The vincas are pretty tough and grow in almost total shade.

some of the junipers cascade ONLY if you get SUN!

I was wondering if you found a good cascading plant for your retaining wall? We are also putting in a large retaining wall with four foot long blocks. We have dug out a driveway in front of a city house so that we could have off street parking. I am afraid the four foot blocks will overpower the house, but they were the best option for us. We happen to have those junipers on another retaining wall. They are in the sun and they do cascade over the wall. Unfortunately, the practically BITE! They are very sharp, and very thick gardening gloves must be used on them. So, I would like to try something else. I was thinking of using a low growing potentilla, They bloom with small flowers all summer, but I don't know if they will cascade. My husband suggested planting creeping phlox, but they bloom very early in the year, and then look ugly. I also don't want to have to plant cascading annuals every summer. I think our climates are similar. We have our last frost just around the end of May.

Thanks!
Deb

I did find some plants that cascade in shade, one is the vinca minor as someone suggested to me. I was at my Aunt's the other day and she had a variegated vinca minor so I grabbed a piece of that. It is lovely, I have no idea what it is called but it is lime green and dark green. I also found a cascading euonymus which is also variegated, white with light green. They are suppose to do well in full sun OR full shade. I also decided to use some of the huge droopy ferns I have (found in the wild locally) and instead of touching the ground when they become large they just carry on growing down the side of the wall. I threw in some Irises, Astilbe and a Hydrangea "Blue Bird" for different hight and texture. Hope this helps. Let me know what you end up doing!

I'm in zone 5, but I'm sure a Trumpet Vine would be perfect. I know it's a vine....but by the third year, it will take over and wherever you prune, it will burst. My neighbor's is eight years old and it looks like a tent over her retaining wall....plus, it has beautiful orange-red 'trumpet' flowers. (Shade, Sun, half and half). There are other vines that you can use as ground covers...you simply let them go or keep them in line with a monthly manicure.

try forsynthias .... there are some kinds that are trailing

also English Ivy ..or Boston Ivy

What about creeping jenny? Somewhat aggressive, but easily kept in bounds. I love it as a ground cover and in baskets. I imagine it would be beautiful cascading over a wall. Suz

How about Campanula Posharskyana, it is covered with 2cm shaped blossoms of a gorgeous blue from spring to fall and cascades over my raised beds beautifully (if I do say so myself)

What about VA creeper?

Paula

Hi Fitzpayne- I am looking for plants for a very similar location. My slope on the side of the deck is on the north side, but gets about two-three hours of sunshine in the summer.
How is your Hydrangea "Blue Bird" doing? It's a very handsome plant, and wouldn't mind having it there. The plants that I have had success with there are Northern Lights azalea- phenomenal success in fact, and clematis Guernsey Cream.

Hi Magda,

I had the Hydrangea there but found I had to put into a warmer section of the garden. My retaining wall is made of old fence posts and I was worried the wind would howl through it too much, it is zone 6 plant though. Although last spring the blessed thing had green buds growing out of it while it was still completely engulfed in ice! If you have an Azalea growing in the area it should be fine for you! What zone is that Norhtern Lights Azalea for? Sounds amazing!

I have lots of Astilbe growing there now, and the variegated minca minor and eunonymus both continue to thrive. The irises are not so thrilled with the minimal amount of sunlight, but I have some rust coloured day lilies that also do well, which also provide a nice bit of spiky foliage, too.

Northern Lights Azaleas are hardy to Zone 3. The whole series is amazing, and definitely worth looking into. I have three of them: Mandarin Lights, Northern Hi-Lights and Tri-Lights. They are very floriferous and fragrant too.
They are in different, but all difficult points in the garden. I have had them now for five years now, and the Mandarin azalea (the one on the northern slope)is the biggest- about 1.2 meter high and likewise in diameter.
Regarding Hydrangea, I will probably go for Endless Summer. It is also blue, it's hardy to zone 4 and blooms for the whole summer supposedly.
Yes, irises don't like it in the shade, regardless what the experts say. Thanks for the daylilies idea- I think that they will look good there. I already have the euonymous and vinca there, some hostas, clematis (three types)out of which Guernsey Cream is the most amazing in that shade, because it is big and white.
I might try Astilbe.
Thanks!

I do not know if these plants are hardy in colder zones but they are used here very effectively cascading down walls and are perennials with spring bloom. Will take some shade but not deep shade.

Candytuft (Iberis sempervirens)
Rock Cress (Aubretia hybrids)
Basket of Gold (Alyssum saxatile)