Softening a Retaining Wall with Trailing Plants

A stone retaining wall clashing with a rustic brick cottage in Pittsburgh (Zone 6) can be veiled with trailing evergreens.

Candidates

• Variegated ivy (Hedera helix ‘Glacier’, ‘Gold Child’) – evergreen, trails, moderate vigor.
• Winter jasmine (Jasminum nudiflorum) – evergreen, yellow spring flowers, trails.
• Creeping fig (Ficus pumila) – evergreen, self-clinging, but Zone 7+ (risky in PA).
• ‘Green Showers’ Boston ivy – deciduous, but dense winter stems.

Training

Attach horizontal wires or trellis to the wall face. Tie young stems to wires; they’ll cascade down. Prune annually to keep off the lawn.

Variegated ivy is the safest Zone 6 pick for year-round coverage.