Hi all,

I posted this already in the Northeast Gardening forum, but there were no responses so was wondering if better to post it here as a general question that might get routed to a more well suited forum. I apologize for double posting... Feel free to delete any duplicate!
The original post is here :
The thread "Need low shrub/plants suggestions" in Northeast Gardening forum

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I recently had metal bars installed where my front porch and front of the house meets the ground to prevent groundhogs and skunks from burrowing under my porch/home (the bars extend 18" underground). The bars are a bit unsightly as they stick up about 6 inches from the ground. I'd like to plant some low growing/low maintenance shrubs or plants to conceal the bars. I'm in zone 7a. There's generally not too much sun at the front of the house as it's north facing. I'd really like something I don't have to care too much for (ie doesn't need to be trimmed much) and won't grow or spread wildly.

Any suggestions? (Am I asking too much or being unrealistic?)

Thanks in advance!

I don't think you are asking too much, nor being unrealistic.
Since I don't know the east coast, here's a general strategy that can work anywhere: Look around you. See what others in your area have planted in similar places. See anything you like? Go to the door, ask the person living there what that is, how they tend it, where to get it....

Get it? Reach out. Consult local experts. See for yourself what works where you are, and do that.

Well, it is an odd question in that I have been blessed by both species here in Michigan. Skunks are primarily meat eaters, worms, grubs, beetles, those kinds of things. Groundhogs/woodchucks are capable of more damage. For me, they were more of a concern.
Last Spring I decided to hire a nuisance wildlife company to trap and remove them. I had 5 of them.
I don't think that you can keep them from going under the house unless the barrier is made more substantial. Maybe installation of lattice work? It is available in Lowe's or Home Depot. You could build a rough framework around the open space and then install the lattice work over it. You could trench the bottom edge 6'' deep and then back fill to discourage burrowing underneath. Trust me, vegetation won't stop them. My darn critters climb trees here! Imagine a 8-10 pound animal climbing trees in order to eat berries and leaves.
But I agree. Visit a local nursery or big box store to see what they have. Perhaps English ivy, Lilly of the Valley, Epimedium's, Hosta's, etc. would do well. But every ones taste is different so people might be reluctant to suggest things.

catpaworchid said:
Perhaps English ivy, Lilly of the Valley, Epimedium's, Hosta's, etc. would do well.

I'd be careful thinking about using some of these... You could create issues that you'll regret for the rest of your life by planting invasives...

When I read the post, blueberry bushes seemed like just what the dr ordered...
There are low bush types, and high bush type, you should be able to find some that meet your height requirements without fiddling around with trimmers... And get those wonderful berries each year!

Of course, it's going to depend on what other animals you have in the neighborhood... raccoons and possums may show up to eat the berries, or maybe you can sit back and photograph the songbirds that show up for the fruit...

The above suggested hosta? Be prepared to see bare stems rather than pretty leaves... The burgeoning deer populations in most of our Northeastern hamlets love those hosta...

Epimedium? Probably be fine.... Along with hellebore... I can't think of any animals that bother either... although, hellebore is prone to a virus down here and in the uk that will cripple the entire patch...

Skimmia japonica.
It keeps its leaves, it grows in shade, it stays around 3 feet height, pretty red berries. Can tolerate minus temps.

How tall do you want the pla ts to be? Can you post a picture or two?

I would look at your arboretums. You can get ideas from them and ask for advice.

Here is a list:
https://newjerseyisntboring.co...

One of the arboretums on that list has a garden inspired by this Gold Medal list:
https://phsonline.org/for-gard...

Lists/databases like these are great for finding plants for specific needs in your region.

Thank you all for your suggestions!
I will definitely look into these.

Here is what it looks like. They are stainless steel bars that go 18 inches underground.



Thanks again!
-Sam

That's a very short barrier which opens things up really nicely for ideas on plants. You could use any variety of groundcover, bushes, and other plants to cover that. Looks like they go about 6 inches above ground from the photos, so anything that grows at least that high will work.

Heuchera might work. They are evergreen and have varieties that will perform well in zone 7a. Lots of colors to mix and match. Not a lot of maintenance. And you can intersperse with some taller plants offering seasonal interest as desired.

Many things will work there.
I would avoid tough vines that would twine into the bars.
Hosta is common, easy to find at the big box, easy to grow, will hide the bars all summer, but will expose them in winter during dormant season.

Glad to see the picture...
Still need some idea of which direction this faces...
For instance I have different plants on the north side of my house than I have on the south side of the house...

And... If you stood further back to get a wider shot so we could see any trees that might affect the amount of light this spot gets...

As far as the one under the shrub? I'd be tempted to cut that poor shrub to the ground, and see if it didn't come back with more than just that single trunk... I can't really tell what that is... some shrubs die when all the green is cut off... so.... if you could tell us what you've been keeping sheared into a lollypop?
Although... it does look like it's trying to send out growth from below... probably be fine to cut back even with the ground...

Sweet Box is a fun little broadleaf evergreen with fragrant late winter/early spring blooms. Sweet & Lo is a small cultivar that only grows to about 1.5-2.5' tall and 2-3' wide - so just a couple would fill in that spot nicely. And because it's a shrub, it will be virtually maintenance-free. It's kind of new, so if you can't get it at your local nursery, you can likely find it with any online retailer that carries Proven Winners plants.

gro-low sumac
dwarf fothergilla
bowling ball and Hetz midget arborvitae
dwarf barberry
cotoneaster microphyllus

Hello Sam!

I love Natalie's suggestion of a Sweet Box! I was thinking of just boxwoods, in general, like 'Sprinter' or 'North Star', for tidy, evergreen interest. They will likely need some occasional trimming. But a sweet box would give you some early season flowers and berries, too, in a perhaps more broad-leafed, less formal package.

I've also had good luck with diervillas in shady spots, and they come in lots of fun colors nowadays. They are a deciduous pick, rather than evergreen, losing their leaves in winter. They may also get a little larger than you're hoping for, at about 3-4 feet tall & wide. They are native, however, not fussy about soil, and easy to grow. I have a couple orange and chartreuse colored varieties that bloom all summer long, attracting bumblebees and providing a bright spot in an otherwise shady area along the backside of my garage. I bet one of these would fill in that area next to the bricks beautifully!

Here's Kodiak 'Orange' Diervilla:

stone said: Glad to see the picture...
Still need some idea of which direction this faces...
For instance I have different plants on the north side of my house than I have on the south side of the house...

And... If you stood further back to get a wider shot so we could see any trees that might affect the amount of light this spot gets...

As far as the one under the shrub? I'd be tempted to cut that poor shrub to the ground, and see if it didn't come back with more than just that single trunk... I can't really tell what that is... some shrubs die when all the green is cut off... so.... if you could tell us what you've been keeping sheared into a lollypop?
Although... it does look like it's trying to send out growth from below... probably be fine to cut back even with the ground...

Hi stone,

The house is north facing and there are no other trees around that affect the shade... it's pretty much just the house that blocks the sun for most of the day and that "lollipop"
Here's a better shot of it... It's some kind of evergreen.
I wouldn't mind cutting it down per se, but would have to run it by the wife.

Still looking into all these great suggestions...
Thank you all!

Yup...
North side of house is going to change the plants you can grow.
I'd start looking at locally native ferns.

Like maybe Christmas ferns, bead ferns...

I dug a butt-load of ferns from a garden a few years ago, and every year I dig out more...

Drawing a blank on what kind they are, though...
Some ferns grow aggressively, others are well behaved...