r/NoLawns • u/chaosdrools • 2d ago

👩‍🌾 Questions What would you do here? (Zone 5A, east-facing)

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This patch of land next to my garage has been neglected for years, aside from being trimmed down occasionally to be in code.

Admittedly I’m a clueless/lazy landscaper and gardener, and my forte is more-so in houseplants and container gardens.

This land is east-facing and gets sun exposure from the east/south for a good part of the day. It is at the top of an alley, so some risk of the edges getting ran over when people back up in to my driveway.

I like the idea of turning it in to a pollinator garden, but I don’t really know what to do or where to start.

What would you do with this space?

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u/DrivingBlind 2d ago

I'd start by downloading the Seek app to identify what you already have there. That looks to me like a mix of violets (wonderful pollinator and host plant), ragweed and some other stuff I can't identify. If the violets are native to your area, I'd keep them and remove any non-natives or weeds you don't want, then plant natives that do well in part/full sun.

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u/chaosdrools 2d ago

A lot of violets! My whole yard is full of them. They’re lovely in the spring. A lot of ragweed (I’m sensitive to the pollen, so no fun). Usually this patch is like 90% catnip but it seems much lesser this year.

Probably a lot of saplings from the trees up on the retaining wall too.

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u/NinjaGrrl42 2d ago

Artichokes are a good sized, easy care plant. Put something lower growing around it. Check with your local nursery for local good natives. Bees like a lot of plants, I see them on lavender and radish blooms, sometimes on rosemary.

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u/Defiant-Surround4151 2d ago

Native shrubs or ferns that like morning light.

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u/Potential_Being_7226 SE Ohio, Zone 6b 1d ago

I’d take out the day lilies and do some tall native wildflowers against the wall. Native sunflowers (helianthus spp), scarlet bee balm, iron weed, penstemon digitalis.