Taking a lemon and making lemonade

[Nina, Phil, Harlow & Lacey]

Shortly after moving into our house in 1995 we began to notice a large area in our back yard was sinking.  At that time we had a neighbor boy who cut our grass and one he said "hey it looks like those dump trucks of dirt the [previous owners] put in didn't take care of the big hole in your back yard."  That got talking with all our neighbors about sink holes.  Turns out everyone had one to some extent or another.  When the subdivision was first built in the early 80's it was in an unincorporated area and not in the city limits like it is now.  With lax building restrictions the builder just bulldozed a big hole on the build site and dumped trees cleared to build house and all the other trash left over when you build a house.  Then they pushed dirt back over it and planted grass.  We were luckier than some as our sink hole was in the backyard where it wasn't noticeable from the street.  But it was still annoying and unsightly.

We had some major landscaping done in 2002 and had the company fill in the sink hole with gravel, fill soil and finally topsoil (dump truck of each).  Things look great; we had a level back yard; life was good.  Then slowly the sink hole returned and by 2008 we yet again added more dirt to the sink hole and more sod.

But by mid 2011, you got it, the sink hole was back.  But this time we decided to do something other than try filling it in with more dry.  We took our eye sore of a sink hole and turned it into a dry creek bed.

Now that the creek bed is done it is time to start to put in some creek side plants along the far side, tucked up under the trees.  I would love to get some suggestions from my DK gardener pals on plant that would work along a creek.  We live in zone 7 which gives us lots of options.

[F, Calla & Luca]

Looks like Andrea has given you some great suggestions. Even though it's a dry creek bed it is shady under all those trees. I think ferns would do well. I find hostas, ferns, hellebores, pachysandra and those sorts of things just make lovely gardens that fill themselves in, return year after year and require little care. Mountain laurels, rhododendrons and azaleas like some shade too. Here are some areas of my garden.

This garden area has astilbes, hostas Mayapples and Japanese painted ferns.

I just noticed recently the pot of wild ginger I threw in several years ago has really spread:

Mountain Laurel, I like the plain old fashioned kind:

The above garden along the side of the house doesn't get much sun.

[Nina, Phil, Harlow & Lacey]

I love mountain laurels, rhododendrons and azaleas too.  There use to be some scrawny azaleas under those trees but most have given up.  They were put there by the previous owner and I am pretty sure they weren't native.  I was thinking the same thing about hostas and ferns.  I have several Japanese painted ferns and cinnamon ferns that I need to move from under shrubbery at the front of the house.  I thought they might look good along the creek bed. 

[F, Calla & Luca]

And how could I foget Camellias, they like some shade too. The winter hardy ones have done very well for me in NJ. I got some at home depot this year that were very inexpensive!

I would start with shrubs and fill in with shade tolerant perennials and groundcovers.

[F, Calla & Luca]

[Carol and Banjo]

Gorgeous photos F!   Your yard must be a paradise!

[F, Calla & Luca]

Thanks. More like a jungle at times : ) But there are pretty spots.

[Nina, Phil, Harlow & Lacey]

I love camillias as well, but have never been successful at having them survive planting.  I love the pics of you gardens.

[F, Calla & Luca]

Thanks. I think you have to make sure you get the cold hardy ones since zone 7 is the outside limit for most of the southern azaleas. The ones I've had, the two picture above are near the screen porch and behind a yew hedge. Other than location, no coddling at all. I have had one or two failures with camellias. The fall blooming ones get caught by frost here or at least they did before global warming : ) But since the latest at Home Depot cost next to nothing....

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Beautiful!

[Maryann,Roo and Tigger]

Wow!  i absolutely love your dry creek bed.  What a great idea.