Proper plant selection | almost PERFECT Landscaping
Landscaping a slope is one of the hardest jobs around. Many of you have probably just given up on the idea of ever having a beautiful and useful landscape, but take heart; with proper plant selection you can have a stunning garden bed. First, take a long hard look at the existing slope. Are there any large boulders that perhaps could be arranged creating not only soil retention but a focal point to plant around? Is there an area that could maybe use a small maybe six foot in length three high arced retaining wall, again to hold soil and add to the appearance?
Use masses of plant types when landscaping steep slopes (and in all landscape design). Keep the taller ones at the top with the lower plants towards the bottom. Landscape steps and walkways can be created through the lawn or planted areas. They can also be designed to go around the sides of the slope, rather than through it. If the path is designed to go through planted areas, you can again use stepping stones. You can also just have a mulched path. Loose stone is another option. A mulched or stone path (especially the loose stone) should be edged.
Landscaping steep slopes may seem daunting at first, but a very nice landscape can be created. Just remember to use drought tolerant plants. Cover the planting beds with a three inch deep layer of mulch. Consider installing a sprinkler system. Plan on dense plant coverage by including masses of groundcover to deter weeds.
Examples of Plants for Slopes and Groundcovers are show below
Specific plant information available on plant name above image.
Rosmarinus officinalis - prostratus
Rosmarinus officinalis - prostratus
Rosmarinus officinalis is the herbal rosemary that most of us are familiar with, but if you add “prostratus” to the name you have creeping rosemary. It is in the same family, Lamiaceae, or mint, but has a broader growth habit and may be used as an elegant ground cover. The aromatic leaves and stems are still useful in culinary application and the lovely pale blue flowers are especially attractive to bees.
Trailing, or creeping, rosemary is a cultivar of the herbaceous shrubs of Mediterranean origin. The evergreen perennial is useful trained over fences, rockeries and raised beds. It is an attractive ground cover over time with its fine, leathery foliage and sweet flowers. Rosemary ground cover provides scented foliage which helps minimize weeds and is an excellent foil for other dry landscape plants.
Rosemary is an excellent xeriscape plant with high drought tolerance once established. It combines well with most other perennial herbs and drought tolerant plants. Prostrate rosemary plants can grow up to 3 feet in height and 4 to 8 feet in width with beautiful trailing stems that arch over and have a useful draping nature. Leaves are leathery, pale grayish green and have a pungent scent and flavor.
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Variegated Pachysandra terminalis
Variegated Pachysandra terminalis
Pachysandra terminalis, commonly called Japanese pachysandra, is a shrubby, evergreen ground cover which grows 8-12″ high and spreads by rhizomes to form a dense carpet of rich, dark green foliage. Oval leaves (2-4″ long) appear primarily in whorls at the stem ends. Tiny white flowers in 1-2″ long, terminal (hence the species name) spikes bloom in early spring. Flowers are not particularly showy, but on close inspection are quite attractive. Best grown in organically rich, medium moisture, well-drained soils in part shade to full shade.
Extremely popular ground cover for a variety of shady locations in the landscape including areas under trees, foundations, around shrubs or along walkways. Mass on banks or slopes. Pachysandra requires only minimal care to look its best. New plants can be pinched back for several years to encourage bushiness. Once plants are established, they can handle some period of drought; however, young plants require adequate moisture in order to become established.
Spreading slowly but surely from underground runners, these low-growing evergreen perennials are invaluable ground covers for shady places. They are hardy to cold and well able to compete with tree roots. Compact growth and clean, attractive foliage are their chief virtues.
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Juniperus horizontalis 'Wiltonii'
Juniperus horizontalis 'Wiltonii'
Juniperus horizontalis, commonly called creeping juniper, is a procumbent evergreen shrub that is native to Alaska, Canada and the northern U.S. from New England to New York to the Great Lakes, Wyoming and Montana. Distribution in the northern U.S. is somewhat spotty. It is typically found growing in rocky or sandy soils including rock outcroppings, stony slopes, coastal cliffs, prairies, sand dunes and stream banks. It forms a low groundcover that generally rises to 6-18” tall but spreads by long trailing branches with abundant short branchlets to form an often-dense, 4-10’ wide mat. Foliage is primarily scale-like (adult) with some awl/needle-like (juvenile) needles appearing usually in opposite pairs. Foliage is typically green to blue-green during the growing season, but often acquires purple tones in winter.
Blue Rug Juniper is a trailing, low growing, very prostrate, evergreen conifer. Silver-blue foliage – ½” needle like leaves densely cover branches that spread 5′-6′ wide. Foliage takes on a purplish tinge in the Winter. With a low, flat growing nature, Juniperus h. ‘Blue Rug’ makes a good groundcover for full sun slopes. It needs well drained soil with average to medium moisture while getting established. Drought tolerant once established. Thrives in sandy soil and very tolerant of sea salt and wind. Adjust to most any soil type as long as it has good drainage. Birds are attracted to the bluish berry-like cone in the Fall.
A versatile, sprawling ground cover. Rock gardens. Foundations. Retaining wall edges. Mass on slopes for erosion control. Good for rocky ground. Hot and dry areas.
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Microbiota decussata - Siberian Cypress
Microbiota decussata - Siberian Cypress
Microbiota decussata, commonly called Siberian cypress or Russian arborvitae, is a dwarf, evergreen conifer that forms a shrubby ground cover to 8-12” tall with indefinitely spreading stems that nod at the tips. May spread to as much as 10-12’. It is native to mountainous areas of southeastern Siberia. Feathery, soft-textured, scalelike (infrequently awl-shaped) foliage is arranged in flat, fan-like sprays reminiscent of arborvitae (Thuja). Plants also resemble in habit some of the horizontal junipers. Foliage is bright green in summer changing to bronze-purple in fall and winter. Fruits are tiny, spherical, berry-like cones (to 1/4” diameter) with woody-like scales.
Easily grown in average, moist but well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Best performance is in cool summer climates. Ground cover for banks and slopes. Specimen or ground cover for rock gardens, shrub borders or foundations. Is more shade tolerant than and is an interesting alternative to ground cover junipers. Grows rather vigorously and is a refreshing substitute for Juniper.
Microbiota Decussata is a evergreen shrub that is a member of the cypress family known as Cupressaceae. The plant is native to a limited area of the Sikhote-Alin mountains in Primorskiy Krai in the Russian Far East. Microbiota Decussata was discovered in 1923, but because of political secrecy in the Soviet Union, there was no knowledge of this plant outside of the country for about 50 years.
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Ajuga reptans - Bugleweed
Ajuga reptans - Bugleweed
Ajuga reptans, commonly called bugleweed, is a dense, rapidly spreading, mat-forming ground cover which features shiny, dark green leaves. Whorls of tiny, blue-violet flowers appear in mid to late spring on spikes rising above the foliage to 10″. Cultivars of this species feature leaves with more interesting and varied foliage color. When in full flower, large clumps of bugleweed can produce a striking display. Dense foliage will choke out weeds. Not particularly tolerant of foot traffic.. The plant is in the mint family (Lamiaceae). Bugleweed is a fast-growing ground cover that usually creeps within just a few inches of the ground (the species name, reptans, means “creeping”), although when in flower (if you count the flower spike), it may reach a height of 6 inches or more. Ajuga plants bloom from spring to mid-summer.
Primary use is as a ground cover. Will fill in large, shady areas where lawns are difficult to establish. May also be planted on banks or slopes, under trees or around shrubs. Can be planted over spring bulbs such as snowdrops (Galanthus). Avoid planting adjacent to lawn areas since little islands of ajuga may start appearing in the grass. Good for small spaces, containers and rock gardens.
Easily grown in average, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Prefers moist, humusy soils with good drainage, but tolerates moderately dry ones. Will grow in full shade, but best foliage color usually occurs in part-sun locations (at least 3-4 hours of sun per day). Provide good air circulation in hot and humid areas where crown rot is a problem. Divide plants if they become overcrowded. This low-growing bugleweed will spread in the garden by stolons (reptans means creeping) to form an attractive, mat-like ground cover. Plants may be cut back to the ground after flowering, if necessary, to rejuvenate the foliage. Large plantings may be mowed on a high mower setting to remove spent flower spikes and to tidy the appearance of the planting. Space plants 6-9” apart for prompt cover. On variegated forms promptly remove any non-variegated leaves that may appear.
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juniperus procumbens Nana
Juniperus procumbens Nana
Juniperus procumbens, commonly called Japanese garden juniper, is a dwarf, procumbent, shrubby ground cover that grows 8-18” (sometimes to 24”) tall and spreads over time by long trailing branches to form a dense mat 10-15’ wide. It is native to Japan. Branches spread parallel to and slightly above the ground. Growth is somewhat slow, typically taking 10 years to spread 10 feet. Spiny-pointed blue-green to gray-green needles (to 1/3” long) are primarily linear and appear in whorls of three. Fleshy seed cones (blackish berries at maturity) are often absent on cultivated plants. Synonymous with J. chinensis var. procumbens.
A versatile, sprawling ground cover that tolerates hot, dry locations in full sun. Rock gardens. Foundations. Slopes. Mass plantings. Cascade over retaining walls. This ground-hugging evergreen has dense, bundled branches that exude from its center. Its yellow-green foliage has a low spreading growth habit reaching reaches 6 feet wide(12 inches tall). This versatile juniper can be used as an accent and cascading over walls, and ground cover.
The tiny needle like foliage is a blue-green color in summer changing to green-purplish in winter. Drought, heat, and cold tolerant once established. Adapts to a wide range of soil conditions. Excellent ground cover in beds that have full sun exposure, hillside planting makes this a good choice for erosion control.
- Beautiful Japanese garden variety.
- Great ground cover for hill sides and rock gardens.
- Good green color.
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Cotoneaster Horizontalis
Cotoneaster Horizontalis
Cotoneaster horizontalis, commonly called rockspray cotoneaster, is a coarse, dense, slow-growing, semi-prostrate shrub that grows to 2-3’ tall and spreads over time to 6-8’ wide on stiff, flattened, horizontal branching that features branchlets arranged in fishbone patterns. Branching becomes somewhat tiered over time. Plants are deciduous in the northern parts of their growing range, but semi-evergreen in the far southern locations. Round to elliptic, glossy dark green leaves (to 1/2” long) are attractive throughout the growing season. Leaves on deciduous plants turn reddish-purple in fall. Five-petaled, tiny pink flowers appear singly or in pairs in late spring. Bees are attracted to the flowers. Flowers are followed by bright scarlet fruits (1/4” wide) that mature in late summer to fall.
Best grown in moist, loamy, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Good drainage is important. This is a tough and adaptable plant that can withstand considerable poor soils. Established plants tolerate drought. Container-grown plants may be spaced 4-5’ apart for mass plantings. Easiest propagation is by stem cuttings. If correctly sited, plants may require little pruning.
C. horizontalis is one of very few shrubs that are flawless in each aspect of their design and have something to offer in every season. Its greatest glory, and the peg on which all its other virtues hang, is its superb structure. This is a synthesis of rigidity and curvaceousness; the long leading branches that sweep out gracefully in that peculiar horizontal manner are always defined and strengthened by the well-ordered disposition of the lateral shoots, in a strict herring-bone pattern. Birds are very fond of the bright-red berries and spread its seed indiscriminately.
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Juniperus horizontalis Blue Chip
Juniperus horizontalis Blue Chip
A superior low evergreen shrub that displays beautiful silver-blue foliage on a widely spreading habit. The deer resistant foliage retains its rich color all year long. A durable, tough groundcover for edging driveways. Plant on slopes or along retaining walls for erosion control.
Juniperus horizontalis, commonly called creeping juniper, is a procumbent evergreen shrub that is native to Alaska, Canada and the northern U.S. from New England to New York to the Great Lakes, Wyoming and Montana. Distribution in the northern U.S. is somewhat spotty. It is typically found growing in rocky or sandy soils including rock outcroppings, stony slopes, coastal cliffs, prairies, sand dunes and stream banks. It forms a low groundcover that generally rises to 6-18” tall but spreads by long trailing branches with abundant short branchlets to form an often-dense, 4-10’ wide mat. Foliage is primarily scale-like (adult) with some awl/needle-like (juvenile) needles appearing usually in opposite pairs. Foliage is typically green to blue-green during the growing season, but often acquires purple tones in winter. Fleshy seed cones (dark blue berries) generally mature in two years, but are often absent on cultivated plants.
Grow in average, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun. Adapts to a wide range of soils, but prefers a dryish, sandy soil. Tolerates hot, relatively dry growing conditions, somewhat poor soils and many city air pollutants. Intolerant of wet soils. A versatile, sprawling ground cover. Rock gardens. Foundations. Retaining wall edges. Mass on slopes for erosion control. Good for rocky ground. Hot and dry areas.
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Juniperus horizontalis Blue Chip
Juniperus horizontalis Blue Chip
Juniperus conferta, commonly called shore juniper, is a decumbent evergreen shrub that is native to certain sandy coastal areas of Japan and Sakhalin Island (Russia). It is a dense, low-spreading plant that grows 10-18” tall and spreads by creeping, branched stems over time to 6-8’ wide. It is noted for its attractive, aromatic, awl-shaped, blue-green foliage featuring spiny-pointed blue-green needles (to 5/8” long) in groups of three. Fleshy, blackish, berry-like seed cones acquire a silvery bloom at maturity.
Shore juniper is usually easy to identify because of the attractive and distinctive blue-green cast to its long awl-shaped juniper needles. If you look closely, you will see what looks like a single white band running the length of the needle on one side. Needles appear further apart than on other junipers, which helps give the plant an airy appearance. A number of newer selections (e.g. ‘Blue Lagoon,’ ‘Blue Mist,’ ‘Blue Pacific’) offer a brighter blue-green color even through the winter. The late J.C. Raulston favored a cultivar called ‘Silver Mist’ because its needles have an added hint of silver and the plant is supposedly more compact and dense.
While not as low or mat forming as creeping juniper (Juniperus horizontalis), shore juniper is still low and spreading with a height of 15-24” and a width of 6 to 8’. The cultivar ‘Blue Pacific’ is clearly lower than the species with a height of 12”. Like most junipers, it will perform best and be most dense if grown in full sun. While a well-drained site is recommended, this juniper is a bit more tolerant of wet areas than many of the creeping junipers. While this juniper makes an excellent choice for the front of a mixed shrub border or large open bed, it is best used to cascade over walls or planters. In that application, it looks very much like cascading water. This would be a great choice for steep slopes in full sun situations where mowing is nearly impossible.
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