Hi gardeners,
I am a completely newbie with gardening but I am eager to learn and try new things. I also do have the time and the physical ability to spend some time on this. I recently moved to a new development in the suburbs of Seattle (Zone 8b) and would love to plant a border or at least a few plants in my otherwise sad little bare yard. I dug under the beauty bark by the retaining wall and found that less than 4 inches down, I hit dense sand. I think the builders dug up the existing area (which used to be wooded), and leveled the foundation area with sand. About six inches further down, there are sizeable pebbles and rocks as well as the sand. My question is, what are my options for planting along this retaining wall? I've been watching YouTube videos and I love the look of English gardens. I'm thinking plants like creeping phlox and other rocky soil/hardy plants along the top of the retaining wall, and hydrangeas, hostas, snapdragons, and other perennials in front of the wall behind the bird bath. I get about six to seven hours of sunlight right now along that retaining wall area. I assume that having someone come in to dig a deep trench along the retaining wall and refill with soil would cost a fortune. Perhaps I can do it myself? Are raised garden beds (I'm thinking something like the Vego) my only option here?
Thank you in advance for any advice!
