Thoughts on planting on driveway cut?

[tortoise]

Yeah, the three beasties here would love the catnip. Doesn't mint spread a lot?

It can spread like crazy. Mowing keeps it in check at my place.

 

[flowerbug]

It can spread like crazy. Mowing keeps it in check at my place.

mowing mint is like giving the lawnmower a breath mint. it sure smells nice (to me - Mom has reactions). all the mints in the grass now are from escaping various herb garden plantings that included mints. i've never really gone through much effort to remove them other than the ground ivy that tried to invade. right now though i have some henbit which wants to get going in a few places and i don't want yet another invasive weed so i'm going to keep hunting it down and removing it when i see it.

 

[Hinotori]

Catnip spreads by seed, not runners but still gets everywhere. It loves it here. I only bought one plant over a decade ago. It's not exactly biannual. Usually grows for 3 or 4 years before dying. It can get to 6 feet tall no matter what the packages say. It regularly does that to me. Ive been asked to sell it because I only dry the giant leaves unlike the store stuff that's mostly stem.

My clay layer is about 2 feet down so plants aren't directly in it.

Lavender is used a lot around here as a mulched ground cover.

 

[Mini Horses]

That would be pretty with a low growing perennial flower. Creeping thyme comes in many colors.

 

[Gizelle]

I will post pictures later to help the discussion.
The driveway is cut down through the bank in front of the house. It's stable, not eroding, but the brown dirt needs some greenery.

I started this thread to tap into the hive mind for ideas on sprucing it up. If I was a younger man with my earlier strength and ambition, I would probably use railroad ties and put a terrace thing in. Now, I am looking for plantings that are low maintenance so I don't have to do my mountain goat impression to weed whack the slopes.

The ground is clay. In the past, I've planted in clay making holes, filling with good soil, then planting. Was only moderately successful as I just made plant water cup holes. Doh.
Any suggestions?

If it's dirt therapy does it still count against my to do list?

Fill every corner you find at your feet,
With something pretty and something to eat.

 

[Finnie]

What about some ornamental grasses? Then you wouldn’t have to mow. I have found zebra and porcupine grass to be pretty tough.

 

[FarmerJamie]

How silly would a patchwork of different options be? I am thinking of doing it in sections, maybe even some daffodils

 

[frustratedearthmother]

How silly would a patchwork of different options be?

I like it! Make it unique!

 

[Mini Horses]

Planned, it could very pretty! Plus low maintenance.

 

[flowerbug]

daffy's aren't really ground cover since they die back after flowering, but there's nothing wrong with using them.