How to Landscape Stone Tiers

Look through plant catalogs and books to get ideas regarding plants and color schemes. Don't choose trees with invasive, destructive roots that will punch through the stone walls. Consider planting dwarf fruit trees, berry bushes and perennial flowers that last from year to year. Assign colors to different plants, then color in portions of the drawing where the plants will be placed. Leave room for the adult, mature sizes of the plants. Check the widths as well as the heights of the plants.

Order or purchase healthy plants and place them in filtered shade to keep them from drying out. Dig the hole for one group of plants at a time. Place the plant in the hole and backfill with soil. Locate shrubs and small trees against the back wall of the stone tiers. Snowball bushes and dwarf weeping cherry trees make a dramatic backdrop for daylilies and hostas. Spread 1 to 2 inches of organic mulch around the plants to reduce weed growth and soil moisture loss.

Plant annual and perennial seeds in the planned area and cover the seeds with the recommended amount of soil. Sow seeds near the edge and within easy reach. Pansies, petunias, daisies and bachelor buttons give splashes of color throughout the warm months of the year. Vines such as honeysuckle and sweet peas are trained to grow up the stone wall or to drape over the edge. Water the tiers so the top 2 inches of soil is moist. Keep the tiers weed-free and the plants pruned for a tamed, formal look.