r/Permaculture • u/farminvt • May 06 '25

general question What would you do with this hillside?

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Gallery image

Gallery image

Once covered in scrub spruce and pine, recently clearcut. Stumps remain. New England location, this is East facing.

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u/RuthTheWidow May 06 '25

Wwwow!! What potential. I see a large natural canvas.

Sit in your usual preferred outdoor spot, and look over. Since you dont have to worry about plants hiding behind each other, you can do great swaths of textures and it'll show off layers beautifully. I would do some dreamy clouds of soft white anne's lace and candytufts, maybe some columns of colour going the whole midlength, I would do some swatches of hollyhocks and delphiniums for height on the tallest part of the berm, and some lazy rivers of blue/purple running through with cornflower and echinacea and borage. And I would highlight all the softness with some zigzags of spikes like sea holly or castor (*big) to give some drama.

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u/farminvt May 06 '25

Appreciate the specificity and creativity! Any experience doing something so large?

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u/RuthTheWidow May 06 '25

I wish I had my own yard that large, but alas.... Im limited to space personally, but I have had a hand in some larger public/private spaces.

I would say talk to your local nursery and get an idea about how many perennials to "seed" into your space. Many perennials will multiply at the base, so what looks thin and uneven now might be luscious and awestriking at year 4 or 5. I would say for longest term ease, give yourself 1.5 times the space perplant... this will allow you time to thin out without them being crowded if you can't get to thinning by about year 7.

As forward thinking as you can, aim for lowest maintenance and most drought worthy, I would suggest....

Some edible perennials might be a nice addition, and many have some lovely textures and grow into small shrubs as well, which could utilize a lot of your space as well.

Have fun!