Native landscaping on steep slope - Northern Virginia 7a full sun
lulu828
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
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lisanti07028
3 years agoRelated Discussions
Clay, Rocks, Full Sun, Steep Slope + Aging Gardener
Comments (12)Hey I am apparantly from the same area as you---getting older too---steep roadside bank too---clay rocks and fullsun. I planted creeping phlox, daffodils, grape hyacinths, and daylillies. Purple coneflowers reseeded onto the bank and I have also started transplanting Iris. They all do great. What I did was spray a total vegetation killer in a blocked out area at a time (an area I knew I would be able to get planted that season) It has taken me 3 seasons, but I am on my last small area. The last 20 feet!!! I had a 220' stretch of bank to do. The plants all do well on their own, the creeping phlox keeps the weeds down, while allowing the iris, daylilies and coneflowers to come up through. Please don't put that awful crownvetch in---it is one of the worst things to kill off, as bad as creeping charlie. Ann...See MorePreventing erosion while converting a slope.
Comments (15)no i wouldnt mow it. i would plant a mix of native grasses and wildflowers. Generally its reccommend to use three or four species of grasses and about 10 to 12 species of wildflowers. they dont need mowing but can be weedwacked or burnt down once a year. we also use a mix of clovers and fescues on certain slopes as well...we reccommend that only be mowed, weedwacked or burnt once a year. the longer the height of the grasses the better the root system will be. this picture is stolen from metaxa another garden webber, but it represents the root system of fescue when left to grow to various heights. its apparent from the photo that the taller grasses have thicker deeper roots and to me its intuitive that if water is running down the slope the taller grasses with bigger roots will hold soil in place better than the shorter grass with little roots......See Moreplanting on a steep slope
Comments (6)I have a steep sloping site on the Central Coast and have selectively planted a lot of different natives. In the smaller gaps between the rocks I have planted a mix of native grasses, mainly different Lomandras and Dianellas. As for the grasses, at the base of the slope where it is likely to be damper I have planted L. hystrix, L. 'Tanika' and a few others. As it gets dryer further up the slope, I have planted L.'Tanika'and L. longifolia. I have also dispersed the following shrubs as well; Syzygiums such as S. luehmanii, S. australe "Pink Cascade' and others. These have been planted in areas where there is some residual moisture. You are likely to find residual moisture at the base of the rocks. Further up where it dries out more and there is a bit of sun, I have planted Banksias among the Lilly-pillies, such as B. spinulosa, (which happens to be my favourite) B. ericafolia and a few of the cultivars. Myoporum parvifolium is fine in areas that get limited sun although total shade may be a problem. I find when you plant in areas that provide opportunities for the above varieties of natives you end up with a very attractive natural look....See MoreNeed ideas for mountain landscape 7,000 ft elevation am sun
Comments (21)If you get a hold of a copy of The Sierra Nevada Plant Guide ( I found one at Truckee Tree Nursery years ago ) it will provide you with a great amount of info. I use it as a primer when designing up on the Lake. Also, if you are in the Squaw Valley Olympic Village neighborhood take a drive around and look at many of the homes there. Lots of great ideas in the front yards. - try a nice balance of some small colorful deciduous trees/ shrubs like Cotinus (smoke bush) and Viburmun . Combine them with evergreen low growing groundcover like plants such as arctostaphylos , contoneaster and junipers. Pop up the summer color with phlox, achillea, sages, coreopsis, daylilies, columbines, poppies and penstemon....See MoreDig Doug's Designs
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