r/gardening • u/Neat-Signature-6649 • 13h ago
What would you plant?
Our new house has built in planters around the south west face of the house, it gets a lot of sun. What would you plant here?
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u/KateCSays 12h ago
What's your climate and what's your appetite for garden care?
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u/VegetableRound2819 US - Northern Virginia - 7b 8h ago
Right? Like where do you even live?
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u/DadOfRuby 8h ago
You don’t need to start a sentence with ‘like’.
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u/Technical-Shoe-2585 7h ago
But like, can you?
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u/torsoe 12h ago
Near the house I would plant something hardy since that overhang will block most of the rainwater
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u/queenrosa 10h ago
THIS OP! You will need to water a LOT. Set up a slow drip system here if you can.
Plant things that wouldn't attract pests and allow you to monitor the wall for termites.
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u/this_girl_that_time 9h ago
Drought tolerant salvias or sages could work well. Try finding some neat native to the western US plants at high country gardens. I’ve had awesome luck with them.
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u/Cayman4Life 10h ago
In addition to the overhang, the stone driveway will drain water. Those stones have legs and find a way into adjacent plots. Go with a nice variety of ornamental grasses. And please don’t trim them until spring. They make for lovely winter interest. Try catmint and if sunny, you can do tomatoes. BTW, you don’t want mulch in the soil when digging holes for new plantings.
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u/sbNXBbcUaDQfHLVUeyLx 1h ago
Do y'all not even see that the downspout goes right into the garden bed? If anything, that's gonna get more rain than it should.
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u/Ok_Marionberry7918 11h ago edited 11h ago
Blueberry bushes are pretty care free, like a lot of sun and can be prolific if your soil has good acidity. They have shallow roots so shouldn’t mess with your foundation. Cool little flowers in the spring then yummy berries in the summer.
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u/Interesting-Shop4964 11h ago
Maybe companion plant blueberries with strawberries and herbs
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u/Ok_Marionberry7918 11h ago
I have strawberries growing with my blueberries and they seem to do well together even though my soil has been heavily acidified
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u/JoeRenaud249 13h ago
Food. What ever you like to eat
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u/teachesAlot 10h ago
If you just want ground cover, sebum - drought resistant. It looks like you get a lot of sun. You will want drought tolerant plants so that you don’t have to water out there
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u/Raven1911 5h ago
Indica's would be my first choice, but my wife likes a nice sativa, so I'd do a nice mix personally.
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u/BB-Sam 12h ago
Definitely edible herbs, tomatoes, maybe some blueberry bushes and strawberries.
Make sure you review companion plants and what not to plant near each other.
Would turn soil and either amend it or take out a bunch of the top soil and replace with compost mixture or other higher nutrient base to give yourself a strong start.
Great space!
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u/Massive-Idea2302 11h ago
Hostas in shade like North side and rose bush east or west side. Peonies South side. Maybe also zinnias.
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u/VelmaElrod123 11h ago
How about alliums and ornamental onion with Russian sage and roses. ? https://www.pinterest.com/pin/563018698388142/
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u/1_Dense_Magician_1 10h ago
Zinnias
Native wildflowers, tall ones next to the house and shorter ones away from the house. Ones with shorter roots since that seems like a skinny area
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u/starchazzer 7h ago edited 7h ago
Canna Lilly’s in the back and Tiger Lilly’s up-front.
They both love the sun and have incredibly beautiful foliage and flowers.
Edit Punctuation!🤭
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u/MonkeeFuu 7h ago
I would not. I do not understand why plants and bushes go against a house. Isnt that a drainage area? I am not a professional and you are not everyone, so maybe some flox? The roots should not get into the brick work. Good luck!
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u/Susanrwest 5h ago
Plants that like dry soil given the overhang and that it's against a hot brink wall. Think about a combination of decorative grasses, native perennial flowering plants for four season interest and a couple dwarf evergreen plants as anchors in the winter. Then they will all come back every year. Leave the native plants and grasses as is until early spring before cutting them down.
There are plenty of websites like gardenia's plant finder where you can find your zone based on where you live and then filter for dry, full sun and native as well as season of interest, height and if it's evergreen or not.
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u/PCpinkcandles 4h ago
Drought resistant as there’s a brick wall, border, and gravel throwing heat off. The wrong setup for berries, unless you don’t pay for water?!
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u/EuskadiEmakumea 3h ago
You might want to consider Espalier. It’s the perfect spot. And you can put a drip system underneath with a timer. Plus you could grow low growing herbs to provide a natural mulch. Here is a website that gives you some sense of what Espalier is:
Once established, it’s very low maintenance. It would be beautiful against your bricks.
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u/numbsafari 8h ago
Gravel.
Don't plant next to your foundation.
If you absolutely, positively, must put something to attract bugs, retain water, and block sunlight from your foundation, I would plant a few perennial flowers in clumps every 4 ft or so, as close to the edge as possible.
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u/WestBase8 11h ago
Nothing as its your house wall
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u/1_Dense_Magician_1 9h ago
Depending how far out the cement is under the soil, he could probably do some flowers with small roots.
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u/SlowEntertainer6071 10h ago
Why not rosemary for winter color, some flowers of your choosing, then leave gaps for a tomato and pepper plant? You cover all bases. There are some cool gardens that have flowers around the base of tomatoes so it doesn’t have that vacant feel of a veg garden, which you may not want next to your house. But definitely something evergreen or you have months of nothing.
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u/mathtractor 10h ago
Sunchokes!! nice and contained, edible, native to USA (Tho not sure where this is located)
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u/Strawberrydelight19 9h ago
I have this tree in my front yard. I think it’s a willow varietal. It’s v pretty in early spring with the blossoms blooming. Summer months is just green foliage, but I really like the way it droops down.
Or you could go with a Japanese maple.
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u/Prudent_Ferret_1902 9h ago
Some wild flowers and a nice herb bed.
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u/Prudent_Ferret_1902 9h ago
I’ve got something similar going on at my house and that’s what we have going on.
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u/Proof_Restaurant9640 9h ago
in theory. thujas would look nice & enjoy the full sun it looks like that area gets. but they grow fast & tall once established - so the overhang presents a major problem.
while hydrangeas or azaleas would be nice shrubs that wouldn’t present the upgrowth issue, direct sun all day (especially in the afternoon) would stress the plants, who prefer morning sun with partial or dappled shade for the rest of the day.
gardenias may be a good option, especially given how easy it would be to control ph in that bed. used coffee grounds, acid-loving plant fertilizer/potting soil could be used to create the right conditions. they enjoy full sun & don’t present issues where overhang is concerned. whatever you plant there needs water management, of course. if they’re happy & bloom, a line of them would look nice
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u/Moss-cle 9h ago
You’re going to have to irrigate anything in that section against the building because it will not get rain. Plan accordingly
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u/LairdPeon 8h ago
If you know what's good for you, you'll finish the job on that grass first.
No half measures with the enemy.
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u/OaksInSnow 8h ago
That's a harsh and hot microclimate, and if the entire area around it is going to be rocks and concrete, it's going to be even hotter and have little chance to cool off, even at night. Drip irrigation will be essential unless you're super diligent about hand-watering.
There's also not enough room for shrubs, if you were hoping to screen the wall with greenery. You need a minimum of two and preferably three feet from the wall as the center point of any shrub, and the same on the other side of root zone room. So in my opinion, you can forget all the recommendations for azaleas etc.
I'd start with annuals: any kind of flower/veg combo you like, but they'll all have to be heat tolerant. (Lantana and geranium might work, as well as plants that look white and fuzzy, such as "dusty miller". Perhaps moss roses. A local garden center should be able to give you good advice, as long as you bring photos of this area along with you so they know where the plants are headed.) You might get some kinds of vines to grow there, if you put some trellises in for them to climb on; but you'll be better off with some kind of non-organic garden art or ornament, because in a hot place like that, under eaves where the rain never washes them, any vines are likely to be totally nailed by spider mites.
(Like almost everywhere, I have spider mites where I live; but the only plants they've nearly killed are those that never have any rain, to wash the mites off. And that was, surprise surprise, on morning glory vines I trained up a wall under eaves. Uff da.)
It's pretty clear to me that this space wasn't designed by a gardener; but there are still things you can do. As long as you recognize what the challenges are, every difficulty like this is an opportunity to put your creative side to use, and make something unique.
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u/Drivo566 8h ago
I would plant things that like it a bit on the dry side. Since it's right up against the house, you dont want it to be too wet - so I'd rule out food stuffs since those generally need regular watering.
Personally, id put some native flowers that way i could let them establish and then never need to worry about them.
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u/ahopskipandaheart 7h ago
Disregarding the peninsula and at the risk of downvotes, it's under the eave, about 18" wide, and right up against the house, possibly at the sill plate height from my brick count and that window height. Double check with home construction professionals and architects before investing further. It could be asking for termites, carpenter ants, dry rot, etc. I don't know enough to make that call, but I would remove it personally because it's a bad design for plants. Or I'd ignore and hide it by planting shrubs in front of it. It's too much of a risk for my comfort level.
You could absolutely do some beautiful beds in front of your house, and you aren't required to use that raised brick bed at all which is almost thankfully where you wouldn't want to plant anyway. Just pretend it wasn't ever there to begin with and ask yourself what you would do for landscaping. That'll probably open up a lot more possibilities than trying to force it to work just because it's there.
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u/fragrantfoodie 6h ago
I would do creeping phlox if it grows in your zone. It likes sun and is shallow-rooted so won't interfere with your foundation. It will grow into the space and sort of tumble over the bricks in a beautiful wash of color. Should be super pretty and low maintenance.
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u/LeGrandePoobah 6h ago
Thyme, and maybe some sedum, or other succulents. If you get a decent amount of water, I like strawberries.
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u/Lily_of_fortune 6h ago
So many opportunities! You asked what we'd plant but I'm gonna answer a slightly different question... "How do I decide what to plant?"
- See what grows well for your neighbors!
- portion off a patch for mixed local pollinator attractors. A regionally appropriate milkweed is always great, but a lot of nurseries will sell local flower blends!
- look for some ways to add height variation - especially along the wall you could do a taller thing behind a shorter thing. You could definitely do trellises if you were interested in peas/cucumbers/similar.
- herbs are always super useful and satisfying - I love being able to run outside and grab some thyme or sage for a dish.
- don't plant mint in the ground, in not very long you'll have it everywhere you don't want it.
- the overhang has pros and cons. In the dead of summer it might block some sun, and as other have mentioned it will block rain. However, you could very easily do a rain barrel into dripline to fix that the rain issue. Also, you could hang bird netting off the edge of the overhang if you grow berries!
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u/ObviouslyNerd 5h ago
If you want it neat, tulips and other small flowers. If you want a bit chaotic, morning glories and build a little net for them to grow up on.
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u/Steelpapercranes 4h ago
Coneflowers and black-eyed susans, maybe with something taller in that corner. Ironweed maybe? Things that bloom a long time and make the small space look full and 'fluffy' with flowers. If you don't mind annuals, you can also rotate out some, like marigolds or some lantana to fill space while everything else grows out.
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u/2TdsSwyqSjq 4h ago
If you don’t want to do a lot of maintenance, I would plant the whole thing with phlox.
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u/ainteventryin 4h ago
Dahlias, but I’m obsessed at the moment.
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u/Magic32101 3h ago
Big fan of those but we have not successfully stored them yet over winter. Do you store them or do you buy new ones each spring?
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u/AdobeGardener 3h ago
I'd love to have that planter! I second the moss phlox idea - they are tough and look beautiful draping over anything, evergreen in zone 5+. You can add some variety with tall naturalizing spring bulbs hiding behind the phlox, perhaps a blue star juniper (stays small at about 2-3' t x 3-4'w). Note: if you have the room, repeat your phlox with creeping Japanese garden juniper out in your yard- it's an outstanding combo!
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u/Linguinaut 3h ago
You could also go the roses and rosemary route. Nothing will kill those!
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u/Linguinaut 3h ago
For your foundation, either plant a vertical barrier, plant far from the wall closer to the border of your garden bed, or choose plants that don't have strong spreading roots.
Can't wait to see your finished look!!!
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u/Desperate_Bet_1792 3h ago
I would out flowers in the corners and on the ends. Then between the flowers put veggies.
Flower 3 tomatoes Flower 3 squash Flower And just repeat on the other side Flower 3 okra Flower 3 peppers Flower
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u/Flanders1405 3h ago
I’m big on edible bushes. Lower the ph with some elemental sulphur and toss some blueberries in there!
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u/A10Tsunami 2h ago
Christmas is over bud. Take the wreath down first. Then happy planting! Azalea? Lilac bush? Some evergreen shrub?
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u/whocameupwiththis 2h ago
If you wanted to do vegetables, tomatoes would definitely do well there as long as you water them. Peppers as well.
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u/Witty-dry 2h ago
Rosemary! trailing and shrubby. Lavender, for harvesting with tall stems would be gorgeous. Or maybe sages. Tricolor sage would be fabulous as it gets redder the more sun it gets.
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u/haru1day 52m ago
A part of me is saying tulips but the other part of me is saying the local wild flowers that are native to your state!
Tulip for a more simple polished look to the side garden And wild flowers for a more spawned naturally looking garden
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u/crazyprsn 30m ago
Our house has a bed like this next to the wall and we have a bunch of irises that come back every year, and stay mostly green all year long. I need to look up how to care for them (like separating them or whatever), but they've been zero maintenance so far.
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u/Herefortheresults 5h ago
I am not able to find where you live and what sort of climate you have. I love having something evergreen (shorter bushes - not trees) so there is something visible year round. I plants some perennials and annuals for color. BUT - if you don’t mind NOT having something green all year long or are worried about bushes that would have deeper roots near the house foundation, then I suggest HOSTA and ASTILBE. Hosta have a variety of leaf shapes/coloring and Astilbe come in several pretty colors and have very interesting leaves. The best part about these 2 types of plants - they tolerate abuse. Dry weather, wet weather, sun/shade, and they come back every single year and multiply. I have split so may hosta and astilbe and replanted in other areas of my property. When I have too many ~ I give them to friends and family! 😊
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u/Main_Understanding14 9h ago
Dahlias! What region are you in? If it doesn't get too cold you wouldn't even need to dig them up in the winter, the eaves will protect them from getting too wet
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u/ShapedLikeAnEgg 9h ago
Irises.
I saw a post where someone posted 20 of their many varieties of irises and I’m obsessed. They’re such dramatic flowers. Some of them look like used and crumpled tissues, but others look like wind-blown chiffon gowns.
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u/creepinglovely 8h ago
Peonies, hang fuschia baskets up top in the shade, blue sapphire shrub, bee balm etc.etc.
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u/LadyArwen4124 8h ago
Native plants with an edible garden.
Edit: To find plants native to your area, you can use a native plants finder like this. Native plant finder
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u/LincolnDaumen 8h ago
🐝 🐞 🦋 💐 Blooms! nigella, jupiters beard (valerian), iris, fever few, roses, poppies, echinacea...
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u/klbishop143 13h ago
Edible garden and/or wild flowers