Hello I have a strip of dirt down the side of my house approx. 1.5ft wide, between the house and sidewalk. It gets very little sun maybe 1hr per day. what can grow there for ground cover, anything is better than gravel. Thanks James
Try Phlox. We have this on our rockery that's in the shade of a sx foot fence for most of the day. It's "maintenance free."
I have not used it myself but I have heard that creeping thyme is good just for greenery ! Not sure about any culinary uses ! Toni will probably know ! I personally love oxalis !! Pom poms of green and covered in pink or white flowers about now ! At least mine is ! You can`t kill it and it survives in Texas heat and drought with minimal water ! All of mine is in full shade ! It also come in purple but it is not as hardy as the old fashioned green variety !
Creeping Thyme is pretty with purple flowers and has a great fragrance but is more suitable as a ground cover than eating.
You might try Periwinkle(Vinca minor). A blue-green leafed evergreen it does well as a ground cover. In a border area setting, the runners can be controlled. It has purple flowers, does well in the shade and is not on the menu for deer. Jerry
Welcome James, Here’s what I grow in my temperate climate in the shade. I like mother-of-thousands. It grows on the north and East sides of my house and the shaded area between house and garage. Miniature and small varieties of hostas are included with some very old varieties of primrose. Here is the small strip between the house and garage. There is also some hardy cyclamen and pieris japonica I have to ruthlessly prune. The space is about 24 inches.
If you want something you can plant and not have to fuss with, vinca is your best bet.(low maintenance). If you'd like to have a mini garden there, Jewells suggestions are great. BTW,Thyme is an herb and requires sun and good drainage. Which reminds me, does this foot wide stretch of soil between your walkway and your house get any rain? Is it under the eaves of you house roof? Or on the drip line of your house? If it is dry as a bone, you'll have to remember to water it. Drip lines can be tough on plants. Another reason to go with vinca