern! Gotta check that one out too.
I'm saving all these ideas cause I have a larger pond in the works too! I'll try to remember to take some pics.
Thanks everyone!!
Evelyn

Just wanted to add another idea to the abundance of great ones here. At Niche Gardens, we grew a lovely, airy Jasminun nudiflorum, winter jasmine, over the side of a water garden. It was so stunning in the chilly months, and the greenery later was not overwhelming. The tips of the plant that reached the water rooted, and propagation was real easy from there!! BTW, was at the Botanical Gardens in CH today. The spring ephemerals(sp) are coming!!!!