No two hillsides are the same!
No two hillsides are the same!
Many customers come into the nursery inquiring about plants that would be suitable for a hillside. Although this is a direct question, it is not always possible to give a direct answer if we know nothing about “your” hillside. How steep is it? Is it a hillside you can actually “meander” through? Does it have easy access for maintenance? Are you looking out onto the hillside from your kitchen window or your main room and therefore wish to have something really eye-catching? Is it very sunny? Does it have any irrigation? Are there steps going up to the top where you can have a “look-out” bench? Etc., etc., etc….. You can understand how your question is not possible to answer without acquiring a great deal of information before we can make any suggestions.
Also, we don’t know what your garden looks like! Is it Japanese-inspired, contemporary, or full of California natives and grasses? Does it matter if it has a “style” or would a good ground cover do? So, if you do intend to plant your hillside or slope this year, here are some suggestions to consider.
AGAVES can be an excellent choice if that’s a look you like and will work in your existing landscape. There is a wide selection of very attractive varieties available to us in California, so shop around. Many of them spread 3’ – 5’, which covers a lot of hillside! As well as being (relatively) low maintenance, they require little water. So the more they spread, the fewer plants you need to buy.
GRASSES too, are excellent options. There are so many stunning grasses in California — the selection is endless. Since they come in every color, texture and height, it doesn’t take very much work to “create” a lot of interest with very little effort. Most grasses are “clumping” in their growth habit and do not spread very wide — unlike succulents and agaves. You can, however, do a combination of succulents and grasses, which can look really spectacular.
GROUNDCOVERS — It is important to differentiate between groundcovers that have a superficial root system, compared to those that are intended to “knit” the soil together. Those with a more superficial root system are good purely for “filling in” between plantings for effect, on flat ground. For a hillside, you need a more substantial root system that will help hold the hillside (soil) in place. Some common ground covers, such as ivy, or vinca major, work very well in certain locations. However, using perennials that work like ground covers is generally the best way to deal effectively, long-term, with a hillside – and create more interest, too.
