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orcascove

Full sun shorter non-invasive plants to go with hens and chicks??

Orcascove
16 years ago

I have a baseball diamond shaped raised bed with lots of beautiful hens and chicks in the front corner of the diamond. There are lots of spring bulbs in the back which of course have now gone yellow. I would love to put in some kind of perennial flowering plants to fill in the rear of the area, but am having trouble finding something to work. I am in Columbus Ohio- Zone 5. It is a full sun bed, with good drainage, since it is raised bed - I am looking for something on the shorter side and colorful. I would like it to fill in the open spaces, but not choke out my hens and chicks. Something that flowers several seasons would be awesome. (Is there such a thing out there as a sun loving perennial similar to the annual impatient?) I currently have a bed half full of hens and chicks, and just mulch and braided bulb remnants over the rest of the bed. Anyone out there have any suggestions?

Comments (7)

  • tracyvine
    16 years ago

    {{gwi:370971}}

    These rock soapwort are my favorite, they can be somewhat invasive though. Very easy to quarantine if you just place some more rocks aroung them. I have mine on the top of a rock pile and they cascade down beautifully. The branches will try to take root but you can just pinch them off to stop them in their tracks! These are very full and lush! Love the heat

  • Orcascove
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Thanks for responding Tracyvine, the plant is beautiful. I will definately be using some soapwart in my bed. Can you tell me how to get a picture include with my posts? I tried the copy and paste and cut and paste options but it doesn't work. I'm new to the forum and have some pictures of things I want to know about, but can't figure out how to get them to show up like yours did.

  • birdsrwonderful
    16 years ago

    Tracyvine: I agree with orcascove the soapwort is a beautiful plant. Did you find yours at a garden center or did you order it? How did you get it to grow on the rock?

    Thanks

  • laurabs
    16 years ago

    You can do a search at this site.

    http://www.stepables.com/plantinfo.htm

    Here is a link that might be useful: Stepables plant search

  • tracyvine
    16 years ago

    There is a garden center on center ridge road in North ridgeville ohio that had them. I think they are called beardens. I did research online for the best plants for full sun and would do well in rock walls. I created a well in the center of my rock pile and filled it with humus and top soil with a bit of sand. I plopped the rock soapwort right in the center and I water daily. It is on it's second year there and wintered beautifully. The heat it receives is intense. The rocks all around get to be 175 degrees or more. The need well drained soil and once they are established just start growing over the edge of whatever they are in. I do trim it back once it starts hitting the planting wells below it so they don't take root in with my other plants. I also give it a trim once seed production starts because the foliage thins out and it doesn't look as nice. I am letting a small section seed this year to see what I get.

    Picture posting. Open an account on photobucket.com upload your pictures there. there are three types of formats to use in posting pictures by each of your photos on the site. Click the second one and copy it. Have two tabs open, one for gardenweb and one for photobucket. once you copy the picture return to the garden web forum and paste it into the message you are typing. It will appear in the preview format.

    If you like I can send some soapwort to you.

  • birdsrwonderful
    16 years ago

    Thanks Tracyvine for the information. I am going to try and find some soapwort if I cannot I will see if you are still willing to send some.

    I have another question for the experts here. When you plant the hens and chicks do you place rocks around the plants so they grow over the rocks or do you let them grow along the ground? This may be a really dumb question but I have some in pots and would like to put them in a "beginning" rock garden but have never seen them growing in such.

  • tracyvine
    16 years ago

    let me know

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