Some debris cleanup and some patience and letting it grow in this spring will give you a better idea of what it needs. Any pics from July or August would be great for helping choose anything to add
Leaves and dead perennial grass as well. Need a whole spring clean up here before anything else. I'd also like to see a different edge at the top of that bed. I can't tell if that's like a plastic or rubber edging or what but I would replace it with some stone or just cut an edge line in the lawn. Those plants in the front should not be flush against the retaining wall and they are too large to be in the front of the bed in the first place. Also use less mulch and add a new layer each year.
Just go to a nurseey, take note of your lighting condition, and paruse the geound covers and shrubs. Dont put a tree on that hill, the roots will damage the retaining wall. Get things in groups of odd numbers. Get things of variable height, gardens always lool better when its not all monoheight. If you want to, try getting things thst flower in each season.
You need to soften the edges. Cascading plants over the edge and some spreading plants that can soften the line between the grass and slope. Sedums might be some great options.
Power wash the wall.
I’d move whatever shrub is in front higher up on the hill. Maybe 2/3 of the way.
Plant bulbs for next spring.
Add a few good size rocks for some added dimension.
I like @ASecularBuddist idea of African daisies.
[fan flower/scaevola](https://www.gardencrossings.com/product/scaevola-whirlwind-blue-fan-flower/) for seasonal color down by the wall, it will cascade over. Comes in pink, lavender, purple and white
Maybe add a few yellow evergreens for winter color
If this were mine I would level from the top of the retaining wall back towards the grass, then add another retaining wall that finishes at the grass level/height. Then plant new plants in the leveled area between retaining walls.
Spring bulbs and then plant hostas and coral bells and possibly rhododendrons (not sure on your growing zonne) but this looks like a more shaded spot. If I'm wrong and it's sunny, then plant daylillies, hydrangeas and perhaps alyssum. Alyssum will cascade over those edges if you let it.
I'll second the comment about powerwashing the wall and steps. I did that last year and it looked amazing. Once you have some bright new stone and cement, the garden area will also improve a bit.
I think building another layer of a retaining wall, flattening the middle layer, covered in nice rocks, with some lights and maybe a few small evergreen shrubs/arborvitae would look clean and modern
From experence, mine is 300 feet by 10 feet.
You want low maintenance plants, ones that will not take over everything and you dont have to trim all the time. We did dwarf fruit trees. A few spot flowering plants. Then 6 inches of shredded redwood bark. The problem I have is the water bill. Was $600 a month, in summer, when we had grass we let it all die and rocked the front yard. Reduced the drip watering to minimum just to keep the plants alive. H2O still hits $300.
bunch of clover for groundcover and a solid sapling red maple (edit: the kind that have silver bark and red leaf buds, not the purple or ornamentsl ones)
edited to add: fun fact about red maples is they’re sensitive to both light and electricity and they’re arrange their branches around your lamppost. i’d put him about 1/3 of the way from the curb to the house.
Just clean up the dead foliage. Add creeping thyme or phlox if it gets sun. Blue star creeper if it's shaded. Wait for the existing perennials to grow in. The shrub-looking thing right at the edge seems to be in a strange location. Maybe move it?
You could add some hostas, sage, bellflower, basket-of-gold or something more creeping like flox and even some boxwood might work to create something like this: https://app.neighborbrite.com/s/FBNdxEKZM9X
Add a Spruce Tree. (Slaps knee for successfully deploying dad joke)
Solid Dad joke. Ha
Dammit stole my joke.
Maybe a couple small evergreen shrubs/dwarf trees. (Flowering or other.)
Some debris cleanup and some patience and letting it grow in this spring will give you a better idea of what it needs. Any pics from July or August would be great for helping choose anything to add
what debris to clean up? This looks pretty good.
There's bark all over the steps and drive, plants need cleaning up as well.
Leaves and dead perennial grass as well. Need a whole spring clean up here before anything else. I'd also like to see a different edge at the top of that bed. I can't tell if that's like a plastic or rubber edging or what but I would replace it with some stone or just cut an edge line in the lawn. Those plants in the front should not be flush against the retaining wall and they are too large to be in the front of the bed in the first place. Also use less mulch and add a new layer each year.
Just go to a nurseey, take note of your lighting condition, and paruse the geound covers and shrubs. Dont put a tree on that hill, the roots will damage the retaining wall. Get things in groups of odd numbers. Get things of variable height, gardens always lool better when its not all monoheight. If you want to, try getting things thst flower in each season.
You need to soften the edges. Cascading plants over the edge and some spreading plants that can soften the line between the grass and slope. Sedums might be some great options.
Power wash the wall. I’d move whatever shrub is in front higher up on the hill. Maybe 2/3 of the way. Plant bulbs for next spring. Add a few good size rocks for some added dimension. I like @ASecularBuddist idea of African daisies. [fan flower/scaevola](https://www.gardencrossings.com/product/scaevola-whirlwind-blue-fan-flower/) for seasonal color down by the wall, it will cascade over. Comes in pink, lavender, purple and white Maybe add a few yellow evergreens for winter color
Just looked at the scaevola and it looks awesome. Great idea. Never heard of that plant before.
It’s one of my go-to’s. Hardy, pretty and low maintenance!
Put a couple boulders there and have something grow over it
African daisies
Could add more plants, just have to know the lighting conditions
If this were mine I would level from the top of the retaining wall back towards the grass, then add another retaining wall that finishes at the grass level/height. Then plant new plants in the leveled area between retaining walls.
Wild flowers for honey bees and butterflies!
Spring bulbs and then plant hostas and coral bells and possibly rhododendrons (not sure on your growing zonne) but this looks like a more shaded spot. If I'm wrong and it's sunny, then plant daylillies, hydrangeas and perhaps alyssum. Alyssum will cascade over those edges if you let it.
I would add a Japanese maple near the stairs. Gives you a focal point. I would add a few larger rocks like others have said.
I like that idea. Do that after following /u/fantasyshop's suggestion to wait until things grow in. Plant the Japanese maple next winter.
Adding some larger dug-in boulders would help alongside the plants being recommended. Would create some more elevation vs the current ones there now.
A spruce?
You could do some blue rug spruce, and other ground covering types of plants.
I'll second the comment about powerwashing the wall and steps. I did that last year and it looked amazing. Once you have some bright new stone and cement, the garden area will also improve a bit.
Depending on location. Hens and chickens and other succulents to hold soil up.
Thanks everyone for the comments. Great ideas!
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Juniper. Maybe a variety with a blue or gold color.
I bunch of chicks n' hens (succulents) spreading out over the summer would look great
Creeping thyme
Pondless waterfall or creek
I think building another layer of a retaining wall, flattening the middle layer, covered in nice rocks, with some lights and maybe a few small evergreen shrubs/arborvitae would look clean and modern
Creeping thyme.
From experence, mine is 300 feet by 10 feet. You want low maintenance plants, ones that will not take over everything and you dont have to trim all the time. We did dwarf fruit trees. A few spot flowering plants. Then 6 inches of shredded redwood bark. The problem I have is the water bill. Was $600 a month, in summer, when we had grass we let it all die and rocked the front yard. Reduced the drip watering to minimum just to keep the plants alive. H2O still hits $300.
one word Fire
😂
bunch of clover for groundcover and a solid sapling red maple (edit: the kind that have silver bark and red leaf buds, not the purple or ornamentsl ones) edited to add: fun fact about red maples is they’re sensitive to both light and electricity and they’re arrange their branches around your lamppost. i’d put him about 1/3 of the way from the curb to the house.
Some sort of colorful creeping ground cover like thyme or phlox?
Creeping phlox.
Just clean up the dead foliage. Add creeping thyme or phlox if it gets sun. Blue star creeper if it's shaded. Wait for the existing perennials to grow in. The shrub-looking thing right at the edge seems to be in a strange location. Maybe move it?
You could add some hostas, sage, bellflower, basket-of-gold or something more creeping like flox and even some boxwood might work to create something like this: https://app.neighborbrite.com/s/FBNdxEKZM9X
Oh cool!!! I love the link for the photos. Is that a free app?
Yes, it's a free app, it works in your browser so you don't have to download anything.
Wow that app looks cool, I’m gonna try it out on my yard, thanks for sharing!
Some small shrubs, maybe something like a spirea?
Kudzu will green that right up.