Question
I have 3 septic rings that are almost level with the ground and my husband does not want to plant grass around them in case someone mows over them.  Currently we have a circle shape of mulch around them but would like to plant some things in the area.  Should I be concerned about root depth, etc?  It is partial sun/shade.  Any suggestions?

Answer
Hello Terry

In these cases I find that Iris germanica is a great plant for covering unsightly objects in the garden. Iris germanica is great because they grow almost anywhere, as long as they get some sunshine and they do not need deep soil.

If you get some sun (preferably midday or afternnon sun) on that area then that could be a great plant for the job. To prevent them from looking dull in the winter you could plant Thymus serpyllum at their base and they will provide you with some evergreen cover during the winter. They also flower at the same time in deep blue of the iris and light purple of the thyme.

Hope that's been useful and thanks for any bonus points in advance.

Kind regards

Jonathan www.ecologicagardens.com