Overhanging Planting for Garden Wall !!

[Peter]

Are there any suggestions for plantings suitable for planting over a small garden wall?? A few minor criteria....

Zone 7a (unofficially zone 8) Maryland between the metropolitan area of Baltimore and Washington DC. Temperature ranges from - 5 degrees in winter to about 105 in summer where 4 years of earth scorching drought turned into the wettest spring / summer on record.

This area faces south, but is somewhat shaded by tall shade trees during the hot summer afternoon.

The wall is only about 24 inches tall and stretches for 20' along a driveway. A raised bed is on the other side. Nice composted soil.

Looking for something that is evergreen.... and also deer resistent

Actually anythjing that poisons deer would be a welcome relief.... the deer population is out of control. All edible plants have already been destroyed. Bambi is no longer cute or wanted and has turned the area into a plant wasteland.. (nope, can't shoot them...this is a densely inhabited area). County is totally in retreat and overrun by the problem. Some of the largest Whitetail deer can be found here in an area that is bounded by 3 major highways and Interstate 95, packed with major shopping malls. I've seen 400 pound Whitetails in front yards at 6:00 pm in the evening and herds of 6 or 7 traveling on bike trails at 10:00 am on Sunday morning.

Small flowers would be nice...... once upon a time, this green suburban yard had flowers and shrubs and birds and grass.... that was before the dought, heat and deer took everything away. Even the birds are gone (Thanks to the government poisoning the crows in panic over the West NIle Virus scare). Is this what they called "Silent Spring" ??? It was completely the work of mother (xxxx) nature going berserk....no pesticides have been added.

There used to be carmellias, tulips, daffodils, euonymous, peonies, laurel, roses, hydrangeas, dogwoods, crepe mytle, leyland cypress, rose mallows, helix hedra, azalea's, rhododenron's, nellie steven's hollies, oriental poppies, bleeding hearts, ferns, plaintain lillies, hostas and much more.... even the forsynthia bushes have been chewed down to nothing. What the deer didn't get, the slugs and beatles finished off.

Anyway I"m rambling ........ Plant recommendations anyone ?? Evergreen, fastgrowing, indestructable, deer resistant, drought resistant, heat resistant, has flowers and trails down rocks under conditions where not even juniper grows anymore.

Any suggestions ??? Thanking you in advance....

Peter...

Peter...

Peter

[Pam - gardengal]

There are a whole series of rockery plants that should work in this situation. Rockcress, cotoneaster, iberis, helianthemum and lithodora are all evergreen cascaders, but most will prefer more sun than not. For slighly shadier situations, look at heaths and heathers, sedums, saxifrage, Serbian bellfower (not evergreen), bergenia. If this is an area that will receive reflected heat in the summer months, you could try a prostrate rosemary, but its hardiness is qestionable in your area.

If the juniper will no longer grow there, you may have other issues to address - either it is too shady or drainage is not good, cuz IME, juniper will grow ANYWHERE, specially where it is not wanted.

pam - gardengal

[Peter]

Thanks Pam.... the lithodora and helianthemum both are excellent choices. I didn't find any info suggesting that cotoneaster was a cascader, but will continue to evaluate the suggestions, (which were ALL good ones).

Thanks again.