I’m from South Mississippi. The area I shaded in red doesn’t receive any direct sunlight because of the eve of the house. I’ve noticed some moss starting to grow. Should I try to sod some St Augustine grass? I’m planning to switch my yard to Bermuda, but it clearly won’t grow in this spot.
Should I keep trying to grow grass here or turn this area into a flower bed instead?
I think a mulched flower bed sounds like a good idea!
Cai said:
I think a mulched flower bed sounds like a good idea!
Not sure if hostas grow well in Mississippi, but I would suggest planting some hostas and adding mulch.
Cai said:
I think a mulched flower bed sounds like a good idea!
Not sure if hostas grow well in Mississippi, but I would suggest planting some hostas and adding mulch.
That can depend a lot on how many deer are around. If you have deer in your area, they might leave them alone, but it’s a bit of a gamble.
Also, if you want to try hostas, ask friends, neighbors, or join local Facebook groups. They separate easily and many are willing to give some for free.
@Lior
I saw someone mention that if you can’t find hostas for free, then you probably don’t have enough friends!
Nyx said:
@Lior
I saw someone mention that if you can’t find hostas for free, then you probably don’t have enough friends!
That’s true. There are certain varieties I want but can’t find… I might have to buy some and I really hate that idea.
@Lior
I ended up buying some in spring 
You should get more friends.
I think the issue is I live in a new neighborhood and people here haven’t really changed out their developer landscaping yet (no hostas).
@Nyx
Try to befriend them over the next couple of years then.
Nyx said:
@Lior
I saw someone mention that if you can’t find hostas for free, then you probably don’t have enough friends!
I have plenty of hostas and I’ve given quite a few away.
@Lior
Great idea! My hostas grow so fast that I divide and share the roots every year. I check with a few friends to see if they want them, and if not, I just compost them.
Zen said:
@Lior
Great idea! My hostas grow so fast that I divide and share the roots every year. I check with a few friends to see if they want them, and if not, I just compost them.
I just use a spade or shovel to divide them. Press down, take out the part I want, and cover the space back up. I can keep the pieces out for a while before replanting without any problems. I need to divide some soon.
@Lior
I sprinkle some Milorganite around hostas every two weeks and it keeps the deer away.
Shay said:
@Lior
I sprinkle some Milorganite around hostas every two weeks and it keeps the deer away.
Our deer must be hungrier. Milorganite doesn’t work for us, and it’s gotten pretty pricey. I usually spray deer repellent on mine.
@Lior
At this point, I only use it to keep deer away. I have to apply it at least once every couple of weeks or they start munching on them. I live in the woods, so there’s probably a lot for them to snack on.
Cai said:
I think a mulched flower bed sounds like a good idea!
Not sure if hostas grow well in Mississippi, but I would suggest planting some hostas and adding mulch.
Definitely a good spot for hostas or foam flowers.
I had the same problem. I bought some ez seed patch seeders and some topsoil to fill in the gaps. I used the shade-tolerant ez seed and just spread it by hand. It looks fantastic now.
Reese said:
I had the same problem. I bought some ez seed patch seeders and some topsoil to fill in the gaps. I used the shade-tolerant ez seed and just spread it by hand. It looks fantastic now.
I did the same last year, and it looked great for about 2-3 months. By the end of summer, it was back to bare dirt.
I’ve just seeded with some pricey fancy seed and will see what happens next summer, but I’m thinking it might be a rock bed for me.
@Mckinley
Thanks for the warning.