Question
Sean,

Our backyard faces a retaining wall and goes up towards our neighbors. This leaves us about 90 X 20 feet of pine straw to look at above the wall - very boring!! Basically, it gets constant sun - they put Junipers across the area, but they are not responding.  Do you have any advice on what to put there for color, durability and low maintenance.  Very dry as well, due to not getting any water from irrigation.
Appreciate any input!
Thanks,
Pete  

Answer
Add sun tolerant hardy perennials.
Use a loose combination of groupings.
Mix the following plants, Day Lilly spp., Iris spp., creeping rosemary, mint, rudbeckia, sedum 'Autumn Joy', and coreopsis.
Then add color in the form of deciduous bushes...I'ld use spirea with the existing juniper. Try 'Gold Mound' or ' Lime Mound' or 'Anthony Waterer' these are all small more colorful varieties. In the very back plant some big evergreens that like full sun. In front of them plant some red colored medium height plants like barberry or loropetalum rubrum.

If you give me your location I might be able to tell you more.

Good Luck
Sean J Murphy, LA,ISA, LEED AP
Please check out my blogs and articles on landscape topics like this on my websites.
http://www.seanjmurphy.com
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