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Any suggestions for what I might be able to put on this hillside behind some peonies. (sorry the photos aren't the 'best.')
I'm looking for something to put on the hillside along the downslope left to right -- BEHIND four peonies, that get 'rather tall' -- say three feet high.
In one photo the peonies are about where what looks like something red is growing.
In the other photo -- go uphill and behind looks like some Iris fans stilling up, then behind what looks like a log and then the 'row' of greenery growing down the slope left to right...THAT's where the new plants would go.
So the new plants would be:
- behind the peonies and under the tree canopy
- they'd get some sun, but obviously not full bright sun.
- they need to be tall enough to be seen (and survive) behind the peonies, with that sun-to-shade ratio
(the farther behind the peonies you go the further under the tree you get, also)
I DID have two rosemarys there for three years -- until this past winter.
I'm thinking of putting rosemary's back in that spot - OR something new. (Don't know whether to give that another chance)
Also in that bed along the front curve are alternating in a single row -- daylilies and sedum autumn joy
The lower hillside -- front to back along the property line are daylilies as well and I think I still have a small iris that may survive there.
There ARE some TALL daylilies I've seen -- but the one's I've planted also in that bed haven't really impressed me much. They bloom it's just not been the 'dazzling display' I had envisioned.
I'd rather have flower perennials in this bed than a 'shrub.' I went with the rosemary because I could keep it small -- narrow and tall for that spot, which is a teeny bit close to the peonies when the peonies are in bloom. The actual planting holes aren't thatclose -- but because of the peonies' size when they bloom and how the branches 'flop' the two plants would end up touching. I will try to scoot the new plants back a 6" if I can. (but again that puts them farther under the tree.
I'd also like a hydrangea there but think it'd get too wide. (I don't want anything that takes up a lot of 'footprint' because I need maneurvering room to crawl and walk up and down the hill, to get in and around the plants when I weed and mulch.
My thoughts so far:
- replace the rosemarys with rosemarys (because last winter was an anomaly, and they were doing ok before that
-- try some tall daylilies
-- MAYBE -- more peonies? -- (but would those be too far under the tree, and not get enough sun?)
-- I prefer tall narrow plants, the grow larger in place -- as opposed to spreading popping up all over the place..and showy with wow factor.
You Ideas? Thanks you so much! (Sorry, but I couldn't rotate the first pic......I tried!)
Delphiniums and digitalis get good height. What zone are you in?
Suburban MD zone 6a/7b
I love those both – but….hardly see any of them here, and actually have wondered why before now? Given that they're so pretty.
My understanding is that Delphinium is a Biennial (short lived) so that’s not exactly appealing.
Plus I’ve tried them both -- a couple of times in pots on the porch -- and never had success - one year of a not so great show – if anything. I know in pots vs in the ground is different -- but I'm VERY cautious about what I put in permaently. I don't want anything that multiplies or self-seeds.
Also the bed is much more filled in…. those are old pics from when I bought the house 10 years ago, but they’re the only ones I had to show the hillside. -- As I said -- I have about a half-dozen sedum, and about a dozen daylilies in there, plus the peonies and the 2 rosemarys.
I DO have a hibiscis in a pot on the porch (a pinkish Lord Baltimore)…so maybe. I just don't know. I was thinking about lavender, but one website said rosemary is more hardy than lavender. So it doesn't make sense to put in something that would d be LESS winter hardy.
Are you trying to see the plants from where you took the picture? It seems you need something with mass in order to see the plants from the road area.
Delphiniums register "cottage garden" in my mind. Lots of staking, pretty sensitive, labor intensive. Fine for flat, level gardens, but not sure how much of that you would want to do on a hill...
If you like the delphinium look, though, how about anemone japonica? They will handle dappled shade with a moist, loamy soil.
I had roses behind my peonies. Standard roses in the last house and wood roses in this house. Also, you might want a few of something that is evergreen in that mix.
Right now, to the sides and fronts of the peonies are some day lilies. There are some johnny jump-ups, that aren't perennials but they are self seeding. And some Russian sage, which isn't huge, but has lovely purple spikes and silvery foliage. And mums; they die back to the ground every year and come back in the spring. Lots of color choice with mums and they have a very long flowering period.
Also, blueberry bushes are attractive, Nice flowers and the fruit looks good and tastes good. That is a food plant that is landscape quality in appearance.
For non-natives, I'd vote for lilies and roses. Make sure you get upright roses and lilies that have sturdy stems. That way they're less likely to flop onto the peonies. Asiatic lillies and one oriental/asiatic cross I have don't flop.
Depending on how tall the peonies are, I like these natives. They are tall and stay upright without flopping:
1. phlox carolina "miss lingard"
2. phlox paniculata "david," "blue moon(?)" or other mildew resistant cultivar
3. liatris spicata (these are upright and GORGEOUS...may self sow)
I also agree with the evergreen idea. There are a lot of types of arborvitae, for instance which may work with peonies. The peonies in my yard grow in both full and partial sun.
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