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My garage wall is teracotta colored brick exterior with two windows, south facing, and full southern sun (Zone 7B, Raleigh, NC). The brick get's extremely hot during summer. I have 3 dwarf chinese hollies evenly spaced there already but they are so boring. One rambling type rose is planted between two windows (against brick), but it is struggling. What else can I put in the rose's place for some color?
I would suggest some southern standards, if you've got the time to keep them in shape.
Old fashioned Wiegela and Forsythia are both nice and hardy.
Mock Orange and ***** Willow are also nice. (the name is censored, lol, five letter word for cat)
All of them grow quickly, are adaptable and can shade the wall eventually.
You'll have to stay on them though. If you plant them and forget them, they'll get tall and thin rather than a nice looking batch of shrubs.
Pyracantha can be nice if espaliered on a metal trellis. I know, I know...
You can also look at a trellis with Confederate Jasmine. It needs the warmth of the brick in winter to survive and will bloom several times during the summer. Swamp jasmine will be evergreen too and bloom with yellow flowers in spring.
There's not a lot that I can think of that would like the heat of the summer and winter in an area like that. I've got the same issue where my chimney is. It gets a lot of summer and winter sun, and most things just shrivel up and die.
You could always go with a few tomato plants. Replanting each year is not a biggie, particularly if you really like fresh tomato sandwiches. In summer, only water them in the evening, and grass clippings make good mulch.
I'm also in zone 7B. Prior owner planted cannas against a Southern-facing brick wall, and they thrive in the heat and tolerate neglect. (DH lived here almost a year before I got here and did NOTHING outside in the way of landscape maintenance! ) The foliage will turn brown in winter, and you need to cut it down, but we've left the rhizomes in the dirt, and the cannas come back the following Spring. Ours grow over 5' tall, so they do provide some shade/privacy as well if planted in front of windows as ours are.
How about a crape myrtle bush (or a dwarf version). It will provide a long period of blooming and thrive in the heat/sun all summer long....as well as nice fall color.
-Osmanthus
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