Suggestions please!

My hubby got the tiller out today and made me up a large area in the backyard to start a flower garden, and I am going to block it in with these bricks we have out behind our building--to keep the dogs out of it. They aren't the prettiest things ever, but they are here and won't cost anything, leaving me more $ to buy stuff to actually plant in the garden. Is there anything I can plant that will come up over the bricks and spill down over them, covering it up at least partially? I'm not sure exactly how high they will be, but I dont' think over a foot high at least. TIA!

p.s. It's full sun except for a small part close to the house which is partial shade. I don't know exactly what type of soil we have, but it tends to be rocky and clay like until we add in the horse manure dirt, which softens it up. What kind of soil is that? I have no idea, but we've had no problems growing in it.

Dragon's Blood Sedum - I've used this for what you're talking about. I use bricks too (love freebies) and I just re-did them this spring since they were looking messy!

I also have my eye on a cascading oregano - Origanum libanoticum
http://www.highcountrygardens.com/shop/results.html?sku=&name_latin=origanum&name_common=&id=bb312822c61e9c4579aed76abb57c1df&quicksearch=1&quicksearch.x=0&quicksearch.y=0

That looks very cool to me.
Oh, vinca will work too but it can get invasive pretty quick here if I don't chop it back often. -C

Hi zone5girl!

If your flower bed is going to be like a "raised bed" with the soil all the way to the top of the bricks you might want to try a plant called Bacopa. I use it in my flower pots in front of the house. It forms a nice thick blanket that drapes over the edge of the pot and has little white flowers. By the end of summer it's at least 2ft. long. If you plant it at the edge of your wall it should drape over and cover it some.

Petunias would work too. The Wave and Surfinia varieties are pretty nice. Also you can try some sweet potato vine. No flowers just foliage (comes in lime green and "blackie" dark leaves).

Toni

oh, and what about alyssum? That's worked well for me and I get little white flowers all summer!-C

Good suggestion cchiovitti!

Alyssum comes in different colors and it smells good too!

T.

Narstrums!!!! they come in tons of colors and are edible!

heather

I love Bacopa... if you want a perennial that is hardy in your zone, try Abrieta... I have some growing over my wall. First year you get sporadic purple flowers, the next year you get a carpet of blooms for a while, and occasional flowers afterwards.

Snow in Summer, lobelia (there are trailing types),petunia

Heather

toni, what a beautiful pic! Those look like such healthy plants! Sure looks inviting!

Thank you, everyone, for the suggestions! And Toni, your pic is great! Everything looks so perfect! TAmara

Thank you soo much! (I'm blushing) :)

Toni, have you thought of creeping phlox? They thrive at the edge of our rose garden and spill onto the driveway. For the next few weeks many cars go by
r-e-a-l s-l-o-w-l-y just to see it: must be 20 clumps, each about 3' wide. Pink, dark pink, lavender, red. It loves the heat of the bricks or the driveway or a brick wall. Good luck.

toni - what do you have planted with the bacopa and the spike? Love the look and the contrast!

-Kim

Hi bluekat76!

I had red zonal geraniums on the lower level and peach colored seed geraniums on the second level. This year I'm going with all red zonals. They seem to grow much larger and bloom alot better than the others. They cost a little more but you can overwinter them if you have the room. I wish I had kept some of the ones I had in the backyard. Oh well live and learn!

Toni your flowers are sooo pretty. You really have a beautiful color palette going there. Are those begonias in between the hostas in the front? Very pretty. Thanks for the ideas. :) Bucki

Hi Bucki!

Thank you and yes they're begonias. We face North so it tends to be shady in that area till mid afternoon which helps the begonias and hostas stay moist.

Toni

Some of the new coleus are sun tolerant and you can get trailing varieties. I love Meandering LInda.

Susan