Plant/ shrub suggestions needed please (flowers, irrigation, grow, Hedges)

[cry884]

Hello! I am in North Carolina (planting zone 7, I believe). I have three raised beds in the back yard and I want to plant something to cover the walls of the beds (it's like an ugly retaining wall thing). However, I am having a lot of trouble trying to decide what to plant.

I need:

- something that's not rare or pricey (I have 300 linear feet of wall to cover with these plantings)

- something that does well in my area and doesn't require a ton of attention and care, although I can water, trim, fertilize, etc. (The area is mostly sun with no irrigation)

- something that provides good coverage all year round (as I said, the walls are ugly). The plants would have to be able to get about 3 to 4 feet tall but not grow more than 3 feet deep.

I'm desperate to avoid boxwood shrubs. I would love it if I could find something that looked nice. Any suggestions?

I greatly appreciate your time in trying to think of some options for me!

[Rtom45]

Do you want to plant something that will trail down over the walls or do you want to plant something in front of the walls to hide them?

[cry884]

I was thinking of something about 3 to 4 feet tall to grow in front of the walls. Although I'd consider trailing things as well.

[KarenBo]

What about azaleas? Those can be trimmed to be hedges similar to boxwood but with a lovely flower in the early spring? I would assume you would want something evergreen otherwise you'll only get coverage for part of the year.

[johnny999]

Try some Zebra or Maiden grass. It gets about 4-5 ft tall. Cut it to the ground in spring just as new growth starts and in a month the wall is covered again.

[LookinForMayberry]

For my way of gardening, I would have to know more about the actual wall, the other plants, your specific ground, the drainage, etc. Rather than go to all that effort, here is my suggestion:

Take a camera and photograph the entire area, to capture what you want covered and where it is in position to the rest. Note how tall the wall is, how much sun/shade it gets and at what times of the day. If the flowers are not yet in bloom, note their colors when they are. Note the changing colors of the foliage throughout the year. Note the soil type, the pH if you know it, and how it drains.

Go to your favorite, or local nursery, and grab the resident expert in trees or shrubs, show her the photos, and start talking.

[Rtom45]

Any variety of spreading juniper planted above the wall will eventually cover the wall. And the nice thing about juniper is that it will stay green throughout the year.

[SportyMWC]

Try grape myrtles. They come in 4 colors that I know of (purple, red, white and pink), a summer-bloom plant and virtually maintenance-free once established.

[cry884]

Thanks everyone!

[Bungalove]

I'd be a little leery of zebra grass if I were you, depending on the fertility of your soil and the underlying water level. I planted a long hedge row of them on the street side of my yard to screen what was then an unattractive large mulched area. The plants, when they reach their full size each year, now are a full 8 ft. across and 12 ft. high. They do make for a spectacular hedge, but are a bear to cut down in the fall.