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I can't quite see the drop, but the drainage ditch that lines the front of my property is lined with RipRap. This keeps lots of things from growing, but the weeds and crabgrass do eventually poke through and need to be treated with Roundup periodically. There is also some Flox there that beautifies the area considerably in the Spring when it blooms. However, it grows quite slowly.
That area doesn't look too shady. Hard to tell about the orientation. English Ivy is very invasive and it is NOT easy to keep in check. I have to pull it out of our trees all the time. It will crawl over that fence and into those woods in no time.
Azaleas will fill in completely, but slower. If you have patience you could have a beautiful bank full of color in the spring, but you might not want to wait that long. Check this older thread for some great photos of the WRAL azalea garden: //www.city-data.com/forum/ralei...-spring.html#b
I do think some redbuds and dogwoods would be nice down there.
wow...these azalea's looks great....do they spread....to cover my full area i may need 50 of them....
Those are camellias. Camellias are quite easy to grow and give off lots of color once a year. There are both spring and fall blooming varieties available.
Those are camellias. Camellias are quite easy to grow and give off lots of color once a year. There are both spring and fall blooming varieties available.
"Yuletide" is a good winter/early spring bloomer.. The cultivars they have available now also grow at a decent rate..
Yes, the picture you posted is of camellias. Most bloom in the cool weather (fall, winter, very early spring — too late for many varieties now).
Azaleas will fill in and get quite huge when they're old if they like where they're living. I'm far from an expert, but folks at a garden center might be able to advise you, or maybe go by the WRAL azalea gardens. I'm sure the staff there know a thing or two. The newer hybrid "Encore" azaleas rebloom into the fall.
Check out this picture I found online of a huge old azalea in Cary:
Azaleas have a spreading form and can fill in an area nicely over many years. NC99, you may not want to wait that long, though. I imagine the picture of the giant one I posted is 25 yrs old or more.
They do root fairly easily and propagate themselves that way. I've certainly seen that happen in my own front yard and my parent's yard when a low growing limb gets covered over with fall leaves or mulch. Come spring it's sprouted its own roots.
Azaleas can be propagated sexually, from seed, or asexually (vegetatively) from cuttings, layers, grafts or by tissue culture.
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Think of layers as cuttings which remain attached to the parent until roots have formed. Layers occur naturally in the garden when low growing plants are heavily mulched, thus partially burying some of the branches. They occur naturally in the woods when tree limbs fall and pin branches of native azaleas to the ground...
Azaleas are not a spreading ground cover though if you're looking for that, nor is a Rose of Sharon a ground cover. Azaleas will crowd out weeds better than a Rose of Sharon, though, in my limited experience with the plants in my yard.
English Ivy will crawl all over both and is a huge pain in the butt to deal with. It is all over my neighborhood up in trees all over the place. If you're looking for a vining ground cover look elsewhere. I think Vinca might be nice, but it's a bit understated and doesn't have showy flowers (very sweet little ones), so if you're looking for something with a lot of visual interest you might want to go for something taller.
Azaleas have a spreading form and can fill in an area nicely over many years. NC99, you may not want to wait that long, though. I imagine the picture of the giant one I posted is 25 yrs old or more.
They do root fairly easily and propagate themselves that way. I've certainly seen that happen in my own front yard and my parent's yard when a low growing limb gets covered over with fall leaves or mulch. Come spring it's sprouted its own roots.
Azaleas are not a spreading ground cover though if you're looking for that, nor is a Rose of Sharon a ground cover. Azaleas will crowd out weeds better than a Rose of Sharon, though, in my limited experience with the plants in my yard.
English Ivy will crawl all over both and is a huge pain in the butt to deal with. It is all over my neighborhood up in trees all over the place. If you're looking for a vining ground cover look elsewhere. I think Vinca might be nice, but it's a bit understated and doesn't have showy flowers (very sweet little ones), so if you're looking for something with a lot of visual interest you might want to go for something taller.
great points...i am kind of leaning towards azaleas, rose of sharon and may be few others to have a variety
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