# Help me plan plants for my backyard **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 22, 2014, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-plan-plants-for-my-backyard/693775 "2014-07-22T21:20:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Belrix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed655f/32.png) [@Belrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Belrix)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2014, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-plan-plants-for-my-backyard/693775/1 "2014-07-22T21:20:28Z")
Help! I’ve finished the pergola, patio, and privacy fencing. I’m ready to layout the sprinklers which means I need a plan for the plants, too. I’m decent at carpentry and such for the hard stuff but I can’t really picture the plants well enough to know how to put what plant in what location. The yard is in Denver city, which is zone 6, semi-arid, and I have high clay soil. We drop below -10 in the winter and 100 in the summe so a plant needs to be freeze and drought tolerant. I’m looking for that I call “the glade” in my head. I’m looking for a shady, informal, semi-rustic, easily-maintained area. Keeping the grass isn’t important to me. So - I’ve got a small album with yard pictures [if you want to follow](https://plus.google.com/photos/107573167897476898123/albums/6038978941021519025?authkey=CMCoga_8jOHiEw) but here’s the yard as it stands today… [https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-g-B5N99s1K4/U87DfFcC81I/AAAAAAADZhw/FL8\_OnjJf4k/w497-h664-no/Planting.jpg](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-g-B5N99s1K4/U87DfFcC81I/AAAAAAADZhw/FL8_OnjJf4k/w497-h664-no/Planting.jpg) (The grid is on 1-foot squares.) …and my minimal plans for it… [https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-YDKtETNxFSk/U87FVkgkVII/AAAAAAADZh4/LcnyKRaF5ug/w509-h664-no/Planting-001.jpg](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-YDKtETNxFSk/U87FVkgkVII/AAAAAAADZh4/LcnyKRaF5ug/w509-h664-no/Planting-001.jpg) On there I have “rock garden” marked but I’m not sure what to put in that rock garden (though I’ve been collecting large rocks like crazy). It should be a mix of tall & short & shrub stuff but I needs some suggestions there. That west wall is a real problem for me. I’ve got rolling fence that is going to slide along the inside of that so whatever I plant there can’t obstruct that gate’s path. There’s also a triangle that is needed to be kept free so our trailer can be backed in and out of the rear drive. So? Anybody any good at this? ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2014, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-plan-plants-for-my-backyard/693775/2 "2014-07-23T00:43:38Z")
I used to live in Denver, it’s a challenging growing environment for sure! I love gardening but am no expert on designing. IMHO you definitely want native, drought-tolerant perennials - I see you have roses listed and I did have a wild tangle of exuberant wild roses that grew so vigorously I had to prune them frequently. I’d say look up local garden centers (not the big box Home Despot type) and use their employees’ knowledge. Around here, several garden centers hold free classes on seminars on all sorts of gardening topics. And the people who staff the better garden centers are real gardening geeks and happy to talk dirt. Also, [your local Master Gardeners](https://www.google.com/search?q=denver+university+master+gardener+extension&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&channel=sb). Free. I can’t recall now if [hostas](https://www.google.com/search?q=hostas&client=firefox-a&hs=Q56&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=sb&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=EwXPU87rPMqeyASZxYLwDg&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAQ) do well in Colorado? They’re incredibly tough, pretty and provide color for the entire growing season. ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2014, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-plan-plants-for-my-backyard/693775/3 "2014-07-23T00:47:48Z")
Rock garden - a mix of low groundcover, such as hens and chicks, vinca, lambs ears…paired with ornamental grasses (that way you’ll get winter interest as well) and perhaps perennial flowers that bloom through much of the season - hollyhocks, black-eyed susan, daisies… ---
**Author:** ![Belrix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed655f/32.png) [@Belrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Belrix)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2014, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-plan-plants-for-my-backyard/693775/4 "2014-07-23T17:14:52Z")
I’m hoping for an artist’s eye on this and perhaps some help with a “put this plant there” diagram. I’ve got a small rock garden in the front yard, the iceplant has taken over and the hens and chicks seem lazy, not filling in nearly as well as I hoped. The Lamb’s Ear was vigorous at first and then some fungus or something got into it and I had a big die-off. Suggestions for something tall along the back and something that will climb? Clematis? ---
**Author:** ![KRC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/45deac/32.png) [@KRC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KRC)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2014, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-plan-plants-for-my-backyard/693775/5 "2014-07-24T13:25:28Z")
Try Turkish Horehound. I have some that’s been around for 15 years and with just a bit of watering during droughts (which have unfortunately been happening a lot lately) it does well. [http://plantselect.org/2009/05/kick-up-your-heels-with-silverheels-horehound/](http://plantselect.org/2009/05/kick-up-your-heels-with-silverheels-horehound/) Japanese Spurge might be good in shady areas. It grows well but needs some extra water. I think it is legal, unlike Donkeytail Spurge, which is outlawed as invasive in some areas. Tanacetum (Feverfew) is hardy–mine has been around many years and taken a few beatings. Perennial salvia, catmint, and yarrow grow quickly and are pretty tough. Some forms of artimesia sage (silver sage, for instance) also grow quickly, as do native asters. When in doubt, portulucas (moss rose) are a quick solution to difficult areas. Their only problem is that they are annuals.