Landscaping Decks & Retaining Walls

Landscaping Decks

• Decks provide additional living space for homes using outdoor areas that are easy to clean and comfortable to use. Fitting these structures into the overall landscaping takes a little design creativity and an effective use of space. Landscaping the deck area should create an area of transition between the yard and the house. For aboveground decks, latticework at the base provides a good background for taller plants that will extent beyond the deck rails, according to the Reliable Remodeler website. When using plants on deck floorspace, use containers that fit neatly into the perimeter and corners and that make care of the plants convenient and tidy.

Plants for Deck Areas

• Evergreens give deck areas color throughout the year, providing interesting views from the interior of the home. Cypress, juniper and holly are good choices for ground-level plantings. Japanese red maple, crape myrtle and redbud add attractive color during the summer months. On the deck itself, containers can hold colorful perennials like dianthus or coreopsis, shrubs like dogwood or camellia, and even a small vegetable garden of tomatoes, eggplant, peppers and squash.

Landscaping Retaining Walls

• The purpose of retaining walls is to keep soil or water from intruding on other landscape surfaces. The wall itself provides a planting bed area that can be used for a variety of landscape plants, both annual and perennial, as well as low-growing shrubs like roses, hydrangea or Japanese barberry. In addition, the wall itself can be a support for vine plants that add color and texture to landscape designs.

Plants for Retaining Walls

• Decorative shrubs help to break up the hard look of retaining walls, adding a more natural element to the design. These shrubs should be in proportion to the height of the wall Larger walls can use flowing shrubs like bougainvillea, honeysuckle or oleander. Upright evergreens like arborvitae, juniper or holly add texture to wall areas and provide year-round color. Nasturtium or petunia can grow to spill over the edges of retaining walls to give properties a lavish look. English ivy or Boston ivy -- which grows small suckers that attach to hard surfaces like retaining walls -- can be trained to climb larger areas of wall, covering the hard material with softer texture to blend in with the natural surroundings of the yard, according to Curtis W. Smith of New Mexico State University.