Mid-Atlantic Gardening: I need help for our front hill, 1 by happy_macomb

happy_macomb wrote:
Coleup: Here are my answers to your questions (for which a million thanks!)

The answers to your questions below pertain to the front mess (I'm much farther along on the back).

Do you have more than one 'slope'? Answer: Yes, our whole lot is on a slope (total of 1/2 acre). The slope in the back is all I care about -- it is shaded, and I've been working on it for years. The front slope we never see and don't care about -- just fret that the neighbors must hate us for ignoring it.

You posted a pic of front slope. Can you see this from the house. or is it mostly visible to neighbors and passersby? Answer: The latter.

Do you want your slope to stand out or blend in? Answer: Don't really care -- just don't want to have to work on it much. I mean, in a perfect world I'd like it to be breathtaking, but there aren't enough hours in the year for me to work on it and still keep the back yard (which I do care about) presentable. I think ferns and grasses and some long-lived perennials could look nice.

What is the large tree? Answer: I think it's a white oak -- I need to check my notes or at least look up to the top of the tree to see.

How much run off (in a normal not droughty year) does this slope have to control? Answer: A lot, I suppose, but we've never worried about it. The last few years we've worried about runoff from the back hill into the neighbor's yard, because she complained -- but our fix only sends more water down our front yard.

Does the neighbor who is growing a mix of plants on her slope have more or less run off or erosion? Answer: Same, I'd guess. The slope is fairly stable -- no recent construction. But if I were to amend the soil, the lovely soft amended soil would float away. So I don't plan to do much to it.

More or less sad soil? Answer: Same, I'd guess.

Do the pines stay? Answer: Yes, they are my neighbor's. (They would not have been my choice.)

How far is it from top of slope to bottom or, like roofs, how steep is it? Answer: Very steep -- I don't know the pitch.
Are the existing rocks stable? Answer: Yes. There are more rocks than not, though many are not visible from the surface.

Size? The whole thing -- the area I want to plant -- is about 75' wide and 25' from the top of the ditch lilies (which is the bottom of the planting area) to the bottom of the grass (which is the top of the planting area), though it curves around.

The attached photo is of my neighbor's front yard -- the photo if of the part of her front yard that abuts our front yard (our yard is to the left of her yard) and has the same rotton soil and slope, but has more sun than we do. She told me she plans to plant more trees in her front yard, which will give me more shade -- I am going to see if she will change her mind because we have so little sun in our yard as it is.

I just can't figure out why even vinca won't grow! There used to be a lot of ivy and Virginia creeper -- we've pulled that out, which is why it looks so barren. And poison ivy is happy there ....