Planting on a 2-Foot Retaining Wall: Year-Round Compact Plants for Philadelphia

Constraints

Philly area (Zone 6/7). 2-ft wall, 12″ soil over stone. Wants year-round plants ≤12″ diameter, possibly flowering. Plant now or spring?

Barberry: ‘Crimson Pygmy’ or ‘Kobold’ (red leaves, holds form winter, ≤12″).
Prostrate Junipers: *J. chinensis* ‘Parsonii’, ‘Sargenti’; *J. conferta*; *J. horizontalis* ‘Blue Carpet/Blue Creeper’.
Compact Holly: *Ilex cornuta* ‘Rotunda’.
Spring Bulbs (Seasonal Color): Daffodils, tulips—accept winter gaps.

Fall planting okay for hardy woody plants; spring better for perennials/bulbs. Water until ground freezes.

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