First time homebuyers...need landscaping ideas for privacy
esd087
12 years ago
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esd087
12 years agokevin_5
12 years agoRelated Discussions
Landscaping Ideas for Backyard - Privacy
Comments (148)I don't remember if I told you, but make a skimpy dashed line with the paint with the first walk through. Appraise the results and make corrections with a heavier dashed line. Appraise again and when you think it's right, go over it with a solid line. Depending how good you are about it, it can be fairly straightforward... or it can get messy. So take your time appraising it from many angles before making the corrections. If it gets really messy, a second, different paint color is useful. Once you get the line as you want it, mark it in some permanent way (cut with shovel?) as the paint will not last long. After a couple of weeks of weathering and mowings it may be so faded you can barely make it out. If you want the line reviewed, post a picture taken from a high elevation. I know you're making changes to the concept plan I showed you so I just want you to be thinking through the planting arrangements as you make the changes. Since you're doing this work yourself, I have the feeling you're going to become good at evaluating what you've done and the way things are fitting together... especially after you see a year's growth. Now that you're a transplant expert, you'll be able to make adjustments when you see some are needed. The hibiscus is more a shrub than "tree." It looks like something that should be within easy view of deck or pool area. Since you're new to so many plants and trying to save some $ by doing the work and putting this together over time, you might consider creating a temporary place where you plant various perennials that are under consideration...a regular perennial garden. You could collect plants with zero worry about what goes where, just stick them in. See how they do. Get to know them. You could place such a garden in any place that's not ready yet to be landscaped (so it's not in the way for a while.) As you evaluate plants, you can increase the stock of those you like. Some perennials multiply so rapidly that if you buy one, from it you can make all the others of that kind you need. If you do it, add 1/3 volume of peat moss to the planting soil so it is better to work in and better to grow things. Another thing I meant to mention, where you have like groups of plants (say River Birch) when it's all said and done you'll want these plants to match as though they came from the same family. It will not be pretty if one is a 5-trunk multi and another is a single trunker... and one branches as 8' above the ground, and another at 12 feet. They need to look like they're all from the same planet and got their hair cut at the same salon. What to do about it? This year, nothing. Just see what they do and try to make them as healthy and fast growing as possible. At the end of next winter, you'll want to do whatever pruning (before spring growth occurs) that's required to make them be matched. But never fear, even if it has to be severe, as long as they're healthy they'll bounce back and keep going....See Morefirst time homebuying redoing front landscape. help please
Comments (6)It appears there is no need for railing around the deck - looks like one step down except on the far left. First step is yanking out these huge shrubs. I'd ask how they could be pulled out so you won't have the root systems to deal with. Cosmetic changes like the shutters you suggest will be great. A view from farther back would be a help....See MoreFirst time homeowner needs landscaping help!
Comments (13)I would suggest that you return to the EXACT same spot -- which means not any DIFFERENT spot* -- where you took the first picture and capture the rest of the scene. Pivot the camera to the left and right and show what flanks the first picture, overlapping with it some. Generally, it's awkward planting annuals around the base of a large woody plant, due to root obstructions and the the need to "turn" the soil. Would suggest you move color areas to flanking the front door and instead place permanent groundcover in the tree island. *Not trying to insult your intelligence here, but in almost every case -- 100% so far -- when I've asked for such pictures, people insist on taking them from another new spot. I guess they think that's somehow helpful, but it makes it impossible to mesh the pictures together....See MoreNew home privacy landscaping ideas?
Comments (17)Memorr, we had exactly the same situation 3 years ago. Now, our backyard is completely private. We created what we refer to as a 'living fence' with mixed borders. The depth of the border and the mix of trees and shrubs varies all around the yard. At one narrow area of the border (about 12' feet deep)we have Cryptomeria japonica (Japanese cedar) with fast growing Hydrangea paniculata 'Quickfire' in between. The Quickfires filled in the space while the cryptomerias were growing in. In another area we staggered Nellie R. Stevens hollies (Ilex x 'Nellie R. Stevens'). This portion is probably also 12' deep (it's raining or I would go out and measure). In front of a row of Viburnum awabuki 'Chindo' (we haven't had a problem with fungus here but it may be different in Florida) we have a 'grove' of 5 Natchez crepe myrtles (Lagerstroemia 'Natchez'). Two other privacy screens were created using Ligustrum japonicum which we keep pruned into a tight hedge. It took 2 years for them to row together. We keep them about 6 1/2 feet high. We need to prune several times a year. In front of one of these hedges, which is close to our patio, we have a row of 'Natchez' crepe myrtles again and a low hedge in front of those.. This made our patio feel very private immediately. The other hedge is an island in the yard in front of which we planted roses and other shrubs. It blocks a view to our neighbors' yard and added to the overall feeling of privacy while the outside 'fence' was growing in. We have been so happy with the results. We did have a landscaper plant the large trees - hollies, cryptomeria, crepe myrtles - because, like you, we didn't want to wait to get results. So, they were all at least 10' tall when they went in. They also planted the ligustrum hedges using shrubs that were about 4' tall. Best money we ever spent! We planted everything else. I will be happy to post some pictures if you're interested. Best of luck to you!...See Moremainblaine456
12 years agomelvalena
12 years agoesd087
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12 years agoYardvaark
12 years agoesd087
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12 years agoKraB
12 years ago
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