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Landscape Design

Long Narrow bed next to the house

17 years ago

Hi!

I'm new to this forum - and to gardening! We've been in our house for 5 years now and I haven't been able to figure out a good solution for my "flower bed" (which usually turns into a "weed bed") next to the house. It's about 50 feet long x 3 feet wide. It's so awkward! A concrete sidewalk prevents me from being able to widen it. So, what in the world am I supposed to do with this thing??? I've decided that this is the year our outside starts looking nice. :)

Right now, there is actually nothing in it. It's pretty much a blank slate. Except for 3 rose bushes at the one end where it's about 5 feet wide. They were here when we moved in; my goal every summer is to try to keep them from dying. :P

I truly am a beginner and I really need suggestions from people who have a clue. TIA!!!

Rachel

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Comments (3)

rhodium
17 years ago
Spider-wort or vinca-minor groundcover.
Brent_In_NoVA
17 years ago
Rachel: Would you be able to post a picture? Even with a picture there would be thousands of different plants that could be arranged in thousands of different combinations...without a picture and some context I would have a very hard time recommending any specifics. Search the forum for info on posting pictures.

A 3' deep bed is not ideal, but I have gardened in 3' wide beds and you have quite a few possibilities. Some generic tips...Think about winter interest. This will likely mean including evergreen shrubs but there are also perennials and grasses that work as well. I would avoid planting in straight lines. A row of perennials with a row of annuals in front will look contrived. With shrubs, be sure to account for the size and included some room in the back. It may be that you have to give your shrubs an annual trim to keep them in check.

- Brent
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karinl
17 years ago
There are indeed a thousand ways, and I've tried most of them in my narrow bed, which is not much more than ONE foot wide. With three feet, you can make a nice shrib border, and I would use mostly conifers, which can be kept trimmed so that the whole thing looks tidy, and still interesting, in winter. You don't say whether you have shade or sun; that will determine your plant selection. It also depends on how much height you want out of your plants here.

Whatever your conditions and vision, go to the garden centre and buy shrubs suited to them, and make it a priority to learn how and when to prune each of them for your desired effect - tall and narrow, fan shaped, cascading, spreading, etc.

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