Garden Plants for Hills and Banks

Low-Growing

• Find some low-growing plants that will take over the hill. If you want the hill or bank to change in appearance throughout the year, choose a low-growing plant that flowers, such as phlox or sedum. Phlox requires full sun. It can stand a little bit of shade, but it will grow more stems and less flowers if it is in too much shade. Sedum is a very forgiving plant. It can handle a lot of sun if the hill is in a particularly hot spot. It can also stand to be ignored. It does not need any extra watering or fertilizer to thrive.

Creeping

• Creeping plants can fill in your hill or bank in as little as one year, depending on the size of the bank and the weather. Creeping thyme is one of those creeping plants that can quickly overtake a garden. That is exactly what you want when covering a hill. You can walk on creeping thyme without damaging the plants. This is good for when you need to clean out debris from around the plants along the bank. Creeping thyme can take a lot of neglect and abuse. It can grow well in full sun, in full shade or any amount of sun in between. It is not necessary to water it any more than it gets from the rain.

Evergreen Shrubs

• Look for evergreen shrubs that can cover your hill or bank. These shrubs will stay green all year around, including juniper. Once in a while it may be necessary to rake them out to remove leaves or debris from other plants and trees. These low-growing evergreens do not need trimming or pruning as other shrubs do on a yearly basis. Dig holes for the plants that are about the same size at the root base. Spread out the roots after removing the plant from the pot. Cover the roots completely with soil all the way up to where the dirt was in the pot. Water well at first so that the roots take hold, but watering will not be necessary after the first few months. Juniper grows best when planted in well-drained soil and in full sun. It does not need much watering or fertilizing.

Vines

• Vines, such as different varieties of ivy, will keep your hill or bank looking nice without you having to do a lot of upkeep. Purchase plants and plant them on the hill, leaving plenty of room for the vines to spread out. After a year or two, the hill will be completely covered in vines. It may be necessary at first to keep up with weeds before the vines completely take over. However, once the vines do cover the hill, it will be hard for weeds to get through the dense covering of leaves. Different varieties of ivy have different sun requirements. Take note of how much sun your hill receives, and then buy an ivy plant accordingly. Water two or three times per week for the first six months after planting. Fertilizing is not necessary after planting.