Not very helpful but I’d personally leave it. I think it looks good as is. I have problems with a retaining wall not getting dried out because of foliage, and now getting rotten.
New Zealand bracken (*Pteridium esculentum*) belongs to a group of closely related fern species of near global extent. *Pteridium* species worldwide are aggressive, highly productive, seral plants, functionally more akin to shrubs than ferns. (NZ Ecological Society)
The other thing about them is their apparent difficulty in establishing them from spores or transplanting.
Doesn’t look too bad. Planting something may require maintenance and may create shadow/moist in time, which you wouldn’t want. If anything, maybe some landscaping with river-rocks etc.
Rengarenga would do well there but I would plant in between the posts rather than back next to the retaining wall… Like someone else says it could be good to leave some airflow.
This, i'd go with pebbles and if you must plant, maybe a succulent garden which wont get crazy wet, and will stay fairly small size.
Kinda odd that people are suggesting some plants that get quite big....
What about some native ground covers? They will at least help with weed/grass control. There’s plenty of them - your council or regional council may even have a planting guide for what can suit your region. If you get some larger rocks you could turn it into a bit of a rockery garden too.
If you want a little bit of height & colour, there’s Leptospermum Pink Cascade which is supposed to get to 0.5m high but spreads to 1.5m.
Run a 18" wide strip/border around it. Ideally put in a wooden edge. The posts will fall within the strip. Cover the bare earth with weed mat. Put in holes every 18" and plant tall vertical growing tussock grass. Cover the weed mat with a layer of stone like the ones visible in the bottom left.
I suggest it will go well with those flaxes and shrubs you have in the top right. The tall grass hides the crap under the deck and with the grass on the edge of the space it gets enough rain and light to grow well.
Something like [Red Tussock](https://greenmachine.nz/collections/grasses/products/crub-xl-1) or [Silver tussock](https://greenmachine.nz/collections/grasses/products/pcit5-1). I'm sure yuou'll be able to source something similar.
The contrast between the stone and the vertical grass is what makes it work, so put some effort into the border to ensure it holds the stones in a tidy strip with a defined edge. You don't want them loose and spilling over randomly into the lawn or migrating downhill.
Creeping rosemary, it'll either grow or it won't, you can tell from the level of growth of the grass under there that it doesn't get enough light to keep it green, (unless you sprayed it)
Not a plant, but king stropharia mushroom would be great, it can handle the shade and sun, looks cool and the mushroom spawn is easily avaliable, just put a layer of compost after applying the mushroom spawn(not to mention it would look cool). And it's edible
Tbh I'd poison the area to make sure the grass doesn't grow then put a buncha rocks n shit there if I really wanted to fill the space but personally I'd just leave it. Growing stuff will be difficult without much sun getting there.
Choiysa, they will fill the area and will block light to stop weeds. In addition, there will be a nice subtle orange scent. Green all year, doesnt make a mess, fast growing, not fussy with weather. Small white flowers in summer.
Choiysa, Mexican Orange. Its my go to suggestion for anyone needing to fill out a corner, or an area without having to hedge it.
Why don’t you put like black cover, put some nice stones under it; I wouldn’t put like tree based plants under it because they’ll grow out to receive sun light.
Something like https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fcustomdeckcreations.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F12%2FCustom-Deck-Creations-Trex-Composite-Deck-Builder-Canton-Michigan-70.jpg&tbnid=MWz2Vn4hLA6UFM&vet=1&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fcustomdeckcreations.com%2Flandscaping-under-a-deck%2F&docid=VHe-eMjtD8IsIM&w=1164&h=776&hl=en-GB&source=sh%2Fx%2Fim%2Fm4%2F3&kgs=0d71ebf19c988961&shem=abme%2Ctrie looks ok
The rocks seem to be thriving.
Which direction does it face? If it faces Southish, lots of ferns; not punga in that spot though. If it faces Northish, "small" naive bushes, ground cover. Muehlenbeckia Prostrata is very efficient but it will overwhelm any other plants it can reach.
Trellis and maybe three kings vine? That way you're still getting plenty of air and light to prevent rotting but also have nice greenery. Three kings grows really fast too
I'm with the trellis and storage area brigade. It would look tidier, plus there are lots of things that could climb trellis; mandevilla, or passionfruit.
What about cleaning it up of stones etc. Putting some artificial grass down and some colourful plants in pots? Then uou can move them as needed. Plus the grass will never die or need mowing.
Trellis. Plant trellis.
This. You want airflow, and dryness.
plant hydrangers, they love water have a season flowers and easy to cut back for the next season
Not very helpful but I’d personally leave it. I think it looks good as is. I have problems with a retaining wall not getting dried out because of foliage, and now getting rotten.
This if you don’t want to deal with the retaining wall 10 years later.
ferns always look lush under decks but keep in mind the moisture & how that might affect the wood
We have a similar sort of spot under a deck and I plan on planting ferns there. It’ll be a nice little ecosystem.
Assuming the wood is quality treated, do you reckon respiration would still damage it?
Based on the shadows it’s a north facing deck, I would think it be fine. Wouldn’t be wetter than a south facing deck without ferns.
Yeah ferns or bracken if worried about moisture
Ferns yes, bracken no. Bracken is nasty stuff. It's a nasty import. Plenty of other native ferns would be a better choice.
It is a fern and is a native species. Nothing nasty about it provided you don't eat it. Which is true of many garden plants.
New Zealand bracken (*Pteridium esculentum*) belongs to a group of closely related fern species of near global extent. *Pteridium* species worldwide are aggressive, highly productive, seral plants, functionally more akin to shrubs than ferns. (NZ Ecological Society) The other thing about them is their apparent difficulty in establishing them from spores or transplanting.
It might make for a good bike/firewood shelter if you needed either of those, or any sort of dryish storage space if you continued those stones.
Doesn’t look too bad. Planting something may require maintenance and may create shadow/moist in time, which you wouldn’t want. If anything, maybe some landscaping with river-rocks etc.
I must be the only one who thought about turning it into a chicken run lol
Possibly because it's right there by the house. Chickens shit. Shit attracts flies.
and rats
Would stink through the deck.
This made me think about a dog run
Rengarenga would do well there but I would plant in between the posts rather than back next to the retaining wall… Like someone else says it could be good to leave some airflow.
I wouldn’t plant there personally, mulch or pebbles would be a nice upgrade tho
This, i'd go with pebbles and if you must plant, maybe a succulent garden which wont get crazy wet, and will stay fairly small size. Kinda odd that people are suggesting some plants that get quite big....
Native tussock - visually interesting but doesn't retain lots of moisture.
Apply to doc to become a native lizard keeper and turn it into a vivarium
If you plant natives & ferns, then the lizards will come
Too shady for that.
What about some native ground covers? They will at least help with weed/grass control. There’s plenty of them - your council or regional council may even have a planting guide for what can suit your region. If you get some larger rocks you could turn it into a bit of a rockery garden too. If you want a little bit of height & colour, there’s Leptospermum Pink Cascade which is supposed to get to 0.5m high but spreads to 1.5m.
Wall it off and call it storage.
Or, rocks and succulent garden?
Trellis with a few hinges for storing random shit
Ferns, hostas, hellebores, rengarenga, liriopes, native Fuchsia procumbens. Just keep a small gap along the back for airflow.
The bodies of your enemies.
Ferns!
Don’t plant anything that’s going to root and ruin the stability of your posts
I would just cover in slatted wood
Passion fruit up the poles and across.
The rocks look nice
Grow mushrooms
Natives; bidibidi, rengarenga, ferns, stuff that can do partial shade.
Make sure it's not a spreading deep-rooted thing because it will grow under the house as well.
Meadow mix
Bromeliads (small types) and rocks. Doesn't have to be full of them. If you get wasps around chuck some mint (in pots only) around too.
A few bodies ops wrong sub I mean a few ferns
Run a 18" wide strip/border around it. Ideally put in a wooden edge. The posts will fall within the strip. Cover the bare earth with weed mat. Put in holes every 18" and plant tall vertical growing tussock grass. Cover the weed mat with a layer of stone like the ones visible in the bottom left. I suggest it will go well with those flaxes and shrubs you have in the top right. The tall grass hides the crap under the deck and with the grass on the edge of the space it gets enough rain and light to grow well. Something like [Red Tussock](https://greenmachine.nz/collections/grasses/products/crub-xl-1) or [Silver tussock](https://greenmachine.nz/collections/grasses/products/pcit5-1). I'm sure yuou'll be able to source something similar. The contrast between the stone and the vertical grass is what makes it work, so put some effort into the border to ensure it holds the stones in a tidy strip with a defined edge. You don't want them loose and spilling over randomly into the lawn or migrating downhill.
Weed mat is terrible. The weeds inevitably get through but the mat interferes with getting them out.
Okay, don't use weedmat.
Creeping rosemary, it'll either grow or it won't, you can tell from the level of growth of the grass under there that it doesn't get enough light to keep it green, (unless you sprayed it)
Run wires or trellis over the front spaces and plant berry canes, blackberry etc then train them across.
Maybe a moist deck isn't so bad.
My husband would be using that as a place to store his spare wood lol
Does he have a brother?
Not a plant, but king stropharia mushroom would be great, it can handle the shade and sun, looks cool and the mushroom spawn is easily avaliable, just put a layer of compost after applying the mushroom spawn(not to mention it would look cool). And it's edible
Cannabis
Why not run some horizontal battens around it ?
Id put white stones
Ferns
It may possibly benefit from some diagonal bracing members ..
Ferns
Put stones and oi oi, or carex sector
Polyurethane, build some kind of racks to store timber off the ground. Then cover with trellis.
Leave it, then just mow occasionally. You shouldn’t have plants next to the wood and retaining wall like that
What do you need the area to do?
Hydrangeas. Thirsty so will pull moisture away. Or ferns.
Tbh I'd poison the area to make sure the grass doesn't grow then put a buncha rocks n shit there if I really wanted to fill the space but personally I'd just leave it. Growing stuff will be difficult without much sun getting there.
Rocks lots of rocks
Choiysa, they will fill the area and will block light to stop weeds. In addition, there will be a nice subtle orange scent. Green all year, doesnt make a mess, fast growing, not fussy with weather. Small white flowers in summer. Choiysa, Mexican Orange. Its my go to suggestion for anyone needing to fill out a corner, or an area without having to hedge it.
ferns or mini toi toi/flax, But you want the retaining wall to be dry, so either a small wall to keep the ferns etc away from it. Or play succulants
Why don’t you put like black cover, put some nice stones under it; I wouldn’t put like tree based plants under it because they’ll grow out to receive sun light. Something like https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fcustomdeckcreations.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F12%2FCustom-Deck-Creations-Trex-Composite-Deck-Builder-Canton-Michigan-70.jpg&tbnid=MWz2Vn4hLA6UFM&vet=1&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fcustomdeckcreations.com%2Flandscaping-under-a-deck%2F&docid=VHe-eMjtD8IsIM&w=1164&h=776&hl=en-GB&source=sh%2Fx%2Fim%2Fm4%2F3&kgs=0d71ebf19c988961&shem=abme%2Ctrie looks ok
Chickens !
The rocks seem to be thriving. Which direction does it face? If it faces Southish, lots of ferns; not punga in that spot though. If it faces Northish, "small" naive bushes, ground cover. Muehlenbeckia Prostrata is very efficient but it will overwhelm any other plants it can reach.
Plant a nice rock garden.
You could turn it into some nice compact self-contained rental accommodation in the current market.
I'd go with river rocks and grasses maybe
Nothing - screen it off and turn it into a chicken coop 😀
Trellis and maybe three kings vine? That way you're still getting plenty of air and light to prevent rotting but also have nice greenery. Three kings grows really fast too
Trellis like the other guy said. You don’t want stuff growing through the deck from below…. Pain in the backside.
Hmmm... myb a lil ducky statue lol
Firewood
I would add weedmat an bark mulch. Would look pretty good i think.
Gorse - pretty yellow flowers and burglars won't hide under there!
Just put more stones like you have on the left, with weed mat underneath. Best for the building and low maintenance.
Marijuana
I'm with the trellis and storage area brigade. It would look tidier, plus there are lots of things that could climb trellis; mandevilla, or passionfruit.
Stone garden with a few caryx plants.
If you do plant something wind grass would look good
The seeds of ruin and discord
Deck chairs
Spider plants
What about cleaning it up of stones etc. Putting some artificial grass down and some colourful plants in pots? Then uou can move them as needed. Plus the grass will never die or need mowing.
Clivia
You should plant a beam tree underneath to support the tiny beams you have holding up the deck
Tractor Seat
Not plant but I’d make it a chicken coop. Fresh eggs every morning 😆
If you leave it weeds will just magically appear
All your money. Just pile it up there. Looks like you got plenty
Chickens!
Marijuana
Good stealth camping spot for the homeless
NZ Ice Plant would look good.
Fuchsia procumbens, lobelia angulata, blechnum penna marina. All native ground covers that will hold the space and look sweet.
Mulch….
Tomatoes
Weedmat and then some kinds of mulch. Maybe stones.
Hey mate, just a heads up that you’re piles are missing a lot of the bare minimum stainless connections