Seriously, the green backdrop of those shrubs should have something attractive in front such as a border of little blustem grass, iris, black-eyed susans, and asters. These would probably be appropriate in almost any location in zone 7 and require little maintenance.

You didn't ask, but it appears from the need to shear the shrubs that they are too large for the space. Perhaps removing some and replacing with shorter shrubs would work better.

It's like a blank canvas - there are SO many possibilities! You didn't mention what side of the house this bed is on and what type of sun/shade it gets. Also not sure what type of shrubs those are. Do they flower?

But here are some suggestions of plants that would probably adapt regardless of location unless the light/shade is extreme:

If you want to contrast and soften the formaility of the pruned background shrubs you might do something simple but elegant like plant hostas. They come in different colors but perhaps a white variety would look nice with the house. They are also fragrant.

Here's a website about them:
http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/1000/1239.html

Another option would be to put something more permanent in there such as a dwarf (not more than 1 1/2 - 2 ft) shrub
like nandina's (many varieties):
http://images.google.com/images?um=1&hl=en&q=dwarf+nandina&btnG=Search+Images

Or for some verticle thrust while still being soft, you might look into a short variety of ornamental grass. That
would be pretty easy to maintain too, with very little water
needed once established. What variety might be available and work best for you depends on where you live of course.

Here's one:
http://onlineathens.com/images/051801/fuzzygrass.jpg

Or an African or Butterfly Iris (also more permanent and easy to keep once established)

http://pinkshovellandscapes.com/resources/African+Iris.jpg

Here's a closeup of the Butterfly Iris flower:

http://www.pacificgreenlandscape.com/resourcecenter/PlantList_Thumbnails/Perennial/Dietes%20vegata.jpg

Anyway, hope that sparks some ideas.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:11758}}

Thanks, Oogy & Dragonfly!

The shrubs sometimes have a more clipped appearance, but this photo was not taken at one of those times! They get clipped about 3 or 4 times a year at most. I agree, there are a lot of them. I did remove a couple this past summer. They are Nandina, Camellias & Azaleas.

The Nandinas, of course, are supposed to be "free-form" but I usually cut them pretty severely anyway as I need them to be smaller & they grow so fast.

Both the Camellias & Azaleas flower, & at different times. The Camellia is a deep magneta color, blooms fall/winter, sometimes a while in summer(!) The Azalea is a lighter amost lavender-pink with a shorter bloom time in spring.

This is the front of my house. There are beds flanking the driveway that also have Nandinas, Camellias & Azaleas. Planted a Crape Myrtle in the bed to the right of the driveway in fall that should bloom lavender.

Sorry if this is TMI! Thanks again for the suggestions...I'm going to check them out!

Instead of the nandinas - which get too big - consider replacing them with Abelia 'Rose Creek' - a nice evergreen flowering shrub.

Here is a link that might be useful: scroll down on this link to see a picture

Low bordering flowering plants,and attractive edging.

Esh, I like those, but don't know if I'm ready to go to that expense right now. I don't think the Nandina look too bad right now, but I'll definitely keep the Abelia in mind for future reference. I like it because it still has the Asian influence, coming from China.

We have a botanical garden near our home, & the Japanese garden there has so many of the same plants we have! Though I don't need to rigidly adhere to that theme, I do want my foundation plantings to all be in sync with that.

The person who installed this scheme 20 years ago did a good job of creating a consistent design. Of course now all the plants are much bigger. So, I do appreciate the smaller, still appropriate alternative to the Nandina. Thanks Esh.

Susie, that sounds pretty. Thanks.

Honestly, if you really want some impact with whatever you put in front, you need more depth. Otherwise, I'd probably just a really, really small edging plant like alyssum, but that's, well, kind of boring.

I'd probably bring the front edge out so you have about 4' to work with, and you could have 2 rows of plantings of different heights. I'd probably make the front row foliage plants like hostas or ladysmantle (they have flowers, but also interesting foliage), and the second row more vertical flowers like purple coneflowers, salvias or zinnias, etc - you have a ton of choices in the vertical, 2' tall plant. (And since I'm in zone 5 rather than 7, I don't really know what grows well for you).

Found this pic. this is what I had in mind for your beds, without all the small trees, and of course not along a walk, but along the edge of your beds in front of shrubs..some well placed landscape lighting, would be beautiful and show off the flowers even at night..
{{gwi:11765}}

Irene, thanks for your reply. The border at it's most shallow spot is actually 4' wide. I like the idea of alyssum, similar in effect to the candytuft I had, but am afraid of those weeds coming back. I like that simple look of just the white for contrast, & I really do want to keep it simple. It's not a "cottage garden" type of landscape, house, or neighborhood (unfortunatey, in some ways!) But I am coming to appreciate the simple beauty of foliage, trees, & shrubs.

Just wondered if I should put *something* for spring/summer to add a little color. I guess I was thinking annuals, because I don't want spent foliage & twiggy plants sitting there in the winter. It looks fine in winter with just the evergreen shrubs.

As I mentioned, begonias do surprisingly well here even in our hot summers. I might try white ones. Or, could do a drift of white alternating with a drift of deep pink. I hope whatever I do it isn't too busy or showy or hard to maintain! Guess it's all trial & error! Thanks again!

Susie, I missed your post when I started typing to Irene! Wow, that is really adorable, I love it, but think it may be a bit elaborate for my landscape. Thanks, though. It really is one of the cutest garden pics I've seen!

I like your idea of landscape lighting,& I would like to explore lighting options eventually.

Thanks for the great pic, Susie. It is so cheerful & pretty & it made me smile!

I think this is one of those things that is a matter of taste, not design.

If it were about design, then the rationale for surrounding this part of your house with round green blobs would be up for discussion. And I say this as one of those rare people who actually likes sheared shrubs in certain contexts.

What you have now is not design, but habit, and there is nothing wrong with that - except when you come to a design forum for advice on how to dress it up. If the habit is bad design in the first place (and honestly, I can't much tell as you haven't provided a wider view), then a designer can't fix it by giving you advice on the jewelry. It would be like being asked to accessorize a dress that isn't your choice in the first place.

Anyway, that's why you're not getting design advice but just some decoration ideas. And as that's what the project is, there's nothing wrong with that. Just... there are no right or wrong answers.

KarinL

Yes, I'd think those nandina shrubs you've got would work well with the Japanese maple! You might ask for suggestions in the Japanese Garden Forum if that is the look you're after.
I also like the Japanese garden look (though also like to interpret it with native plant varieties that are unique to my state).

I hope you'll photograph the house again after you decide on a solution and plant it. I'd love to see what you've done!

Most importantly......have FUN!

Karin, I agree, there are never right or wrong answers, and all feedback is good feedback! Thanks for your reply. Here are pics w/a slightly different perspective, showing more to the right. Reminder: I've removed the crape myrtle from the front. I also have nicer, larger, oil-rubbed bronze light fixtures over the front door & garage now. They really were an improvement over the dinky old brass ones in these pics! Also the pink glob you see to the right are begonias in a bronze wrought-iron wagon planter!

{{gwi:11766}}

{{gwi:11767}}

Dragonfly, I'm not really a die-hard Japanese garden purist, by any means, I just want to stay faithful to that genre of plantings when it comes to the big stuff. I currently have a couple of pots of pansies at my front door, & know that is not in keeping with a Japanese garden! Probably, any annuals I might add in front of the shrubs would not be either, but I'm open to trying that; I just want it to look tasteful. If I do move beyond just keeping the bed mulched (all I did last year... btw, have been in the house 3 years in May) I'll post pics. Thanks for your interest & ideas.

"Most importantly......have FUN!"

They keep saying this kind of thing on American Idol too, and then the contestants get slammed for technical reasons such as being off-pitch, selecting a song with a 5-note range, doing ridiculous dances to their songs, and so on.

If a person just wanted to have fun, they wouldn't come to this forum. They could plant anything that gives them pleasure, and throw in a couple of flamingoes and plywood cutouts to boot.

So let's go back to design for a moment. You still haven't provided a picture that gives a full perspective (not to mention that you haven't asked for design advice) but I imagine you've done about the right thing by replacing that myrtle. I honestly think most of the other plants could stand either replacing, removal, or growing out too. The azalea (?) right by the car looks too big to do anything with besides shearing it, which is looking like a losing bid for control.

As a foundation planting, the beds are maybe laid out OK, but I really wonder how rational it is to have a tree that size that close to the house, and of the rest of the shrubs I could imagine a planting far more flattering to the house and pleasant to look at. It sounds as if you can too, but are not ready to tackle that just yet.

I suppose it would be "fun" to do some window dressing, but that doesn't seem like useful design assistance to me. Not that I have any within the limits of what you're asking for, but we try on this forum to distinguish design from diddling around. You can't control the kind of advice you get around here, but you can filter it a little...

KarinL

Hi Karin,

I'm not a big T.V. watcher so am not that familiar with Idol. Are you suggesting that fun and professionalism are
not compatible and result in a lowering of standards?

Serious design (or any kind of work) and 'fun' are not mutually exclusive. Those who truly love their work know that.

Nor are having strong opinions and extending a basic generosity and kindness of spirit mutually exclusive.
Try it sometime.

Hi again, Karin! I hear what you're saying about things being overgrown. I'm trying to make the most of what exists right now with pruning & so on, as I have other priorities in terms of spending for the house. Some of that spending will involve the back yard, as I want to have pavers installed, creating a patio around my koi pond, & a couple of other small paved areas. I may need help with that too, so you may see me back here!

Will try to find a better pic. Seems all in my files are close-ups.

The shrub by the car btw, is a Chinese Fringe Bush. It gets a profusion of tiny, light pink flowers in Spring. The rest of the year it provides a welcome relief from all the surrounding green w/ its burgundy foilage.

The Coral Bark JM that replaced the way-too-large Crape Myrtle also provides some contrast. It should grow no larger than 15' and should take a while to do so. Now it's about 5' tall.

I have a fair amount of lawn which I've worked hard at maintaining since we moved in. It's fescue, but with effort have kept it looking decent even during our brutal summers. I mention this to emphasize how much green there is around! Green is good, but I enjoy seeing elements that contrast w/it.

I appreciate your insights. You obviously have a well-trained eye & good instincts. Thanks for your input!

Having to shear shrubs 3 to 4 times a year at most in an attempt to keep them in bounds or to keep them looking totally unntural would get me to the drawing board. I do candle cutting, some clipping of errant branches, rejuvenation pruning and/or pruning out any winter kill but otherwise I'm pretty much in the let stuff grow naturally camp. Every once in a while I have to throw in the towel and edit something out.

But your request was for a filler for the blank spots in front of the shrubs. There are endless annuals to choose from - petunias, osteospermum, gerbera daisies, dahlias, Dianthus Chinensis to name but a few - all colorful and not so dense as to not be able to weed around.

Dragonfly, I appreciate the sentiment behind your remark to "have fun!" I can be very serious & forget to do just that with all of my home & garden projects! Life is too short to drag ourselves down over such matters. Also, I agree, quality should not have to suffer, but should be enhanced when we approach our projects w/ a happy, positive outlook. Thanks for the reminder!

Thanks, Duluth. I think you're right. It's more like twice a year that a couple of things in my *backyard* need major pruning. The nandinas in the front can take a couple of more touch-ups, nothing major, as they do grow SO fast. The Azaleas & Camellias are trimmed once a year.

All your suggestions sound very nice. What would look best??