Find Your Ask the Expert: Sunny wanderer
Hello, I am in the process of making a rock/wheel landscape area in my yard. It gets full sun all day. Any suggestions on what to plant around this? Also if you have any suggestions on a climbing, trelling plant/flower that can handle the full sun. the wheels have spokes on them and thought it would look nice to have something vining through and around. Thank you, Mary
Mary,
There are a multitude of plants that can be used in this situation. The first course of action is to decide what type of landscape you want. Do you want a perennial garden or an annual garden? Do you want shrubs and woody ornamentals included? Does it need a low profile or a more three dimensional structure?
I assume that you are burying part of the wheel in the ground so that it stand upright. You can use thunbergia, mandevilla, bougainvillea, clematis, hyacinth bean, honeysuckle or ornamental sweet potato vine to climb and intertwine the spokes of the wheel. Depending on where you live some of these vines are perennial. To keep your wheel shape you will need to maintain and trim the vines. Of course there are other vines that are acceptable in this situation.
As for the plants, rock gardens often use succulents as the foundation plants. Sedums like dragon’s blood or voodoo are excellent ground covers that add color and texture to the area and will thrive in the full sun. Vera Jameson sedum, Campfire Crassula or Baby Jade are succulents that give some height to a rock garden yet still thrive in full sun. If you want blooming color, I would suggest using purslane, portulaca or gaillardia. Depending on where you live these plants can be perennial.
With the multitude of choices out there the possibilities are endless. I have given you a few suggestions, but without knowing what you envision your landscape to be and where you are located it is a very short list. Good Luck