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chueh_gw

plants under the gutters

chueh
10 years ago

I am wondering if there are low maintenance perennials or small shrubs thrive well under gutters? thanks

Comments (6)

  • gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
    10 years ago

    You mean under the eaves of a roof? Sure, there's lots! Generally that's a situation that is fairly dry - no direct rainfall - so look for drought tolerant plants. Depending on what side of the structure they are located and how wide the eave, it may also have a bearing on the amount of sunlight the plants will receive - you will need to temper your choices accordingly.

    If truly under gutters (or downspouts) and the gutters overflow routinely, then you are looking at plants that need to tolerate wet conditions.

  • chueh
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thank you for your reply. Yes, under the eaves of a roof. However, as I observe it, this area is either very wet when it's raining, due to the drippings of the rain from the gutters. Yet, it is dry too, since the eaves blocks the rain. I was thinking of anything that's like for a pond, yet the area can get very dry at the same time, so that's why I am not sure what to do.....

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    10 years ago

    as far as i am concerned.. that 2 or 3 feet is a walkway ... for not only weeding and watering .. but also window cleaning ... and other house maintenance ... [like i ever clean my windows.. lol]

    one thought though.. one year.. i left the xmas light gutter clips on.. and had some old 4 foot wide bird netting... attached such to the clips.. and some rocks/bricks below to hold it .... and grew morning glory on it all ...

    then at the end of the year ... pulled out the plants at the roots .. and wound plant and netting all up into a ball.. and threw in in the nearest lake.. hoping to kill some fish ... and baby otters ...

    ken

    ps: lol ... all i ended up with.. was a drunken fisherman.. who thought he had hooked moby dick .. what a maroon ...

    Here is a link that might be useful: link

  • TexasRanger10
    10 years ago

    If it just gets drenched when raining I wouldn't treat it like a wet area unless the drainage is very bad & there is a problem of standing water for days. Is it typically dry or the same as the rest of the soil in that area? I would choose what to plant by the average condition of the soil. I have a spot by a drain pipe & don't treat it any different than the rest of the garden which is rather dry.

    If its full sun, some drought hardy perennials like Russian Sage, Gregg salvia, Artemisia, Rosemary or hardy Lantana would possibly be good choices. An occasional deep drenching when it rains wouldn't hurt & they would stand up to the dry conditions when the rain is blocked.

  • mxk3 z5b_MI
    10 years ago

    Um...if your gutters are leaking that much when it rains, you need new gutters before you need plants.

  • chueh
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    :-) all good ideas and thoughts. Ken is right about using the space for walking and cleaning, yet I always walk between plants anyway. mxk3, my gutters are fine, but i guess that the rain water overflowing is due to stuff accumulated in the gutter which had not been cleaned for years. We just cleaned them last fall, so the drippings should be less now. However, it's very ugly to have gravel underneath the mulch exposed and to form a linear path, due to the drips washing the mulch away. That's why I am trying to plant there. Thanks to TexasRanger for suggesting some plants.

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