Besides creeping thyme are there any other alternatives

[Lynn in al]

To cover a large area of my side yard.  I live in n Alabama, the area is pretty much full sun and sloped.  We are getting tired of mowing it and thought we could put some pretty ground cover.  I had thought about just putting wild flower seeds and see what happens.  Any other ideas?

[livetoread]

Some people get lucky, but usually just scattering seeds doesn't end up working well, partly because weeds take over. You might want to see if there is a native plant expert or club or even webpage that has ideas for native plants. They flourish the easiest. 

Other ideas are one of the low growing sedums or a creeping juniper. The juniper is nice on a slope and it's tough.

[ktgrok]

Definitely check with your local agricultural college extension office. They will know what plants would work best for your area and conditions. Where I am, perrenial peanut is a much advocated choice, and is especially good at preventing erosion on slopes. https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/ornamentals/perennial-peanut.html

 

[athena1277]

In my AL yard, English ivy grows like crazy.  Mostly shady areas, but I’m sure if I gave it time, it would be everywhere.  It’s awful.  Nothing kills it.  One year, in desperation, I sprayed it twice with roundup.  I’m pretty sure I heard it laugh at me.  
 

The previous homeowner who planted the ivy was a demon.  Do not plant ivy under any circumstance.

[ScoutTN]

English ivy is an invasive plant. Better to choose a native plant. Creeping phlox is one and it blooms in the spring.

Seconding calling your AG extension or native plant expert. I bet google knows….

Edited March 26, 2023 by ScoutTN

[Pawz4me]

Clover is becoming more and more popular as a ground cover, or even to replace grass lawns entirely. I think it needs mowing a couple of times a year. That article says it helps with erosion control, so sounds like it would be a good choice for a slope.

[Pawz4me]

Here's a list of native ground cover plants for Alabama. And here's another one. I wouldn't do juniper. Everyone I've known who's used it has had horrible problems controlling the weeds that grow in it. I'm a huge fan of liriope (monkey grass).

[ScoutTN]

Monkey grass is excellent and so tough! My kids and dog romped all over ours, rode bikes through it etc. and it was fine. 

[Laura Corin]

Periwinkle? I don't know about in your climate. Does heather grow for you? For a shrub, it's pretty fast growing. 

[Pam in CT]

Liriope, which WHO KNEW was called Monkey Grass in other regions, is among God's blessed plants.  There are zillions of varieties for different regions and purposes, some of them that even have late-blooming 2' tall purple spire blossoms, but their value comes from a) their solid indestructability combined with b) they don't self seed so they stay where you put them.  (They do clump up into ever-larger clumps that you can dig up and divide into more plants if you want to.  But you do not have to.)

In my region, the other plant I'd advise for full sun is (early blooming) creeping phlox, which comes in all shades of lovely white through pink to dark purple, and which grows in so thick that it smothers the weeds, and whose unassuming foliage looks fine just sitting there and can withstand roaming dogs and pattering children's feet and etc.  Dunno how well it'd do in AL though -- it could well require regular watering which would defeat the purpose.

[Resilient]

We had GREAT luck with Brass Buttons. They look like teeny tiny ferns, and are very sturdy and when established, do a LOT to keep other weeds out.  They spread pretty fast so you can divide the little pots they sell and get the ground covered in a year or two. They do take a little watering, but I became a big fan of the plant.  There is a "green" and a "black" variety and we used both (by mistake).

[KungFuPanda]

22 hours ago, athena1277 said:

In my AL yard, English ivy grows like crazy.  Mostly shady areas, but I’m sure if I gave it time, it would be everywhere.  It’s awful.  Nothing kills it.  One year, in desperation, I sprayed it twice with roundup.  I’m pretty sure I heard it laugh at me.  
 

The previous homeowner who planted the ivy was a demon.  Do not plant ivy under any circumstance.

I’ve been fighting it for over a decade and losing. 

15 hours ago, Laura Corin said:

Periwinkle? I don't know about in your climate. Does heather grow for you? For a shrub, it's pretty fast growing. 

Also invasive, but not as bad as English Ivy. I have also been fighting and losing. 

4 hours ago, Pam in CT said:

Liriope, which WHO KNEW was called Monkey Grass in other regions, is among God's blessed plants.  There are zillions of varieties for different regions and purposes, some of them that even have late-blooming 2' tall purple spire blossoms, but their value comes from a) their solid indestructability combined with b) they don't self seed so they stay where you put them.  (They do clump up into ever-larger clumps that you can dig up and divide into more plants if you want to.  But you do not have to.)

In my region, the other plant I'd advise for full sun is (early blooming) creeping phlox, which comes in all shades of lovely white through pink to dark purple, and which grows in so thick that it smothers the weeds, and whose unassuming foliage looks fine just sitting there and can withstand roaming dogs and pattering children's feet and etc.  Dunno how well it'd do in AL though -- it could well require regular watering which would defeat the purpose.

A lot of loriope is invasive. I went out of my way to get a non-invasive, non spreading kind and the deer eat it. 🙄

Maybe try sedges for a ground cover? I like using Virginia strawberry, but I don’t know if it likes the sun.  Maybe sweet woodruff?

[SHP]

23 hours ago, Pawz4me said:

Clover is becoming more and more popular as a ground cover, or even to replace grass lawns entirely. I think it needs mowing a couple of times a year. That article says it helps with erosion control, so sounds like it would be a good choice for a slope.

Clover is EVIL. It is still a monocrop, like grass, and much much harder to kill when changing out to a native landscape, or anything else. 

 

Signed,

Person who has been spraying it multiple times a year since 2021 and is sad to announce that it is still thriving where sprayed. 

[SHP]

Clementis vines make for a beautiful ground cover. I fell in love with it last year at a demo garden and I hope I will be able to incorporate this in the future. I have been looking at other vines as well, while being mindful of my area.

DO NOT PLANT MORNING GLORIES! THEY WILL HAUNT THE LAND FOR THE NEXT 3 CENTURIES. 

To help with erosion control I planted a billion tulips/irises/any cheap bulb I could get in the fall/winter and covered with dirt and mulch and held the mulch down with chicken wire until it settled. I am hoping to have the budget this year to go around and build berms and put in dwarf trees and smaller bushes. I can move the bulbs/irises as needed. 

[Heartstrings]

36 minutes ago, SHP said:

Clover is EVIL. It is still a monocrop, like grass, and much much harder to kill when changing out to a native landscape, or anything else. 

 

Signed,

Person who has been spraying it multiple times a year since 2021 and is sad to announce that it is still thriving where sprayed. 

I know you’re advocating against it but this just might have sold me on using it around my pool equipment. 🤣   It would be replacing gravel so not a terrible trade off.   I need something indestructible in an area where I need to walk a lot.  

[SHP]

1 hour ago, Heartstrings said:

I know you’re advocating against it but this just might have sold me on using it around my pool equipment. 🤣   It would be replacing gravel so not a terrible trade off.   I need something indestructible in an area where I need to walk a lot.  

There are so many better options! If you insist, just make sure to get a clover that does well in wet environments.

 

I really advocate going on garden tours to get an idea of possibilities. 

[Heartstrings]

9 minutes ago, SHP said:

There are so many better options! If you insist, just make sure to get a clover that does well in wet environments.

 

I really advocate going on garden tours to get an idea of possibilities. 

I’m still looking.  I have a lot of gravel that I want to replace with weed smothering ground cover.  Directly around the pool equipment I need something I can walk on barefoot.  I’m considering Mondo grass for some of the other areas.
 I’m still making decisions, as the weeds take over my gravel beds.  I just can’t keep up with weeding all of it and I hate the idea of spraying the amount of weed killer that would be required, especially in area that will wash into the pool.   We did buy a tool that burns the weeds but it attaches to a big propane tank that makes the whole thing too heavy to use regularly.    The gravel looked nice when we bought the house but it’s such a huge pain.  

[SHP]

4 minutes ago, Heartstrings said:

I’m still looking.  I have a lot of gravel that I want to replace with weed smothering ground cover.  Directly around the pool equipment I need something I can walk on barefoot.  I’m considering Mondo grass for some of the other areas.
 I’m still making decisions, as the weeds take over my gravel beds.  I just can’t keep up with weeding all of it and I hate the idea of spraying the amount of weed killer that would be required, especially in area that will wash into the pool.   We did buy a tool that burns the weeds but it attaches to a big propane tank that makes the whole thing too heavy to use regularly.    The gravel looked nice when we bought the house but it’s such a huge pain.  

I'm sorry, but are you describe a flame thrower to kill weeds?

[Heartstrings]

15 minutes ago, SHP said:

I'm sorry, but are you describe a flame thrower to kill weeds?

I sure am!   I have this one from Harbor Frieght.  Its pretty amazing when I can get them to use it.  I can’t haul around the propane tank myself.  
 

https://www.harborfreight.com/propane-torch-91033.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=12129614380&campaignid=12129614380&utm_content=128613442307&adsetid=128613442307&product=91033&store=185&gclid=CjwKCAjw_YShBhAiEiwAMomsEK8ZtCFDYAITcIjGhfJkvwUfclvzj7ARO3w_t7gQXhO_wLmpJ74C8BoCNJ0QAvD_BwE

 

 

I might replace it with this one from Amazon that uses small propane tanks.  
 

https://www.amazon.com/Propane-Igniting-Ergonomic-Anti-slip-Included/dp/B093TVFV4R/ref=asc_df_B093TVFV4R/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=533224178111&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=6692188791484450220&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9025685&hvtargid=pla-1418536722412&psc=1

Edited March 28, 2023 by Heartstrings

[Resilient]

5 hours ago, SHP said:

I'm sorry, but are you describe a flame thrower to kill weeds?

Sooo satisfying.  
 

but don’t use with dirt which has burnable material in it. Smoldering landscape, Batman!

[BeachGal]

A sunny slope would be a dream to design. You have a ton of choices so might as well put in plants that are beautiful, easy care and suited for the site.

Wild flowers native to your area would be fine as long as they are not invasive or lead to more work than the lawn. Instead of using a variety of flowers in a seed pack, you’d probably be better off buying seeds of individual wildflowers from a reputable company and then maybe planting them among other evergreen perennials. Some wildflowers need special conditions to germinate. They don’t necessarily grow well just by sprinkling them about.

Keep in mind that a low care garden still needs some care. You might have to go out a few times a year to cut down plants, remove leaves, weeds and trash. Think about how many hours you’re willing to work on the garden and let the nurseries know that.

Pay attention to planting distances. With a new garden it is tempting to plant smaller, young plants closer together but if a plant will fill out a few feet over the years and you have other plants in that grow zone, you might end up either removing plants later or losing some when a more robust plant takes over.

Until they fill in, you can mulch areas around plants to keep weeds to a minimum. Get a good quality mulch suitable for your plants. On a slope you wouldn't want to use a mulch that blows away or runs down with the rain. A fine hardwood mulch that knits together mixed with a light layer of compost might be a good choice. It will depend on your plants’ needs.

For ideas, I like Pinterest, books, magazines and best of all if you have one nearby — a public or botanic garden which will give you a better feel for the plants. Take pictures of anything that captures your eye, even neighborhood gardens. Think about color scheme, how the plants will look in winter and if the plant is disease resistant and not too attractive to certain critters like Japanese beetles and deer, etc. Off the top of my head, you could put in creeping juniper, pink muhly grass or another fine grass that is well behaved, some low shrubs, dianthus, cotoneaster, etc.

Whatever you choose, look for well behaved, low care plants and run your ideas by a few people who are knowledgeable about your area and what you want care-wise. You can get free advice at local nurseries and online sites. Double check whatever a nursery is trying to sell you. They are selling their stock and I've dealt with even high end places that are not so much interested in the customer’s needs and are just trying to sell their plants that haven't sold well that season.

You will also want to think about how you are going to get the grass out of there. Wait to do that until after you have a plan and the wheels are in motion. You don't want erosion or having to deal with weeds.
 

[livetoread]

13 hours ago, Heartstrings said:

We did buy a tool that burns the weeds but it attaches to a big propane tank that makes the whole thing too heavy to use regularly.

We put our tank on a dolly and secured it with bungee cords. It's pretty easy to get around now and it's fun to zap the weeds.

[SHP]

Two thoughts

 

1. I bet a flame thrower would motivate offspring to help with weeding

2. I bet they would burn the house down

[SHP]

40 minutes ago, BeachGal said:

A sunny slope would be a dream to design. You have a ton of choices so might as well put in plants that are beautiful, easy care and suited for the site.

Wild flowers native to your area would be fine as long as they are not invasive or lead to more work than the lawn. Instead of using a variety of flowers in a seed pack, you’d probably be better off buying seeds of individual wildflowers from a reputable company and then maybe planting them among other evergreen perennials. Some wildflowers need special conditions to germinate. They don’t necessarily grow well just by sprinkling them about.

Keep in mind that a low care garden still needs some care. You might have to go out a few times a year to cut down plants, remove leaves, weeds and trash. Think about how many hours you’re willing to work on the garden and let the nurseries know that.

Pay attention to planting distances. With a new garden it is tempting to plant smaller, young plants closer together but if a plant will fill out a few feet over the years and you have other plants in that grow zone, you might end up either removing plants later or losing some when a more robust plant takes over.

Until they fill in, you can mulch areas around plants to keep weeds to a minimum. Get a good quality mulch suitable for your plants. On a slope you wouldn't want to use a mulch that blows away or runs down with the rain. A fine hardwood mulch that knits together mixed with a light layer of compost might be a good choice. It will depend on your plants’ needs.

For ideas, I like Pinterest, books, magazines and best of all if you have one nearby — a public or botanic garden which will give you a better feel for the plants. Take pictures of anything that captures your eye, even neighborhood gardens. Think about color scheme, how the plants will look in winter and if the plant is disease resistant and not too attractive to certain critters like Japanese beetles and deer, etc. Off the top of my head, you could put in creeping juniper, pink muhly grass or another fine grass that is well behaved, some low shrubs, dianthus, cotoneaster, etc.

Whatever you choose, look for well behaved, low care plants and run your ideas by a few people who are knowledgeable about your area and what you want care-wise. You can get free advice at local nurseries and online sites. Double check whatever a nursery is trying to sell you. They are selling their stock and I've dealt with even high end places that are not so much interested in the customer’s needs and are just trying to sell their plants that haven't sold well that season.

You will also want to think about how you are going to get the grass out of there. Wait to do that until after you have a plan and the wheels are in motion. You don't want erosion or having to deal with weeds.
 

I agree about making sure to get well behaved plants and double checking the plants. I have left manh a beauty plant because it was poisonous to touch, or spreads agressively, or it gets bigger than claimed.

I disagree about planting too close, especially with slower growing plants.  Fill the space between slower growing perennials and thin down the road. Bulbs are great for this. They give early spring color when woody bushes are still dormant and they are done when the bush is in it's full glory. 

[gardenmom5]

On 3/26/2023 at 3:15 PM, Lynn in al said:

To cover a large area of my side yard.  I live in n Alabama, the area is pretty much full sun and sloped.  We are getting tired of mowing it and thought we could put some pretty ground cover.  I had thought about just putting wild flower seeds and see what happens.  Any other ideas?

some questions that will affect what you can successfully plant

what is the soil itself like?  (e.g. clay, sandy, loam, etc) holds water, or dry

do you want to be able to walk on it?

does it need to control erosion?

 

creeping phlox

juniper (horizontalis is very low growing) - no flowers

lithodora - low growing, blue flowers

 sedums  (drought tolerant, put in a variety of them can be very fun - and they multiply fairly easily, but aren't actually invasive).  foliage is pretty, some have pretty flowers, all have flowers.  ( equate most yellow flowers with weeds.)

lilyturf (grassy leaves, stalks of purple flowers when in bloom)

dianthus - sweet william (mine did really well in an area it was neglected. -then everything was torn out for landscaping work.)

Aubrieta - native to Mediterranean - so does well in dry sun. lots of purple flowers.

kinnikinnick (aka: bearberry). - pink flowers in spring, red berries in summer, purple leaves in fall.  Native to the northewest, but it can be very neglected, and will hold a slope.

snow-in-summer

my grandmother loved golden rod.  (it did well in her rock garden)

candy tuft (the perennial kind)

 

[gardenmom5]

1 hour ago, SHP said:

I agree about making sure to get well behaved plants and double checking the plants. I have left manh a beauty plant because it was poisonous to touch, or spreads agressively, or it gets bigger than claimed.

I disagree about planting too close, especially with slower growing plants.  Fill the space between slower growing perennials and thin down the road. Bulbs are great for this. They give early spring color when woody bushes are still dormant and they are done when the bush is in it's full glory. 

Filling the space with annuals works too - it's generally less expensive than filling with perennials.

keep in mind - there are many perennials that are sold as annuals.

 

oh - daylilies.   they've been adding a lot of colors to the repertoire.  

[SHP]

45 minutes ago, gardenmom5 said:

Filling the space with annuals works too - it's generally less expensive than filling with perennials.

keep in mind - there are many perennials that are sold as annuals.

 

oh - daylilies.   they've been adding a lot of colors to the repertoire.  

Thanks for bringing up daylilies! I cannot believe I forgot them. Caveat: Not the common orange ditch lilies and not the Stella d'Oro varieties, both have a negative impact on other cultivars according to the daylily cultivators I spoke with.

I agree about annuals and even biannuals. I did not mention them because so many have a tendency to self seed and spread agressively and require some research prior to planting. For example, morning glories where the seeds can remain viable for 50 years and they require constant attention to remove. 

[stephanier.1765]

Re: daylilies - if you have outdoor cats, I would stay away from these plants. If a cat consumes any part of the lily, they have to be rushed to the vet immediately. 

https://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/poison/day-lily/

[gardenmom5]

1 hour ago, SHP said:

Thanks for bringing up daylilies! I cannot believe I forgot them. Caveat: Not the common orange ditch lilies and not the Stella d'Oro varieties, both have a negative impact on other cultivars according to the daylily cultivators I spoke with.

I agree about annuals and even biannuals. I did not mention them because so many have a tendency to self seed and spread agressively and require some research prior to planting. For example, morning glories where the seeds can remain viable for 50 years and they require constant attention to remove. 

There is "morning glory" - and there are morning glories.

The former is actually bindweed - but people commonly call is morning glory because they look so similar.  It's extremely aggressive and will sprout from roots and underground runners.   One guy dug up half the roots, and put them in undiluted roundup. . . .morning glory on his neighbor's property started dying.

 

Acanthus is another that will sprout from roots . . . . the clump is slow spreading (it's been there for years, and is still only about 5' in diameter.  maybe) - but when if want to take it out . . . it doesn't want to go and will sprout from the roots.

the bane of my garden is red sorrel . . . I despise that stuff.  spread from roots, underground runners and seeds . . . . it came in in fill? compost?  not sure.  

[SHP]

1 hour ago, gardenmom5 said:

There is "morning glory" - and there are morning glories.

The former is actually bindweed - but people commonly call is morning glory because they look so similar.  It's extremely aggressive and will sprout from roots and underground runners.   One guy dug up half the roots, and put them in undiluted roundup. . . .morning glory on his neighbor's property started dying.

 

Acanthus is another that will sprout from roots . . . . the clump is slow spreading (it's been there for years, and is still only about 5' in diameter.  maybe) - but when if want to take it out . . . it doesn't want to go and will sprout from the roots.

the bane of my garden is red sorrel . . . I despise that stuff.  spread from roots, underground runners and seeds . . . . it came in in fill? compost?  not sure.  

Yes, but I didn't want to get into that much detail while I am at work even though it is a slow day. 🙂

I have dealt with both here. The pretty annuals and the bindweed with a root system that extends into the depths of hell from which it draws its life force. Last year we dug up a 3ft deep root system and there is another one in another part of that yard that I will be attacking this year. It is surrounded by concrete on all sides and I am seriously considering pulling everything and starting over. Again. Sigh

Morning Glories were horrible for me because someone planted them next to the house where the overhead electrical comes in. I have spent 7 years pulling them every few days and am hyper vigilant about them. I don't want them near the electrical. Though if I am honest, it is nothing compared to the Trumpet vine that the neighbors have that is far too close to the power lines and transformer. I am debating trimming it back. I prefer not to lose power. 

I have admired Acanthus at the local garden, but haven't researched it as a possible addition here, I will take your experience into consideration if it ever ends up as a possibility.

 

[BeachGal]

11 hours ago, SHP said:

I disagree about planting too close, especially with slower growing plants.  Fill the space between slower growing perennials and thin down the road. Bulbs are great for this. They give early spring color when woody bushes are still dormant and they are done when the bush is in it's full glory. 

It depends how much money a homeowner wants to spend and how much work they want to do over the season and years. Slower growing plants will eventually fill out. A shallow rooted perennial could be planted around a slow growing ground cover and then divided or moved as the slower plant expands. That will take work, though, which a homeowner might not want to do in future years. Many spring blooming bulbs die back around mid June. Bulbs interspersed in and around ground covers are beautiful but I wouldn't rely on them to fill spaces if there will eventually be gaps. For an easy care, plant once and done garden, I prefer to create a plan, pop in the plants with proper spacing, fill gaps with mulch and just let them grow. If a homeowner wants more plants, they can add those later.

[SHP]

18 hours ago, stephanier.1765 said:

Re: daylilies - if you have outdoor cats, I would stay away from these plants. If a cat consumes any part of the lily, they have to be rushed to the vet immediately. 

https://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/poison/day-lily/

You are not the first person to talk about how lilies are poisonous to cats. I am not against pointing this out, but I think it is very important to emphasize that there are a lot of common plants that are poisonous to animals and people, especially children, that are just as popular in the home garden and people often have no clue. I encourage anyone planting anything to spend time researching the plants beyond their soil and light requirements. 

 

[SHP]

9 hours ago, BeachGal said:

It depends how much money a homeowner wants to spend and how much work they want to do over the season and years. Slower growing plants will eventually fill out. A shallow rooted perennial could be planted around a slow growing ground cover and then divided or moved as the slower plant expands. That will take work, though, which a homeowner might not want to do in future years. Many spring blooming bulbs die back around mid June. Bulbs interspersed in and around ground covers are beautiful but I wouldn't rely on them to fill spaces if there will eventually be gaps. For an easy care, plant once and done garden, I prefer to create a plan, pop in the plants with proper spacing, fill gaps with mulch and just let them grow. If a homeowner wants more plants, they can add those later.

I would guess that a home owner willing/able to spend more on their landscaping are more likely to hire a professional to plan and purchase full sized plants and have them professionally installed. 

Here, it took the greater part of a decade for the landscaping the previous owners put in before putting the house on the market to not look like someone randomly dropped a couple of plants and walked off. The plants never really filled in, even though they exceeded their claimed max width and to be honest, I have zero desire to wait another decade for our landscaping to look good. I have my dwarf trees and my evergreen bushes planted at the correct spacing and am filling in between to keep the area from looking spartan for the next decade. 

[BeachGal]

26 minutes ago, SHP said:

I would guess that a home owner willing/able to spend more on their landscaping are more likely to hire a professional to plan and purchase full sized plants and have them professionally installed. 

Here, it took the greater part of a decade for the landscaping the previous owners put in before putting the house on the market to not look like someone randomly dropped a couple of plants and walked off. The plants never really filled in, even though they exceeded their claimed max width and to be honest, I have zero desire to wait another decade for our landscaping to look good. I have my dwarf trees and my evergreen bushes planted at the correct spacing and am filling in between to keep the area from looking spartan for the next decade. 

If money is not a concern, maybe, but with the economy the way it is, I think more homeowners will take on at least parts of their landscaping projects.

Even if a homeowner hires a professional to do everything, it's still good to question how many plants are being recommended because some pros will happily plant more than is necessary in order to sell more stock. There is a high-end nursery near me that does this. In a few years the beds are too crowded, develop problems and then the homeowner has to remove plants and possibly tweak the design. So, more money and more work. A good plan from the get go prevents that hassle. A real pro will have a good feel for how the plant will grow and look throughout the years as the garden matures. The plan can be simple, too. No need to make it complicated if simple is fine with the homeowner.

It sounds like the former owners of your home did not have a good plan or a feel for how the plants would grow. I don't blame you for wanting to fill it in.

[SHP]

21 minutes ago, BeachGal said:

If money is not a concern, maybe, but with the economy the way it is, I think more homeowners will take on at least parts of their landscaping projects.

Even if a homeowner hires a professional to do everything, it's still good to question how many plants are being recommended because some pros will happily plant more than is necessary in order to sell more stock. There is a high-end nursery near me that does this. In a few years the beds are too crowded, develop problems and then the homeowner has to remove plants and possibly tweak the design. So, more money and more work. A good plan from the get go prevents that hassle. A real pro will have a good feel for how the plant will grow and look throughout the years as the garden matures. The plan can be simple, too. No need to make it complicated if simple is fine with the homeowner.

It sounds like the former owners of your home did not have a good plan or a feel for how the plants would grow. I don't blame you for wanting to fill it in.

I don't think any nursery near us does planning, and the concept of going to a nursery to have my garden planned for me is something I am not accustomed to having. Everything is seperate here, if I want rocks for hard scaping I cannot go fo a nursery I have to go to a place that sells landscaping rocks. 

The former owners hired a popular local landscaper who has planned many lots in this area. This was by far her worst work, IMHO.

Our area has tons of unique challenges plus city ordinances restricting things like plant height and permit requirements. It's a "special" area.

 

[popmom]

On 3/26/2023 at 5:15 PM, Lynn in al said:

To cover a large area of my side yard.  I live in n Alabama, the area is pretty much full sun and sloped.  We are getting tired of mowing it and thought we could put some pretty ground cover.  I had thought about just putting wild flower seeds and see what happens.  Any other ideas?

I am having similar issues! I was actually looking up creeping thyme this morning. 
 

Look up Recreative Natives on FB. They probably have a website, too. Their sale starts April 1. They are in Cropwell, AL. If nothing else, you can get some ideas from their inventory list. 
 

Native Habitat Project is Alabama based, too, but more for education purposes. They do link to all these other people who do actually sells the plants and seeds, so he’s a great resource. (Links are found on his social media)
 

I’m wanting to plant several things on my slope. It’s shady though. Very poor soil. Carex Albicans and wild geranium are on my wishlist. But I think creeping thyme definitely has its place. I’d like to use a bit of it around stepping stones. You just might want to study up on how to manage it since it does spread some. 
 

 

Edited March 31, 2023 by popmom