Need Suggestions For An Eyesore

[Zoisite]

Originally Posted by claymoore

Zoisite, I really like your idea but of course, I like everyone's idea on this forum!

It is the doing part that is going to be difficult for me.

I think the most difficult part will be digging and hauling out all the dead and weedy stuff presently on the slope but fortunately it's not a very big area to do. Perhaps you could hire a couple of strong teenagers to help you with that. Once you get that cleaned up it will be easier to prep the slope for whatever you're going to put in there and you'll feel more positive about envisioning the creative adventure ahead of you.

If it was me (I'd be planting the bearberry of course) I wouldn't bother trying to dig out the juniper roots, I'd cut the dead juniper trunks off at ground level and leave the roots in the ground. Those roots will provide an added measure of organic material and anti-erosion protection and give the bearberry something to anchor to while they're getting their own roots well established in their new bed. At some point after seeing how well the plants become established and are flourishing I might also arrange some nice looking, smooth, pale coloured, fist sized river rocks in between the plants (not big heavy rocks that can compress and damage plant roots). Because all parts of bearberry is so colourful in all 4 seasons, having some pale rocks in there to offset the plants' striking colours will make the attractiveness of the bearberry's features "pop" out against the background of the rocks on the ground. It would be stunning to onlookers.

Good luck with your project, whatever you decide to do.


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[elliedeee]

Originally Posted by LIcenter

X3 for putting in a nice rock garden.

ditto.. rock garden is the way to go.

OP, google rock garden on top of swale.

[cully]

Originally Posted by claymoore

That is ... 'I think' the phone company thingy?
It gets real sunny there.

The area looked great for years but something killed the junipers.

What's that road in front of the junipers....a road or a driveway? Could it be the occasional speeding vehicle going up that way? We've seen a few of those instances.

Or utility co work where the guys will walk on anything you carefully plant. We've even had their young girlfriends park in our driveway because...well that's vdot property so they can, they believe. Sweet little things...until we start backing up to the vehicle.