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Doesn't look good. Cut out the dead and hope for the best. Any idea how it was damaged?
I'd certainly investigate the possibility of a water issue. Both too much and too little water can produce similar symptoms. And either will not necessarily affect the whole tree. The only way you can determine which one it might be is to dig down into the soil just outside the rootball and to its full depth and physically/visually examine the soil moisture level.
How the planting areas was prepared, how the plants have been irrigated and how level the planting site is can all have a substantial bearing how water moves through the soil profile. It is quite possible to have very dry areas very close to very damp areas.
Aside from normal cultural concerns, not much bothers these tough conifers.
Thank you! I will give that a try as well since in the worst scenario it doesn’t make it and I’d want to replace, I’ll want to know if anything in that spot is causing the problem. This has all been really helpful!
I'd look for numbers to match the hardware on the door and place them to the left of the small window or below it. Big enough to see from the street but not too big.
BeverlyFLADeziner "Lots of people have dyslexia. Do you want to make reading the numbers harder for people??"
Provide any data you may have that arranging digits vertically -- as they are on millions of houses -- has anything to do with dyslexia.
"Dyslexia is a learning disorder that involves difficulty reading due to problems identifying speech sounds and learning how they relate to letters and words (decoding). Also called a reading disability, dyslexia is a result of individual differences in areas of the brain that process language." -- Mayo clinic
What about cutting a thin piece of wood (can be plywood or masonite) the same width as the small front window and the same height as the thickness of the porch pillar - something like 8x20 inches or whatever the real measurements are? Paint it the "trim white" and attach the black numerals that Beverly shows. Mount the plaque about 6-8 inches below the small front window (as seen in Beverly's illustration above) but it would have a white backing to tie in with the house trim.
Those garage doors are just so dominant. Like hitting a wall. Can you paint them a color that blends with the reddish brick? Can you replace them with windowed or patterned doors? Could you reduce the massive amount of blacktop with a planting strip between the two doors? Can you place some large pots between the doors to give some green relief?
I normally like brick homes and dislike painting them, however in this case I would be tempted, it‘s far too busy for me. I do like the suggestion to change the garage doors & add containers of greenery between the doors.
It depends on what you want out of the space. Flowers? Privacy from neighbors? I would add a couple of small trees for privacy underplanted with ground cover or shade loving perennials. I'd get rid of the rock border and unify the area.
I would go with some shrubs
Here are some more photos of the back of the yard near the house. Also, near the garage in the back. I'm in New York City, zone 7.
https://www.wikihow.com/Prune-a-Rubber-Plant#:~:text=Cut%20the%20rubber%20plant%20branches,the%20small%20leaf%2Dbearing%20stems. A good description of how to go about it.
Since your hardscape comes right up to the house, your only planting option is in pots. Maybe two large pots planted with Mediterranean plants flanking the large window?
@kris fisher… I have two homes in So California, one in Newport & another in La Quinta, vastly different climates,
Bougainvillea would be gorgeous against a white house.
Yes, remove the shrubs. As it is, can hardly see where the front door is. Once they're gone, it will be easier to plan a front garden.
I just want to say what a pretty home!
And definitely remove those huge shrubs first thing.
We have similar front yards and this is what I’m doing.
Maybe it might help: even though I have gardened for decades and decades... I only just started propagating about 5 years ago. This past season I started trying all kinds of things. I don't claim to be an expert, and I'm really willing to learn something new 🥰
I would trim off each side shoot. Or you could take heel cuttings by simply stripping off the side shoots by hand. Little 2 - 3 inch cuttings take quite fast. My photos of Salvia cuttings are on a different device but this article pretty much covers it. https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/sep/22/how-to-create-new-plants-for-free
pictures needed.
What we need are pictures of the whole patio area:)
If you want to build the grills into an out door kitchen, there are many ideas on line. Just google "outdoor kitchen". These can vbe simple or elaborate depending on budget. My first priority for your lot would be planting some trees in the back for much needed privacy and to break the wind.
I am not a privacy nut but that is too open for me and a cover for the BBQas would be nice . We have a Grill-zeebo like this we added lighting to it . We grill all winter in Canada.We used it to begin our outdoor kitchen my hubby does competion BBQso we have a Webber for BBQ and a larg e grill for other stuff and a 3 burner camp stove so we ended up with 2 of the grillzeebos . I think trees are great at controlling the wind if planted at the proper space and make sure they are trees that grow not to high sothey actuall work as wind beaks so no tall trunks .
Just as GG says. They've been around a long time and they save time and space trying to grow one's own successfully from seed. The tricky bit is done for you. On the other hand they are vastly cheaper than buying plants. I've only bought them once, to produce a large number of Violas for a wedding. But I have a friend who buys hundreds every spring in order to run a plant stall at her church. There is no way she could produce such a large number in such a variety at home. The ones she and I have bought have been extremely good quality.
A few weeks after being transplanted into modules on arrival.
They are great value and, as others have commented, have been around a long time. Try a small order and see if you are happy with their growth. I always have been.
Can you post a picture that shows the front door? Can't see where it is.
I am not sure were you live, but Ilex x Maryland Spreader could be a good choice & you will not need a retaining wall.
I think I’m going to mulch to the edge of the stream bed and then plant throughout, turning the lower part into some type of rain garden.
The facade of your home is lovely. I would stick with low growing shrubs and perennials to keep it visible.
I'd ask at your local nursery re trees/shrubs that take to container growing in your area.
The roses will add some pretty color. I also like the Star Jasmine. Not sure if it would grow in your zone.
It does and is doing beautifully on other those other trellises
What direction does the property face? Where are you located? What do you want to use the yard for? Can you take a picture from the back boundary ?
Some ideas with firepit and sitting
Did you plant it in a block rather than long rows? Corn is wind pollinated so the pollen must fall from the tassel on to the silks to form ears.
Don't use landscape fabric. Weeds seed into it and are very difficult to remove. Bermuda grass is very difficult to eliminate, It spreads both underground and by seed. You can dig it out (hard work) but it is difficult to get it all. What sort of path do you plan to make. Where does it lead?
The plastic will kill the grass beneath it, but if the borders of the path are Bermuda grass it will simply recolonize the area when the plastic is removed.
Thanks everyone for the advice. i didn’t realize bermuda grows over and under. It appears weeds will always be in my future then 😏
Callirhoe123 - We’re keeping a centre patch of grass, with a gravel path wrapping around the edge of the garden. i guess the bermuda will grow under the barrier.
How many people will be dining there usually? This will determine the the size and shape of table you need. I would put the area I would likely use the most outside the door and the lesser used area (dining or lounging) at the other end. Look for a outdoor furniture set that pleases you aesthetically and has all the pieces of furniture you require. A gray/black theme would connect to the railing color. Lovely view!
Where you place the table depends on the size and shape you decide to purchase, If it's too big for the narrower part, put it in the bump out. Wood looks good with just about anything. Maybe use an accessory that captures the black. Go shopping with a tape measure!
@katy3816 I agree with not blocking the view. The arch is actually three windows. The door (it's 3 doors but only one (the last one) opens).
Some people have suggested a sofa against the handrail and two chairs. I assume people are not suggesting a corner sofa to avoid blocking the view? Or would it would not look as good?
@Patricia Coldwell Consulting, the kitchen is upstairs facing the doorway to the deck. I can provide a photo if that would help. If we put the table under the deck, perhaps it would be a bit annoying to bring everything up and down the stairs?
Most places that sell grass seed have varieties specifically for shade.
It should be noted that most turf grasses prefer full sun. Some types are more shade tolerant than others but no lawn or turf grass will do well in much shade. And also consider that the mature trees that are providing this shade are making the area under their canopy quite dry as well, another factor for a failure for a lawn to thrive.
Is a lawn the only solution? Maybe some sort of shade and drought tolerant groundcover would be a better choice.
Photos would help, as would a clarification of your location.
Laurie - You can do either. Mostly personal preference.
Suckers grow from the spots where the leaves meet the main stem. If you don't pinch them off, they grow into a new plant and can sap energy from the main plant. Many people remove them as soon as they appear. If you leave them, you can have more foliage and fewer fruit.
Your side yard looks shady. Most grass does poorly in shade. Does the back door lead into the garage or the house? What is the pile of rocks beside the back door?
Can you take a couple of pictures of the inside, particularly the area along the back yard? Not having a direct access to your backyard is a big disadvantage, Agree re the concrete...1st priority.
Good advice about being wary of what gets planted with the pool. Not just tree roots but tree flowers, seeds, and leaves are a constant bother with a pool. You might be able to add taller trellises here and there to the fence, and train flowering vines on them, for more privacy.
One thing that helped budget wise was to wait to buy plants until late summer/early fall, when nurseries and big box stores heavily discount shrubs and perennials. Most of my shrubs and trees were acquired that way, saving 50-75%. As someone above said, take the time this summer to prepare the areas for planting.
"Most bang for the buck improvement items" is pretty vague - can you make a list of specific improvements you want to see, then order it by what is most important to you and/or a pressing issue that needs fixing? (pressing need = things like bad drainage, improper roof runoff, a patch of invasive weeds, rotten fence boards). Also most do-able.
I would spend some time at the library, looking at home & garden magazines (my library has gone to all on-line that I can view from home) and checking out books to get more solid ideas of the way you want things to look in the end.
See if "walkable" ground covers would work in your area, instead of sod - to cut down on the mowing, fertilizing, weed control etc.
Do you have any family members who would pitch in to help? Maybe a preteen or teen for a few dollars?
Thank you! The stain I used is Ready Seal in the shade pecan. They have plenty of options but I like how this one has faded. At first it’s much more intense. It’s a fool proof stain, i just used a roller and followed up with a stain and it blended perfectly.
I used little lime hydrangeas and spaced them 6’ apart from center and 3’ from the fence line. Panicles are so easy and they bloom on new wood so you can prune them whenever. They’re also hardy and they don’t particularly care about soil composition. Just need to water every so often- full sun to partial shade! I just extended the bed to the right so they are significantly smaller but they catch up fast. I recently added gem box hollys in the front because they are a native evergreen and i wanted some winter interest since hydrangeas are deciduous.
The two best plants I've found for hummingbirds are Salvia' Black and Blue' and Salvia 'Amistad'.
You'll get lots of them! With Monarda, I let it spread a bit but pull out the small plants in early spring where I don't want them, They're not hard to get out then.
I'm in 6a also. I just buy a few small plants each spring:)
Thanks @mxk3 z5b_MI. 10 years and more ago it seemed that we would get frost by Canadian Thanksgiving (October 11). Now we go well into November it seems before we get a killing frost...so more than enough time for these late flowering plants to do their thing.
"Now we go well into November it seems before we get a killing frost..."
It's variable up here, but not as late as November. Couple years ago we had a hard frost in mid-September; other years, it's usually sometime in October.
Depends on what kind of iris you are looking for.
I buy them from van Bourgondien. They have always grown well and their prices are excellent.
Where are you located? What direction does the problem area face?
A LA is a good idea in such a tricky situation. Tell him or her your goals, especially low maintenance, and get a plan. Grass on a slope is dangerous and difficult to cut and is by "border" you mean a flower border, it will require ongoing maintenance(weeding, mulching etc.) as well.
Get a landscaper in to help you on this. A steeper hill can be a challenge. Don't tear anything out untill you have your plan and what you want in there at the ready. If you tear out too early you are going to end up with more erosion mess when it rains. You might want to consider laying down an erosion blanket right over the landscaping stuff where you can see the bare dirt- hold that whole thing in place for now till you get your plan+stuff in place. Erosion blankets are not the same as landscaping fabric. If you can't find erosion blankets, try to find some cheap burlap and tack that down. For now the point is to trap/stop any more dirt from sliding in that area.
You can do some terracing. You can also do so plantings meant for hillsides and/or erosion problem areas. Doing both can help lock your hill in place better.
I'd put some creeping juniper on it. It grows pretty quickly, doesn't need mowing, and will cover your hill. It's the stuff above the stone wall in the pic below.
Ask your neighbor. The difference may be the type of grass or perhaps their routine for lawn care...fertilizing, aerating etc.
Very few nurseries specialize in turf grasses to my knowledge so you may not find your answers there. And to be honest, most turf grasses look pretty similar anyway. Also, your location will determine what types of grasses will do best for you and are common to your area. If you live in the northern tier of the country, your lawn could very well be a blend of several different types of grasses, which adds to the complexity of an identification....and the reason the sodded portion looks so different. Sod is usually just a single grass type, not a blend.
Where you live geographically also has a bearing on when is the best time to seed or overseed. In almost all cases, spring is not ideal as the grass does not have sufficient time to establish before being hit by the heat of the summer. Late summer or early fall is generally the recommended time frame.
Come back and let us know regionally where you live and then hopefully we cam be more helpful.
Making the assumption that the photo is taken recently - since the trees are not green, I'm going to guess you live in the far north. As gardengal mentioned, you likely have a blend of grasses including fescue, rye, and Kentucky bluegrass. Fescue and rye normally remains green all winter. KBG usually become brown in the winter. If you would like to influence the nature of greenness according to those guidelines, you could wait until late summer to overseed with fescue or one of the others.
For now you have what you have. What is your goal? If you're worried about it not being green, the biggest influence on greening is fertilizer. Secondary to that is mowing height. Do you want the greenest lawn on the block? Do you just want uniform greenness? Do you just want something green which keeps the mud out of the house?
When were the last two times you fertilized, and what did you use?
What is your watering routine? How often and for how long?
What is your mowing schedule? Generally weekly mowing is recommended, and I always recommend mowing at the mower's highest setting to obtain the most dense and green of lawns. There are exceptions, but yours does not appear to be one of them.
Have you used any insecticides, herbicides, or fungicides in the past year? If so, what and when?
They look like they need more light than they are getting. Spindly and leaning over.
They do look a bit leggy.
Increasing sun exposure is good but if it's still too cool outside, they may stop growing or even go dormant.
Their Maple leafs are starting to sprout now. 😊
YouTube is full of videos on your topic. Just google it.
So are you saying that paulownias are on a notifiable list in every state? It is increasingly grown as a street tree here in the UK. I agree that knowledge of what we are planting is always worthwhile but feel increasingly uncomfortable with polarised positions used to apply to all. Might just be a response to the creeping authoritarian populism which passes for government, these days. I dunno.
Anyway, tHere are a few plants which are illegal to propagate and yep, Japanese knotweed is one. It isn't strictly true that you cannot get a mortgage with it on your property as with all these things,there are caveats...not least a definite whiff of profiteering after a single legal precedent was used to establish a law which a heap of pest control companies gleefully exploited. While there are a few mortgage lenders which remain cautious, the moral panic in urban property exchanges has diminished...which is not to say that it isn't a tremendous problem in rural and unmanaged locations (it is) we just don't have anything like as much'wilderness' in the UK and most of the problematic species have generally been riverine.
Yep, it's a tricky one, isn't it? In fairness, I am not that keen on seeing Paulownias appearing around my hometown because they are problematic inasmuch as like any fast-growing tree, there will be a cost - stability and strength and worse, our town planning dept. is woefully lacking in horticultural rigour with a tendency to go for the fashionable quick fix. There has been expensive and widescale removal of another of these fashionably popular trees ( rose acacia - robinia hispida ) after generally failing to endure the hurly-burly of urban street life...and I don't think Paulownias are going to be exempt from this either, in the next decade or so...but you know, that line between 'fact' and 'opinion' is often very blurred and we do tend to make sweeping statements on the internet. I know I do - I am not one whit less opinionated or lippy than I have ever been...just a tad more circumspect - possibly because the more I learn, the more I realise I 'know' sod-all.
I absolutely abhor the whole 'culture wars' around 'woke', 'free speech', nationalism etc. and the insane attempts to categorise every aspect of life in terms of ideological purity with a 'with us or against us' mentality.
I would paint the window trim a softer, more blending color. The white just emphasizes the tiny, awkward windows. Then, below them some pretty flowering shrubs as suggested.
Thank you!
Good Grief! Now that's a tree!!
Oh, now that's something else! I have 'Skinner's Cutleaf' silver maple, that with each passing year increases in beauty. It's quite the effect to at night shine a flashlight up into the silvery underside of the lacy foliage.
FrozeBudd, yes, where I lived previously, there was a well-formed silver maple along a bike path paralleling a small stream, and the underneath was cooling shade but actually quite well lit up by the leaf undersides, kinda like a silvery cathedral.
Can you post a picture of the entire backyard so we can see how all the pieces fit together?
or
I'd start planting my own woodland. Plant as many trees each year as you can afford. Basically recreating what the builder took away. Ask a local nurseryman which trees are best in your area.
These are great and fairly simple! Thank you!
If you mean cut off last year's dead stalks, yes.
You can cut back the Buddleia now in your zone--June is much too late.
Spring doesn't go by zone. It goes by latitude. If I had buddleia, I wouldn't even be looking at it yet.
I agree with what others have said about the plant. I planted Black Scallop ajuga. Beautiful, yes, very, very aggressive, also yes. By the third year, it was was growing through and around very hosta and perennial I had. I could barely see my garden! AND….it’s not easy to get out because it spreads through underground stolons which then develop a new base head for other shoots to grow. It took me 2-3 years to get it all out and I just have city front yard where I planted it. Think twice!
debra
Do your self a favor and use a nice thick mulch. It will look neater and avoid the aforementioned problems with ajuga.
I would just use ivy or vinca. The classic green look and low maintenance. Keep it low, off the tree. Heucheras are lovely but, if you get much frost, liable to be heaved out of the ground in winter and killed. You could underplant with a few spring bulbs.
Neither ivy nor vinca groundcovers will “ share”. And ivy will try to grow up your tree, though with just one tree & easy access you could keep clipping it off. But won’t invade anything else since constrained by the sidewalk!
I like dwarf mondo grass— but not sure if it’s pushing your zone. Then could first plant below that a few spring bulbs. Maybe a small hosta in complementary different green- and a young one of those, to establish well. There will be some dying foliage from those , but not hard to clean up once a year.
This is because it seems to be that very long- blooming things like more sun. And you don’t really want to keep digging around there seasonally. And it’s fairly tricky to try to have several seasonal shade blooming perennials there that look good—you probably won’t like the dormant look.
Lastly would consider if any hardy ferns for your zone— some are pretty drought- tolerant once established. Also hoping since it’s right in front of house, it’s not too hard to water, with something like a gallon can.
Can’t quite tell how much room you have, but if you did more of the groundcover approach, you might be able to add just the right size/ shape pot of a shade annual. Though oops, it might “ walk away”, I guess.
Looks like there's grass behind the decorative fence. You could use creeping red fescue as a no mow groundcover. Navikator II is a current version. It grows up a few inches and falls over to form tufts. No water or fertilizer is needed. Although a little won't hurt.
It's hard to see what is in the yard due to the fence. Can you stand with your back to the hedge and take a picture?
A few simple, inexpensive changes could make a big difference:
Here's what I did:
- Moved the basketball stand to the other side of the driveway.
- Painted the new fascia boards, the porch post, and the screen door white.
- Painted the sliver of turquoise around all of the windows white, so the eye sees a single piece of wide white trim.
- Changed the house numbers to black.
- Removed the white tiles(?) from the step risers.
- Widened the entry walk (optional).
- Added plantings leading to and in front of the porch.
- Weathered the fence gray and added a shorter fence panel at the ell corner to hide the trash bins.
- Added large, paved panels leading to fence gate (optional; could leave gravel there).
- Extended the garden in front of the garage forward.
- Replaced the remnants of the gravel path from the gate to the entry walk with grass.
- Removed the gate and posts.
We can see palm trees in your photos so it looks like you must be living somewhere where the weather gets hot. You might enjoy have a pergola over the extended porch to have some shade when relaxing on a sunny day.
Due to the narrow entry area, I don't think there is room for plants. They'd be in the way. How about three nice pots of plants at the base of the garage columns?
To your questions specifically about the porch, I'd add one slender urn situated in front of the far left glass panel with a fern, or other shade loving plant in it. Nothing too big as you don't want to reduce the porch area. But, just this little touch of green on the porch will help connect it visually to the grassy and planted area on the right.
Chloebud, thank you for that. You are absolutely right. However, it's always nice to get a little validation :)