Dry Areas Under HUGE Eaves

I'll be moving into a new house this week, and a couple of spots present a challenge. The house has eaves extending outward almost 3 feet - great for summer. But, it's a desert under those eaves. There's nothing growing there now, and it's not due to anything the previous owner sprayed - it's just bone dry. I intend to create a very deep perennial border - perhaps 6' deep. My initial idea is simply to cover the dry areas with some sort of flat stones and not even try to get anything to grow. This would give me easy access to the back of the border (and the house itself) for maintenance. But, I'm still curious if anyone's gotten anything interesting to grow in such spots, WITHOUT having to water constantly. I'm in upstate NY, zone 5-6 (depending on exposure). Could be any of the basic "generic shrubs" as a backdrop for the border, or perhaps something more interesting.

-Doug

Reply to
Doug Kanter
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Did you know that lack of moisture around a homes foundation can actually cause basement leaks?

Reply to
HA HA Budys Here

There are a number of small shrubs that once established will have extended their roots far enough to find water, though they would be sensitive to drought for the first year. Witchhazel, weigala, abelia, escalonia, beautyberry, dwarf lilac cultivars, oregon grape, rugosa roses, manzanita, cotoneaster, artemesia, gaura, budleia, Potentilla fruticosa, silver buffaloberry, juniper, Indian hawthorn, rabbitbrush, Siberian pea bush, spireas, & many others will get by with very little watering after the first year. If it's sunny enough you could pack the area with sun-roses & rock-roses & have the floweriest drought-garden imaginable. But for all these, check to see if they can stand zone 5/6 winters, some of them might not, others like abelia might do well enough but be die-back perennials in your zone instead of big bushes like in mine.

But rear access to a garden can be very useful too, or an area of container gardening with automatic drip to them. I have a spot similar to what you describe which until the past two weeks was jam-packed with drought hardy shrubs, but I've been moving them bit by bit so I can build there a chicken pen with laying boxes, for miniature hens that I'll let wander in the whole garden from time to time & pen in when I'm not around.

-paghat the ratgirl

Reply to
paghat

I wasn't aware of that. But, I've visited this house once a week since May, and even with 2-3 heavy rainstorms per week, this one's dry as a bone. No stains, no smell, and no aftermarket waterproofing.

Reply to
Doug Kanter

Hmmm....rugosa. Forgot about that. They not only survived the worst abuse imaginable at my last house (drought, rock salt, falling ice chunks), but they actually thrived.

Reply to
Doug Kanter

Yes, but as a foundation plant, wouldn't you want something evergreen?

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Reply to
escapee

Well grown rugosas (wildest forms with very upright canes) look extremely interesting leafless in winter, & if not harvested they keep the last of their bright orange hips all through autumn & part of winter, very decorative for the hips. They aren't pruned until just before spring, so their winter presence is pretty interesting. Nothing says they can't be planted amidst something evergreen too though. I've planted mine with evergreen rockroses (but those wouldn't likely do well in zone 5) & an evergreen "tree ivy" & an evergreen portuguese laurel cherry, all stuff that hardly ever needs watering. Evergreen holly-like Mahonia (Oregon Grape) might also mix in well, & would do really well in zone 5 mixed in with rugosa roses.

-paggers

Reply to
paghat

Maybe. But, this will require much professional planning which, in my garden, means placing the big lounge chair in the appropriate spot and having the right tools nearby: Beer, and several hundred pounds of books & catalogs. :-)

Reply to
Doug Kanter

I have a rosa rugosa out back. It's downright deadly. I have to move it this winter. Maybe I will try moving it under the eave of my home in a dry spot. I agree with the winter interest, but in a foundation planting it may not...well, scratch that. I suppose I'm seeing a mental image of something formal, and I don't know why I have that image. Nothing in my garden is formal.

Since you're making nice, I remember you being interested in the perennial morning glory. I will have some cuttings. Would you like one when I get them organized?

Victoria

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Reply to
escapee

That's a combination of conditions for a good time! How do yaupon hollies do up there? I know they are natives here in TX, but outside of that I don't recall seeing them up north for the first 37 years of my life.

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Reply to
escapee

Thanks but I did try them with lousy results (vines grew well, but seemingly the season here is too short for them to bloom worth a damn; then this past harsher-than-average winter seems to have killed what little was there) so I've given up on them for now.

Right, rugosa roses should NOT be planted near where one would be walking. They compare to Devil's Walking Sticks for thorniness.

-paggers

Reply to
paghat

Another thought. Installing rain barrels and using soaker hoses would increase your options a lot. My local Pepsi bottler gave me four 55 gallon HDPE (Food Safe) barrels for no charge and modifying them was easy.

Joe

Reply to
Joe Sandlin

Reply to
gregpresley

Never heard of yaupon hollies. Other varieties do well, though, even when battered by snow & ice, so a pair of them will probably end up in my yard. My first job, though, is to dig an enormous vegetable garden and bring home

80 tons of manure from the mounted police stables.
Reply to
Doug Kanter

That's an interesting idea. What color were the barrels?

Reply to
Doug Kanter

They were white. I used Krylon "Fusion" spray paint to make them match the color of my brick foundation. It bonds to HDPE. Rustoleum also makes a "Plastic Primer" that you are supposed to be able to use any of their paints on top of.

Reply to
Joe Sandlin

They aren't a foundation plant but my hollyhocks do fine under the eaves.... they don't get quite as tall if I don't water them from time to time, about once a week at best but they grow and bloom. I have a couple mock oranges under my eaves that are huge, they have have been put in by the original owner 100 years ago. I have a Prairie Style home also known as a Four Square, gotta love Mission/Craftsman Style with an art deco twist :o) Colleen Zone 5 CT

Reply to
GrampysGurl

Hmmm. I see a project looming over the horizon. :-) The new neighbors have no idea what they're in for. One of them already wandered over to tell me that my brown compost box would attract wolves, raccoons, snakes, bears, rats, mosquitoes, etc etc.... I asked her "Really? Who told you that?" She muttered something about "something she heard once".

Wait till she sees the Rheum palmatum in a couple of years.

Reply to
Doug Kanter

Well, I'm not trying to pontificate the regal nature of this vine, but mine starts blooming late in June till frost and beyond. Maybe the one you had was different. I don't have a proper botanical name, but I will try. This is a most magnificent vine with tri-lobed leaves. Is that the one you had? It's bluer (if that's possible) than the annual 'Heavenly Blue,' and has a larger trumpet.

v

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Reply to
escapee

How about some variety of barberry? They are tough buggers and the thorns provide good security under windows.

Laura B.

Reply to
Laura B.

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