Planting suggestions for backyard

Discussion in 'Outdoor Gardening in the Pacific Northwest' started by Miry, May 15, 2013.

  1. Miry

    Miry Member

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    I have 3 large cedar trees in my backyard and I would really like to plant something around them. There were chips put around but there are a lot of weeds coming up. What do you suggest I plant there? Thanks
     
  2. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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    Easiest thing is to mulch with bark, keep area watered in summer and see what birds bring, keep kinds you want and pull the rest. If present in vicinity cotoneasters, hollies and Oregon grape all likely to come up, along with hawthorns and pyracanthas, various others I would not keep. Much easier and cheaper than selecting and buying stock, attempting to dig holes for it and get it to establish.
     
  3. Miry

    Miry Member

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    Thanks. I particularly don't like hollies because when the leaves fall they are so prickly. Would hostas grow under the cedars?
     
  4. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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    Maybe. If you are set on doing a planting put down a minimal layer of loose soil to plant into first. Since Thuja plicata is adapted to wetlands it should be able to take a minor raising of the grade - it will hardly be worse than having river mud deposited over it by a flood.
     
  5. pmurphy

    pmurphy Generous Contributor 10 Years

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    I have several varieties of hosta growing under my cedars so they should do well (mine currently cover an area about 10ft x4ft). I would recommend digging a hole where you want to plant the hosta and filling it with good soil before planting, this will give the plant a good start.
    Another plant that will do well - if you remove the wood chips - is sweet woodruff (Galium odoratum)......mine is spreading very nicely to cover the areas that the hosta does not currently cover (it is even growing under a bench that is holding a couple of small fountains). Sweet woodruff is a quick growing, quick spreading ground cover (perennial) which has white flowers in the spring.
     
  6. Miry

    Miry Member

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    Thank you!
    I will try planting the hostas and the sweet woodruff as you suggested.
     

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