This front hillside renovation is a beautiful and highly functional solution to a challenging site.

Asters and goldenrod spill over boulders, holding the bank and crowding out weeds in early autumn.

Three months after planting and the hillside has filled in nicely. Black-eyed Susans are taking center stage.

The initial site assessment revealed a house with poor curb appeal and a front slope covered with invasive weeds.

Careful site preparation and plant selection resulted in color, pollinator habitat, erosion control, and an inviting view from the road.

Of the weeds on the hillside, mugwort (Artemesia vulgaris) and thistle (Cirsium arvense) were the most problematic. Planting was delayed for a growing season to ensure control of the site.

As Rudbeckia fades, Asters and Solidago take over the show and provide a late-season food source for pollinators. Variegated Yucca filamentosa provides year-round interest and texture.

Looking down the road on the initial visit shows the challenge of the slope and the proximity to traffic.

Site lines are maintained with low plants like Coreopsis verticillata and Aster ericoides ‘Snow Flurry’ along the roadside edge in this summertime view.

It is easy to look for traffic and gain access the mailbox with this low planting of Aster ericoides ‘Snow Flurry’, Schyzachirium scoparium ‘Standing Ovation’, and Aster oblongifolius ‘October Skies’.

Looking in the opposite direction in summer reveals very tough plants unfazed by difficult conditions.

The same view in fall. Rug junipers, boulders, and existing stumps were left in place to provide winter interest and retain the hillside soil.

The planting plan shows a selection of densely planted, vigorous, mostly native plants that meet the needs of the site and the homeowner.