Cascading Plants: Transform Your Yard with Stunning Greenery

Having a retaining wall is in some cases simply a necessity. They are a great hardscaping element that helps to prevent erosion and improve the structural stability of certain areas. Although you will aim to build a retaining wall out of materials that visually go well with your yard, sometimes that is not enough and they end up looking plain and boring. That being said, there is an easy solution for your problems and it is cascading plants for retaining walls. Adding these flowers to your yard will help you bring life to any slope or retaining wall that needs some visual help.

So, now’s the time to talk more about these beautiful plants, how you can use them, different types, and what they are in general. Let’s dive right in.

What are Outdoor Cascading Plants?

Cascading plants, also referred to as spillers or trailers, are plants that grow like any other plant when on ground level, but when put on elevated positions they grow in a waterfall-like manner creating beautiful scenery for your yard. As we have mentioned already, they are a great solution if you want to bring life into a plain retaining wall or any other sloped surface you might have in your yard.

With so many different plants you can choose form, let’s dive into more detail and talk about some of the most popular ones.

Best Cascading Plants for Retaining Walls

If you are unsure which cascading perennials will work best for your yard, here are some of the best and most popular choices.

Cascading Perennial Plants

One hardy perennial that will gracefully expand and flow over the outer edges of a retaining wall is creeping phlox. It blooms in the middle to late summer and has evergreen leaves. There are pink, purple, lavender, and light blue garden varieties of creeping phlox.

Although trailing lobelia is considered a perennial in theory, most people grow it as an annual due to its sensitive nature. It spills over the sides of its container and forms mounds up to 6 inches tall. It has adorable, lobed flowers. Although it comes in a few various hues, the deep blue type is the most preferred because garden plants rarely have a “true” blue tint.

Low-growing creeping perennial, creeping thyme produces a thick blanket of small leaves. Ground-covering thyme comes in a few distinct types, each with unique blooms, leaf colors, and textures. The flowers of Creeping Thyme nearly completely cover the leaves during bloom! Thyme grows down the side of retaining walls and, if the wall is composed of stone or brick, it will probably attach itself to the masonry gaps.

Cascading Foliage Plants

Large, dark green leaves on a fast-growing deciduous perennial plant, Virginia creeper will give your retaining wall a ton of visual flair. In the fall, the leaves turn a stunning scarlet red and produce eye-catching clusters of dark purple berries. If allowed to spread out across a retaining wall, Virginia creeper will eventually cover the wall entirely.

Silver Falls Dichondra is a lovely alternative for a trail. It has lovely silvery-green leaves that resemble fans, and it spreads by means of runners that cascade long silver leaf strands.

Alternating circular leaves that are green and gold, creeping Jenny is a low-growing groundcover. With lengthy leaf tendrils, these perennial plants will overflow the retaining wall’s edges creating a beautiful creeping jenny retaining wall cover.

Non-traditional Cascading Plants

Apart from flowers and other foliage, there are also several edible plants that you can use as cascading plants. So give them a try if you’re looking for a distinctive cascading plant for your retaining wall that will also produce some delicious fruit or vegetables!

With their runners, strawberries spread out fast and drape over walls, their bright red berries standing out against the brick or stone of the wall.

Scarlet Runner Beans can climb, spread swiftly on any surface, and have gorgeous, vibrant red flowers, even though they are not exactly considered as cascading plants.

You can choose the tasty home-grown cucumbers rather easily since they will also trail and climb. Cucumbers and runner beans grow better when planted near the base of retaining walls so they can climb up.

Outdoor Cascading Plants For Garden

Use outdoor cascading plants to create visually striking, flowing displays to improve the aesthetic appeal of your yard. These adaptable plants give every area a rich, lively atmosphere by adding depth and texture.

Full Sun Cascading Plants

Petunias are on our list because, although they may thrive in partial shade, full sun is when they bloom the most abundantly. It’s crucial to keep the soil moist when taking care of these hanging plants outside in full sunlight.

Million bells like full sun to part shade, but they bloom more profusely in full sun, which makes it one of the greatest sun-loving plants for hanging baskets.

Partial Sun or Shade

Shade, even complete shade, suits English ivy perfectly. Keep these plants nestled and hanging in pots if you don’t want them to take over your entire yard, as they have a tendency to spread and are frequently utilized as ground cover.

With lovely, vibrant blooms Begonias can liven up a dull patio or porch. They are available in a variety of colors, including orange, pink, and white cascading flowers. They provide your patio or porch the ideal hit of color and they will easily thrive in partial shade.

Conclusion                            

With our professional landscape design services, you can completely revamp your yard. We specialize in adding gorgeous cascading plants to any area of your yard. Get in touch with us right now to design a rich, eye-catching outdoor area that will improve the utility and aesthetic appeal of your yard.