What can I plant in a low light, clay backyard? NC
tandog
6 years ago
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felicity
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agotandog
5 years agoRelated Discussions
Grass for high traffic backyard (dog) in NC
Comments (14)I have been blessed with red clay too. It is not only very compacted but it is in 100% all day sun so it bakes into this concrete. I've been adding topsoil a little at a time and have planted trees to shade the yard. As for what will do best in NC, the variety of hard fescue I'm using was tested in NC and ranked highly according to the dude that sold it to me. That's all they had in stock. I had used the creeping red previously and had great success with that so that is why I am using both. The NTEP list shows a number of fine fescues with decent color and summer survival but the overal quality is low. I am guessing here but I think the quality is being ranked lower because of it's clumpy appearance. It doesn't look like any of the cool season grasses are ranked very highly in NC so I don't know if that is due to a different climate or different set of criteria or just of picky turf scientists....See MorePlant suggestions for new, sloping, shady backyard in Los Angeles
Comments (4)Do check out the irrigation system -- it would make more sense to irrigate the top of the slope and leave the bottom to live on runoff. I do that with several of my beds on our very sloped property (not only front to back, but side to side!) and it works quite well. I watered in everything once a week for the first few months, and after that let the lower beds survive on their own. They have thrived, even through the recent 2-week heat wave. I did improve the soil in most beds,and I have found that the beds I did NOT do this, the plants have not done as well. The clay has been exhaused by trees, weeds and unwanted shrubs for decades, and is no longer good quality soil unless very heavily amended. Replacement was actually easier than amending, BTW. I mulch heavily. I water (mostly soaker hoses, some hand watering) once every 2-3 weeks. If it's extremely, viciously hot, then once a week. Most of my beds are partial shade beds and it is surprising how much will grow in CA under these conditions. Our light is so bright that even under trees (or at least at the edges of the canopy) one can grow all kinds of things. And you're in a warmer zone than I am; I have had some trouble with winter chill damaging some frost-tender plants. I'm way north of you in the SF Bay Area, but in our sloped and rather shady backyard (a huge walnut and an enthusiastic silver maple that threatens to engulf fully half our large backyard), we still get enough bright shade overall to grow a surprising number of plants that are supposedly full sun. These include: -erysimum -canna -oleander -helichrysum -senecio -lantana -Meyer lemon -variegated euonymus -pelargoniums -shrub roses, rugosas, and miniature roses -New Zealand flax (phormium) I even got snapdragons to flower and return in one of the shadiest spots right at the foot of the silver maple. Although it probably helped to have a soaker hose in the bed -- the maple sucks up so much water that even weeds won't grow next to it. And of course, star jasmine grows like a weed, but it needs so much room I'm thinking of taking both of mine out. They are really uncontrollable! I'm not big on natives. They're nice, but spend half the year dormant or ratty. I want flowers, interesting foliage, and variety - all year round, even in January. OK, I'm a cottage gardener, I admit, LOL. Anyway, here's some pix of our backyard, and also the narrow north-facing sideyard, which is divided into two parts: the top half irrigated with soaker, the bottom lives on runoff. Looking upwards towards the house from the very bottom of our lot, from the backyard. Walnut to the right, silver maple dead ahead. Date: May 2006 for these pix Looking sideways at the bed around the walnut, towards my neighbor's yard Looking at the bottom of that bed, with the fence marking our lot boundary on your RH side. This side gets east-facing sun for about three hours before the walnut shades it all. Now the north-facing side yard: Top (Front) of the bed looking downwards - this is irrigated with soaker hose. The 'Emperor One' Japanese maple is a new variety and vastly superior to the old 'Bloodgood'. It grows in sun or shade; even windy conditions don't bother it. The bottom of the top bed, looking upwards (reverse of the photo above) The lower bed that lives on runoff. Contains star jasmine growing up a pillar, variegated aucuba, hellebores, bearded iris, liriope, and ferns....See MoreNew-to-me patio home; wet blank slate backyard. What would you pl
Comments (5)Claudia, Congrats with your new home! Glad to see you posting again. What do you mean by wet clay? Is the ground actually wet? if the soil is wet, you could plant bog plants and plants that love water and they will do fine. Just mix in a generous amount of cow compost in the clay and mulch, you should be able to plant any part sun bush or perennial plant. Just a thought, I jsut bought Liatris at HD on Saturday. I got 60 little bulbs for 14.99. They are perennial, they spread and are beautiful! Look up Liatris online and see if you like the look. Anyway, for part sun climbing hydrangea would love your yard, and it loves to climb on wood without damaging it. Cannas LOVE wet or moist soil, Bananas Love moist soils, you will have to mound it up when you plant it for drainage, but they are beautiful. Ajunga likes moist soil, any kind. Butterfly bush would do fine with manure, they can be planted in part sun, I would plant in sunnies spot tho. Iris would love your yard, if it gets at least 6 hours of sun. Well, that's all I can think of for now, I hope you have fun planning out your new yard. Congrats again,...See MoreAny backyard planting advice for a guy a long way from zone 3 ??
Comments (18)Oh no!! You said the "T" word......topping. In the wrong hands this word can lead to permanently damaged landscape plants, especially trees. You could agressively trim, but why go to all that trouble? Just choose plants whose mature size will fit into your space and save your free time to enjoy your pool and landscape. As for vines, there are several to choose from. Forget wisteria here, but perhaps Lilac Vine (Hardenbergia violacea) would work. Lady Banks rose (thornless in white or yellow) grows fast as does Pink Trumpet Vine (Podranea ricasoliana). You don't want Bougainvillea with your pool or you'll be constantly fishing out the colorful leaves/flowers. Heres a link to Landscape Plants for the Arizona Desert which has over 200 low water use plants with photos and descriptions. You'll need to water your new plants correctly for the first few weeks so refer to page 14 of Landscape Watering by the Numbers. Page 9 shows how much water to apply based on the size of the plant. Most of the valley cities have free landscape classes offered by their water conservation offices. Of course folks on this forum always have great advice. Good luck!...See Moregingersnap1231
5 years agotandog
5 years agoGardenDude
5 years agotandog
5 years agotandog
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agotandog
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5 years agoSuzanne Douglas Heine
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5 years agoSuzanne Douglas Heine
5 years agoD Bai
5 years agoSuzanne Douglas Heine
5 years ago
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