skip to main content

Landscape Design

foundation plantings zone 5

14 years ago

Need to redo a large bed on the west side of the house. We are in central Ohio, zone 5. Our home is on a hill, in the country, and the west side of the property gets hammered with wind, and this year, a ton of snow!! (unusual for this area-we usually deal with a bit of ice, and maybe ONE snowfall per year).

Suggestions for hardy foundation plants? I have "miniature" lilacs on the east side of the house, and they are thriving (the deer and rabbits keep them nicely pruned for me!). Would those do well with the western exposure? (I have a budlea on the southwest corner of the bed-prune it down to the base every year, and it is doing great).

Thanks!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (4)

kimcoco
14 years ago
I'm in zone 5, I have a lilac shrub on the west face, it is thriving, they love sun.

Weigela does well for me too, on the west side, though it took several years to establish and bloom, but when it did WOW. I had Wine & Roses.

Boxwood are nice, but need winter protection from sun (burlap). I don't remember if deer like these, I'm in the city.
wellspring
14 years ago
I live in central Illinois where the winter winds blow in fiercely to batter the west side of my home. That side is the boring side of our house, or should I say "most boring side". It's planted with an arborvitae hedge. Sturdy, reliable, not very attractive, but provides a "blanket" from the cold.

I've not given much thought to doing anything to what we have, not that it's great, but there are so many other fish to fry and the unknown variety of thuja accomplishes the task that I would put at the top of my list for plantings on this side of the house: It does provide insulation from the wind, it survives, it's evergreen, it takes pruning reasonably well. I have no idea how many plants are planted in this hedge. It is no doubt planted too closely together (a hedge) and too close to the house.

But then, I don't have much space to play with. My neighbor's house is only about 15' feet from mine.

So, my first question would be how much real estate do you want to use for this new foundation planting? Clearly, evergreens should probably play a part in your choices. I like lilacs, and they're tough once established, but their seasonal interest is limited to a few weeks of flowering. Then they are a ho hum shrub with no fall color and twigs for winter. No real screening for your western exposure.

Without knowing the size of your space, it's impossible to say what you should do, but an evergreen hedge might be a starting point. If I had the space, I'd love to then feature several specimen deciduous shrubs in front of the evergreens ... physocarpus (ninebark) comes to mind, or maybe one of the vibirnum varieties, cotinus coggygria, possibly even a specimen evergreen or two. One of these or some sort of grouping featured in the foreground of an evergreen backdrop.

I'm just throing ideas out here ... on the chance that something helps.

Wellspring
Related Discussions
Foundation Plantings for a Northern Exposure in Zone 4a
Q
Comments (1)
I have heuchera, hosta and ferns on my north side. I'm zone 4 also. Here is a link that might be useful:
...See More
Foundation planting: replacing an overgrown tree, zone 6a
Q
Comments (9)
Sigrid, I LOVE weeping cherries, magnolia, tulip trees, etc. I really want a smoke tree somewhere on the property, too! I'm on a corner lot (second picture in above comment is taken from the corner of the road) so there are visibility issues to contend with. Your suggestion does bring to mind that I could probably put something out in front of the planting bed that would not obstruct line-of-sight for vehicles, so I'm going to think about that! I'm planning to transplant the hosta from the flower beds and rip out the pokeweed, and then plant with a nice mix of evergreens (maybe inkberry, japanese holly) and perennials. If I put a deciduous tree out in the front of the flower bed instead of in the corner, what might be a nice choice for the corner? Just aesthetically speaking I feel like I want something taller than the other front plantings in that spot, and I probably want it to be an evergreen to decorate with lights during the holidays, and to provide some privacy from passing vehicles. I'm definitely going to put a shrub of some kind on the other side of the door. I love Annabelle hydrangeas, so that's a possibility. I also may go with an evergreen again, so it won't be bare in the winter. The square window back on the ell is my kitchen window, and it would be really nice to have some nice views of flowers or trees while I'm at the sink. The false door on the ell could also use some landscaping, but still not sure what I want to do there. What type of magnolia do you have, if you know?
...See More
Help me get the bones right, foundation planting help (zone 5)
Q
Comments (3)
In shade, Fothergilla doesn’t grow as densely or get the really bright autumn colors that it does in a half day or more of sun. I haven’t been particularly impressed with Ilex glabra, though I know many people like it. In my garden it was somewhat sparse and tended to get damaged in heavy snow. I would want something(s) evergreen near the house. Look at evergreen, shade tolerant groundcover such as some of the perennial geraniums or Veronica Georgia Blue and the Andromeda/Pieris cultivar would also be evergreen. Since it may be bright shade you could check out some of the more hardy, shade tolerant Rhododendrons. Viburnum cassinoides or nudum v. cassinoides (different sources seem to name it differently) does well in shade or sun IME. Fall color is nice. I have only grown Clethra in sun, and it is of most interest late summer and fall, and otherwise a green blob in summer and twiggy in winter. I would likely want a small tree or large shrub diagonally off the corners of the house.
...See More
Help with shade loving evergreen foundation shrubs please! Zone 5
Q
Comments (43)
I've had good luck with winter gem boxwoods here in zone 5. Also have had green velvet without a problem with the cold. I think these are both varieties of Korean boxwood. I have lost one or two over the years to what I believe was a fungal disease, but most years they look great. I don't happen to be using them as Foundation plants but you could. I also have had no problem growing densiformis yews in partial shade. Probably a prosaic plant but it works and stays fairly small. Maybe three feet wide and two feet tall. I do use some of these as Foundation plantings. Obviously you would want to combine several different types of plants. Annabelle hydrangeas are also popular here as foundation plants in shady spots.
...See More
juleecat
Original Author
14 years ago
I will try to attach a pic of the bed....maybe I am not using the correct terminology! :-) The bed is against the west side of the house-we have a 3car sideload garage on that side, and the house then extends back for about 30 feet. I am trying to create some visual interest on the side of the house. There are no windows along that side, and it needs 'something'! This bed was originally a cutting flower bed-the windstorm of '07 took down most of our shingles, and when the roof was replaced, the bed was pretty much destroyed. It needed attention anyway, so now is the perfect time to 'fix' it! The bed is approx 30 ft long, and irregularly shaped. It does not look to 'scale' in my pix-but it was too cold and windy out there this am to fuss with the camera! :-) I'm thinking lilacs along the wall, and a variety of other small shrubs. Hollies do well here (when the rabbits leave them alone), daylilies, knockout roses, etc. The house next door is about an acre away-we sit on over 5 acres. And landscaping around the garden shed is next fall's project! :-)

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/PlGtxAA4t0lSVblg37UvLQ
juleecat
Original Author
14 years ago
here is a pic after we removed most of the crushed plantings last summer. Yes, everything, except the butterfly bush, will be removed.

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/QCb6KM8FiOCcbTqRj3OjRA?feat=directlink

Related Stories

PLANTING IDEAS Great Garden Combo: 5 High-Intensity Plants for High-Intensity Sun

Blend bold foliage and flowers to create a powerful combination that will hold its own even in the harsh light of midsummer

GARDENING AND LANDSCAPING 10 Great Outdoor Chill Zones

By Laura Gaskill

Whether you have a huge poolside deck or a sliver of a patio, these ideas will kick stress to the curb all summer long

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Broadleaf Stonecrop (Sedum Spathulifolium)

If you want showy flowers and drought tolerance, this succulent is right up your zone-5 alley

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Glossy Abelia for Year-Round Beauty

Fragrant flowers, burgundy foliage and hummingbird allure. Deer shun this shrub, but it's a 5-star performer you'll love

EVENTS See 5 Colorado Landscapes That Blend Nature With Artistry

By Annie Thornton

These Denver and Aspen gardens — part of the Cultural Landscape Foundation’s Garden Dialogues series — embrace their larger environments

NATIVE PLANTS 5 Ways to Keep Your Native Plant Garden Looking Good All Year

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

It’s all about planning ahead, using sustainable practices and accepting plants as living organisms

LANDSCAPE DESIGN 5 Structural Plants to Frame Your Garden Beautifully

By CYAN Horticulture

Consider these trees and shrubs live building blocks, providing structure and definition in even a small garden

LANDSCAPE DESIGN 5 Steps to Selecting the Right Plants for a Rain Garden

By Falon Mihalic

A simplified look at selecting plants for a rain garden

LIME FOLIAGE 5 Gold Plants to Illuminate Shady Garden Spots

Dark garden corners don't have to mean deep, monochromatic color. Gold plants brighten the landscape with shots of luminosity

GARDENING GUIDES 5 Easy Plants for a Romantic Entry Garden

Abundant flowers, a heady fragrance and striking foliage combine for a romantic front-yard garden that's deceptively low maintenance

Sponsored

Kuhns Contracting, Inc.

26 Reviews

Central Ohio's Trusted Home Remodeler Specializing in Kitchens & Baths

More Discussions

Help! Need curb appeal update!

5

Seeking Garden Design Advice

6

Update exterior and add landscaping

12

front of house and landscape ideas

7

can anyone help give ideas for landscaping?

15