After reading “Why You Shouldn’t Mulch a Steep Bank” you may have assumed I doused my steep sunny bank in gasoline and struck a match. Though tempting, sound mind prevailed. A little research and experimentation heeded some pleasing long-term results. Keep reading to find out what to plant on a steep sunny bank.
Maintain a Bank Without a Green Thumb
I never have claimed to have a green thumb. If I share with you about any surviving plants I own, other than the grass on my lawn, you probably can keep them alive as well. The original purpose of mulching my bank was to avoid the back-breaking regimen of mowing a ninety-degree surface. This proved a failing tactic in many ways. Another consideration I looked over was soil erosion. Something had to be planted to crowd out weed growth while rooting in and holding the soil in place. Our bank receives unobstructed sunlight from noon until sundown. It is steep and well-drained, yet somewhat dry. We live on a corner lot with pleasingly minimal car traffic.
Planting Conditions on Our Steep Sunny Bank
When our twin beagles are enjoying a romp in the backyard, they frequently have various visitors of the canine variety, along with their people. Most owners are respectful of our property. Others allow their pets to climb our bank and poo without restraint. I have since created a friendly persuasion to help with that problem. I will describe my neighborhood poop bag dispensary in a future post. Still, whatever is planted on the hill must be able to tolerate all of the above plus my doomed plant parenting skills.
Periwinkle to the Rescue 
Enter the humble variegated periwinkle. Even the name seems magical. You stick this dainty little flowering vine in the ground and with a little merry weather, you will soon have much Flaura and Fauna! Truly. These unfussy plants are a hillside wonder.
Planting Periwinkle on a Steep Bank
I purchased and spaced a dozen or so small plants evenly on the bank. Mind you this is a HUGE bank. A little water and sunshine and the flowering vines were large and full. I pulled roots from the first plants and repeated. I kept planting, pulling, and re-planting until the entire bank was covered and light and dark leafy greens, spattered with the cutest purple blooms. They live very happily in their current situation.
How Periwinkle on our Steep Bank Changes Through Seasons
I did need to pull a few determined weeds and grass from the bank as the periwinkle established itself. But weeds were few and far between. Now, a few years later, the plants are thick, full, and wonderful. I have pretty little flowers blinking at me in the spring and summer. Fall and winter yield a thick hedge of variegated leafiness. I couldn’t be more pleased. It is helpful to occasionally edge them with a weed eater. I find a good clean trim with the mower in the early spring yields fuller, healthier-looking plants year-round. But I have only done that once in all the years of having my purple bloomers 🙂
So, there you have it. Sometimes the thing that holds you down may be the very thing to lift you up. Be sure to bookmark this page for more lawn and home improvement ideas. Be my guest at the Sawdust and Cornbread YouTube channel for videos focusing on making the home you want using the things you have. Until next time.
~Lora Lea
