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dtownjbrown_gw

Need Suggestions for a Small Front Yard Flower Garden

dtownjbrown
15 years ago

Im a new homeowner thats new to gardening and Ive been battling with a narrow strip of lawn in an attempt to get it ready for a flower bed. Its a little more than 4 feet wide but more than 20 feet long in both directions. Its situated directly in front of several evergreen bushes that are underneath my raised front porch (see below for a pic of the front entrance from the street). I really dont want to have to put more work into widening the area because Ive already spent the better part of the growing season just "preparing" the bed & amending the soil. Im really eager to get started but need some ideas on what I should plant and where I should plant it. I'd like to go with showy flowers that have minimal or narrow foliage that wont grow too tall (seeing as I have the evergreens in the background). Any & All Suggestions Are Appreciated. Thanks :-)


p.s. this pic was taken by county auditor YEARS ago so the flowers, vines & shrubs that are shown have long since died and are long gone now. The only plants that are still standing are the 3 evergreens on each side of the steps (1 large & 2 small) and the big bush in the corner (which is as tall as a tree now)...................

{{gwi:38678}}

Comments (35)

  • ilikemud_08
    15 years ago

    I love your house! When I first looked at the picture (before reading the entry) I thought of an enclosed front yard (picket fence) and full cottage style garden.
    After seeing that you are a novice gardener I thought better of it. Still I would enclose the little front yard and add much more planting areas.
    4' deep is going to be a narrow bed in the long run. Is there an additional walk from the driveway to the front door? If so you won't be able to make that side deeper without some expence.
    I can't tell much from the photo - Is there a large tree in the front yard? What is the exposure?

  • dtownjbrown
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Thanks for the speedy replies. I "experimented" a little bit with the area before I amended the soil, so I have a couple of plants that I took out of the ground and put into pots. Most of them turned out to be too tall or too wide for the area so I gave them away, but there are a few that I really like so Im holding on to them. I have Magnus coneflowers, Becky shasta daisies, Orange pixie lilies (LOVE these) and what I think might be Stargazer lilies (purchased a couple weeks ago).

    Im seriously thing about a lily garden because Ive found that really, really, really like this flower. Ive been doing some internet searches on 'Lilium" but there are so many different varieties with different bloom times and different heights that my head is spinning from research. Any suggestions on which varieties and/or cultivators I should choose for short an extended bloom season? What are some good compliment plants for the shorter lily varieties?

    Im heading out to the area now to take some better pics to give you all a clearer picture of what Im dealing with and will post them later on tonight.

  • dtownjbrown
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Ooops, I forgot to answer these questions......

    [QUOTE] duluthinbloomz4: the extant tuffet pruned shrubs are not an enhancement. A "spike" and red geraniums for the entry urns is just about as simple and as a showy a container planting can get.
    - - - I agree that the low shrubs are not "pretty" and have even thought about taking them out completely but after my ordeal with "only" amending the soil it occured to me that its a job Im just not "ready" for. Thanks for your annual suggestions, Im going to visit one of the MANY garden centers in my neighborhood. One quick question though.....What is a spike?


    [QUOTE] ilikemud_08: I love your house! Is there an additional walk from the driveway to the front door? Is there a large tree in the front yard? What is the exposure?
    - - - Thanks, I love it too. I drove my realtor crazy but after almost a year of looking, she finally found exactly what I was looking for. There "used" to be a sidewalk from the driveway to the front door but I had it broken up and the concrete removed so that I could plant there instead. My future plans are add some curvy, winding stepping stones for aesthetic purposes only since I use the rear entry when I park in the driveway. There is a "small" tree that's actually in the front yard (on the right, when facing the house) but there's a bigger tree on the sidewalk. Its very wide but only slightly tall and since the front of my house faces south, the area gets full sun almost all day (except for the right side, due to the smaller tree in the yard and the bigger bush next to the porch in the corner).

  • duluthinbloomz4
    15 years ago

    "Spike" is a kind of dracena, I think; a wispy upright fan of thin green leaves sold as an annual, largely to give height to container arrangements.

    Lilies are a good garden staple. I have Asiatics, Orientals, and Lilium Tigrinum; and they come in to bloom in pretty much that order for me. The "Pixie" series of Asiatics is nice and come in a range of colors from red, yellow, orange and orange with spots, cream and cream with spots, pink, and white. I've had some Pixies for maybe 6 years - they have never gotten taller than 24", extremely good bloom count and are good multipliers, needing to be divided maybe every three years. Other reliable bloomers and multipliers for me in Asiatics (although somewhat taller) have been "Cancun" (dark yellow with red tipped petals), "Monte Negro" (dark red), and "Lollypop" (cream with strawberry tips).

    The ever popular "Stargazer" and a couple of other unidentified Orientals are marginal performers for me. But the Tigers can get very tall, and are heavy bloomers lasting into September.

    The drawback to lilies is once they've bloomed out and the stems and foliage start to die back and brown out, they're at their most unattractive stage and most want them hidden behind other plants. Most of my lilies are planted among peonies, ferns, nepeta, salvia, daylilies, phlox, and balloon flowers to eliminate the gap left by cutting down the stalks.

    There's a fairly active Lily Forum to check out for good recommendations, too.

  • dtownjbrown
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    @ duluthinbloomz4.....thanks for the pixie lily suggestions. I think the reason I love them so much is because the few plants I purchased last year multiplied so nicely. They started out in the garden but I put them in pots when they started turning brown (like you mentioned). At the time, I didnt know that's what they were supposed to do, so I thought I had did something wrong and took them out last fall. As a matter of fact, I forgot all about them and mistakenly left them outside in the containers hidden behind a bush for the entire winter. Then, in early June, I saw "something" orange...low & behold, there they were. I was so excited. They will definitely be put back into the garden this fall. All I have to do now is figure out exactly where to put them. I thought about putting them in the front but with the browning issue you mentioned, Im thinking better of it. Do you think the "middle" of my rectangular-shaped area would be a good place for them, or will their limited height pose a focal point issue (if I decide to plant something that might grow taller than the pixies)?

  • prairiegirlz5
    15 years ago

    I love your house, what great character! I have an older home as well, they don't build them like that anymore.

    My advice would be to cut the taller shrubs on either side of the stairs down to match the other two, but I can't tell if they're exactly the same type of plant or not. Or remove them altogether and replace them with a flowering shrub, maybe a compact lilac. If you want to keep the tall shrub on the right side, why not remove all but a few lower branches, pruning it into a standard? That would give you a little more room to plant beneath it, if you wanted to. Do you know what type of shrub it is? I'm partial to flowering shrubs in a foundation planting.

    I will tell you that I have made a few mistakes, and learned from them. You probably know to use the same plants on either side of the stairs, not strictly in exactly the same order, but similar groupings. And to plant in drifts or clumps of three to five plants, NOT alternating plants. Annuals are a great way to get started, they're cheaper and you can experiment with color combinations in both foliage and bloom. I've made sure to leave room for them in my perennial gardens. For color all summer long they can't be beat! I agree with duluthinbloom that lilies are best tucked behind other plants; this applies to bulbs as well, to hide their dying foliage which must be allowed to ripen before removing it.

  • dtownjbrown
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    @ prairiegirlz5 - No, I didnt know to use similar but not exact on either side of the stairs, thanks for the advice. I have read that its better to plant in "drifts" of 3-5 but I wasnt sure what that meant. Does it mean to "not" plant them in a straight row? If so, how should I plant them? I tried cutting the shrubs down when I first moved into the house but I was left with an even uglier sight than before...bare branches. Taking them out altogether is a task that is way beyond my novice level so Im trying to work around them (thanks for the suggestions though).

    I didnt get around to taking those pics I promised until today. I hope this gives everyone a better idea of the area.

    LEFT OF STAIRS: this area faces south. I just finished amending the soil about a week ago
    {{gwi:38679}}

    RIGHT OF STAIRS: this area faces south as well. I started amending this side first and finished about a month ago. This pic was taken around twelve noon so the "corner" bush is still providing shade to a portion of the area. Its doesnt get full sun until about 3pm.
    {{gwi:38680}}

    LEFT SIDE OF HOUSE: this area faces west and is right next to my driveway. As you can see, I havent gotten around to amending the soil on this side. The area is shaded by the roof most of the day but it does get sun for about 2-3 hours (as the sun is on its way down). Even still, it gets very HOT over here, probably because of the pavement. Should I take that into consideration for plant selection?
    {{gwi:38681}}

  • dtownjbrown
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Okay, I think I know where I'd like to begin. I did some google image searches on a couple plants and I think I'm going to "start" with Coreopsis and Dianthus. Thanks again to everyone for the help :-) Judging from the pics Ive seen and the articles Ive read, they both seem to be a pretty good "fit" for the limited space I have. Im a little concerned about what it might look like next season since some of the articles mentioned that certain varieties spread more than others but Im desperate for some color right now so I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.

    Im going to take the "similar" but not "exact" suggestion and plant a different variety of each on both sides of my steps. I havent decided yet which of the many yellow Coreopsis varieties Im going to go with but I really fell in love with the pink & white bi-colored ones I saw. Does anyone know what they might be called? All of Dianthus I saw were pink which I guess is okay, but I was wondering....do they came in other colors? Any suggestions on which varieties will go well with the Coreopsis? Eventually, I'd like to add some "tall and slender" flowers either in-between or behind the them. I was thinking my coneflowers would go nicely with the pink dianthus but I wanted a differently shaped flower to blend in with the coreopsis (since the petals look so similar to daisies anyway). Any idea on what I can use that wont grow too tall or spread too wide?

  • scraplolly
    15 years ago

    I'm afraid I don't have any plant suggestions, but re-think the spreading issue. It can just turn into a nightmare down the road.

    I'm new at this too, but a couple of things--first when planting something which suckers, you can try planting the roots in a pot in the ground--not a fancy pot, an ice cream pail or something may work well. I haven't tried it and I doubt it will work for every plant, but it's a thought.

    Secondly, when I'm researching plants, I like using Northscaping (dot) com--it gives every bit of information you could wish for, including mature height and spread.

    When I have Northscaping open, I also set up a spreadsheet to record plants I like. So, there's one on shrubs, trees, grasses, etc. with all the info. At the moment I'm grouping perennials by colour.

    I like to cross check that information with a brief google search, as well.

    Hope that helps.

  • scraplolly
    15 years ago

    Oh--and about those pots/ice cream pails--make sure you cut out the bottom!

  • dtownjbrown
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    @ scraplolly - Thanks for the pot/ice cream pail suggestion. Ive actually been trying to find a way to "temporarily" plant something in the ground so that I it can be moved easily if I find I dont like it there....so I will definitely be giving that a try. Also, what does "suckers" mean?

  • scraplolly
    15 years ago

    ooh, all my plant knowledge has been acquired in the last eight weeks, but I'll do my best.

    A "sucker" is the plant's way of cloning itself. It sends out off shoots --sometimes they come up quite far away, depending on the species. They are attached to the "mother" plant by sideways growing underground roots--that's what the pot should prevent from happening.

    Raspberries are an excellent example of how this works. So, apparently, are some trees, like Elms.

    (And for something like raspberries, you want edging around the whole plot to keep them from invading everywhere. You also, thus, don't want to use something like round up to get rid of them; but because all the plants are connected they can be a devil to get rid of.)

  • dtownjbrown
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    BUMPING....for more suggestions

  • prairiegirlz5
    15 years ago

    Checking back here. I think you misunderstood my advice; it was to use the SAME plants on either side of the steps, just not necessarily in exactly the same order. BUT your idea to use SIMILAR plants (like two different dianthus or coreopsis cultivars, if I understand correctly) could also work, IF they're very similar in color or form.

    See if you can get your hands on a copy of "The Perennial Gardener's Design Primer" by Stephanie Cohen & Nancy J. Ondra. They give an example garden plan called "A Sun-Splashed Front Yard Garden" on page 108 that illustrates this concept exactly.

    As far as the actual planting, yes, I made the mistake before of planting in straight rows too. Drifts (staggered rows) or clumps (triangular groupings) look more natural and tend to grow together quickly, leaving less bare ground to mulch or weed.

    Hope this helps! :)

  • scraplolly
    15 years ago

    prairiegirlz5--what if you can't use the same plants on both sides? What if one side gets significantly less sun, for example? What then?

  • dtownjbrown
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    [QUOTE prairiegirlz5 - See if you can get your hands on a copy of "The Perennial Gardener's Design Primer" by Stephanie Cohen & Nancy J. Ondra. They give an example garden plan called "A Sun-Splashed Front Yard Garden" on page 108 that illustrates this concept exactly.]

    Thank you soooo much for the book referral (I am in desparate need of a step-by-step instructional). Lucky for me, it just happens to be available at my local library according to their online holdings display. I'll be heading straight there when I get off work in the morning (third shift, sucks)

    [QUOTE scraplolly - what if you can't use the same plants on both sides? What if one side gets significantly less sun, for example? What then?]

    I had the exact same question a couple weeks ago on a different forum and was told to "give it a try" just to see if the plant is adaptable to the other soil conditions. This is not the case for me because Ive amended both sides with the same material, but I plan on "giving it a try" on the side of my house that hasnt been amended yet, just to see if it will work.

  • wellspring
    15 years ago

    Dtownjbrown-

    You asked about the coreopsis that have pink coloration rather than yellow. The species name you're looking for is "coreopsis rosea". The two cultivars I know about are 'American Dream' and 'Sweet Dreams'. I have 'Sweet Dreams' which I like very much.

    Both you and Scraplolly may find these websites very fun: Missouri Botanical Garden (mobot.org) and Bluestone Perennials. Scrap- The best feature at Mobot is its plant index (Plant Finder?), which has a very handy search feature. You could get lost in there for days! I use "zone 3" when looking for perennials / woodies (trees & shrubs) that will have a good likelihood of surviving in a container, so I know they have a fairly respectable range for you to explore. Bluestone Perennials is a mail-order and retail nursery located in Ohio. Again, the feature I find helpful is "search" although I have been pleased with the purchases I've made on occasion. Bluestone doesn't provide exotics or rareties, but it's a great tool for learning what the workhorses are. They do sell a number of things that I would not release in my garden because of their thuggishness, but a little additional checking can insure you aren't buying trouble. I'm not as successful at using their search feature, but the Chicago Botanical Garden is another good site and it does cater more to the northern gardener.

    One thing to keep in mind in using the net to learn about plants is that what you see may not be what you can get locally. I've found that particularly to be true when referencing some neat things at Northscaping.

    The following "Noteworthy Characteristics" comes from the MOBOT site and is just one paragraph from the information they provide. Other data include sone, height, spread, growing conditions, recommended uses of the plant, and--sometimes very useful--comments from gardeners.

    "Coreopsis rosea (sometimes commonly called pink coreopsis or pink tickseed) is noted for being the only coreopsis with pink flowers. It closely resembles C. verticillata in appearance and habit, but lacks the latterÂs heat and drought tolerance. ÂSweet Dreams is a naturally occurring mutation of C. rosea ÂAmerican Dream (see N860). It is a rhizomatous cultivar that typically grows in dense, bushy clumps to 18" tall and 24" wide. Raspberry-white, bi-color, daisy-like flowers (1-1.5" diameter) cover the foliage mound in a profuse and lengthy summer bloom. Flowers feature rays that are raspberry at the base lightening to white at the toothed tips and yellow center disks. Whorls of linear, grass-like, dark green leaves lend a fine-textured and airy appearance to the plant. Plants in the genus Coreopsis are sometimes commonly called tickseed in reference to the resemblance of the seeds to ticks, however it should be noted that this hybrid does not produce seed."

    Wellspring

  • scraplolly
    15 years ago

    Thank you very much Wellspring and dtowndjbrown. Sorry for the small hijack.

  • dtownjbrown
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Super information wellspring. Im a research addict so Im eager to get "cracking" on your website suggestions....THANKS :-)

  • prairiegirlz5
    15 years ago

    "what if you can't use the same plants on both sides? What if one side gets significantly less sun, for example? What then?"

    scrap~Don't worry, I'm pretty sure dtownjbrown (is that Julie?? LOL) has the same question, as that's the trickiest part of all. At least I've found that to be true. So it helps to develop a mental encyclopedia of plants that will tolerate both sun and shade, or at least part sun/full sun. This includes many common annuals, and quite a few shrubs, including the popular Knock Out rose.

    Some perennials I've found tolerant of these conditions are: lady's mantle (alchemilla mollis), (some) hardy geraniums, daylilies (hemerocallis), coneflowers (rudbeckia and echinacea) and salvia.

    If nothing else, at least edge with the same plants. The idea is to create a garden that flows, so that it looks like the two sides belong together.

  • karinl
    15 years ago

    I think one is always free to make the two sides of a house different, especially in the case where other elements contribute to an impression of asymmetry as here: driveway on one side, not on the other. Mine is actually quite similar to this though the driveway in question belongs to the neighbour. Other things to consider might be slope, side yards, shade from neighbours' trees, and so on.

    I think if you search this forum for the word "unity" you will find some threads that discuss the challenge of making the whole thing connected without making two sides identical. You should feel free to bump up any threads you find useful; otherwise they disappear off the end of the forum archives.

    In my case the two sides of my yard will be dramatically different in terms of layout but the hardscape (mostly boulders) will (I hope) provide a unifying force. I don't do plant repetitions (most plant collectors don't) but it is easy enough to put similar types of plants (rhodos, maples, conifers) or shapes of plants and to use a similar planting style throughout (in my case, crowded).

    KarinL

  • dtownjbrown
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    @ prairiegirlz5 - yes, its Julie (LOL). No matter how much I dislike the nickname, everyone I know (and even people I dont) insist on calling me that so Ive just embraced it :-)

    @ karinl - Thanks, I will do a word search on "unity". Contrary to most, I actually like the mirror-image asymmetrical look. Granted, I dont have much choice since the previous home owner planted the evergreens like that but Im trying to work with what Ive got. However, I am planning on making the two sides somewhat different but probably not with other plant species as you suggested....at least not yet, because Im still learning. Right now, Im just looking for different colors within the same species (or is that variety, I still havent figured which is which yet).

    As a matter of fact, I just purchased some same-but-different coreopsis plants today. I am now the proud owner of Creme Brulee (x3), Moonbeam (x2) and Heaven's Gate (x2). I was just out in the garden playing musical chairs with them (LOL). Im using a modified version of scraplolly's ice cream container suggestion and keeping them in their pots for right now so I can arrange them in different layouts within the leftmost flower bed (the one without the big bush in the corner). So far, its looking like Im going to have to go buy at least one more Moonbeam & one more Heaven's Gate in order to gain some "unity".....LOL :-)

    I'll post pics as soon as Im satisfied with the presentation that way I can get you all's feedback and suggestions before I put them into the ground. Once Ive got the coreopsis planted, Im going to start looking for some companion plants......ISNT GARDENING FUN :-)

  • prairiegirlz5
    15 years ago

    Julie~It could be worse. My sister's name is Julie, she drives a Malibu. Her friend's call her Malibu Julie!

    Look for annuals now, flats are on sale. Easiest way to try out a color scheme before committing long term to it, while there's still lots of bloom time left! I'm just re-discovering their benefits myself, and I've gotta say, my beds look better for it.

    A limited color palette can keep your planting from looking random and unfocused. Look again at gottagarden's pictures on ego45's coreopsis thread (perennial forum), notice the three predominant colors of white, yellow, and orange? This can be a very effective way to provide unity to your planting as well. (Thanks KarinL for the suggestion to look in the archives for more tips, I'll have to check it out). Of course, the repetition of shapes (same but different) also pulls things together. You've already confirmed that odd numbers make the most natural groupings. I think you're getting the hang of this! It IS fun, isn't it?? :P

  • dtownjbrown
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Oh, woe is me....things are working out as I planned :-( Ive rearranged the coreopsis plants about twenty trillion times and its just not looking right. I think the creme brulee is too tall (or maybe just too upright) for the front of my border. I still have them in their original pots and have been watering them lightly everyday but I am definitely going to have to rethink my design (I do, however LOVE the moonbeam in the corner).

    Walmart's Garden Center has som 3qt Blue Chips Bellflowers on clearance for only $2 so I grabbed about twenty bucks worth. Im hoping these will be short enough for the front of my beds so Im going to play musical chairs a little longer. I'll post pics when Im satisfied.

    In the meantime, any suggestions on companion plants for a bellflower & coreopsis mixed border?

  • prairiegirlz5
    15 years ago

    Oooh, sounds pretty. My first thought was daisies, not sure about which ones as I don't have them (yet, LOL). One that didn't get much taller than the coreopsis I would guess.

  • dtownjbrown
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    I havent taken a pic of my "current" layout yet, but I was playing around with MS Paint and this is kinda what it looks like so far (I havent started on the left side of the steps yet). According to the "tag" that came with the Blue Chip Campanula plants, they're supposed to spread 12 inches so I made sure there was 6inches of "free" space on both sides of each plant. I was thinking about putting the Creme Brulee Coreopsis towards the front of the right hand corner but am not sure where to put the Moonbeam or the Heaven's Gate.

    prairiegirlz5 - I currently have three Becky Shasta Daisies growing on the other side of the steps. Im not sure how big they're going to get since I just planted them a couple weeks ago (they're just now starting to bloom). I did give some thought to moving them over to this side, probably in the middle towards the back, but Im wondering if that will look "odd" since the smaller evergreen bushes are only 3 ft tall (but Im a newbie so what do I know...LOL).where would you suggest I plant them?

    I also have four Magnus Purple Coneflowers growing on the left side too. Do you think they would "match" better with the purplish color of the bellflowers or would that be too much of purple for just one side?

    {{gwi:38682}}

  • dtownjbrown
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Here's a MS Paint comparison(see pic below). I dont know, what do you all think....purple or white?

    {{gwi:38683}}

  • deeje
    15 years ago

    Honestly? I don't believe either one of your choices will be in flower all that long, when you compare the length of your growing season to the time they bloom.

    You're going to look at the plants' foliage a lot more than you will their blooms. Does the foliage of either one interest you?

  • dtownjbrown
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Awww....good point. I think I like the coneflower foliage the best (the shasta daisy looks like a weed to me)

  • dtownjbrown
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Any suggestions on "other" plants I could plant there for a longer bloom period that would go nicely with the campanulas at the front edge?

  • scraplolly
    15 years ago

    Remember the MOBOT site Wellspring recommended? I believe you can use it to search for a plant with a long blooming time in your zone. For what it's worth, I like the white better than the purple--but then I like contrast and it may be too loud for some (then again it does tie in with your white trim).

  • Saypoint zone 6 CT
    15 years ago

    You might find that you get more responses and more interest in your plant selection project on the perennials forum. Landscape design usually deals with larger issues of overall design concepts, not so much with individual plant selection. You will find a lot of information there about different plants to consider, and how to arrange them, by reading other people's post about what they are planting, and seeing their pictures, too.

    Both the Coneflowers and the Becky daisies in my garden are taller than your 3 foot tall shrubs. Neither will bloom until mid-summer, so you will have nothing happening there from spring until July. I would recommend that you hit the library for some books on perennials, if you don't already have a good guide to plants, or visit local nurseries to see what available, and choose a few that will bloom at different times. Read the tags of any that appeal to you, make notes, and look them up online when you get home.

    A great way to learn a lot about plants and gardening is to see if there is a garden in which you can volunteer to help. My town historical society has a house with gardens that a group of women, many from the garden club and lifelong gardeners, tend to weekly for a couple of hours. If you can find a similar arrangement in your area, you will not only benefit from a wealth of experience, but they will sometimes give you divisions of plants to take home or share from their own home gardens as well. A win-win, IMO.

  • lpinkmountain
    15 years ago

    First let me say I love your house. My dream is to someday own a little bungalow!! I almost bought one once but it needed more work that I was willing to do at the time.

    I know I am late to the party, and I am no landscape expert, but I'm going to chime in my .02 anyway. One of the biggest problems I think you have, in more ways than one, are those huge everygreen shrubs against the foundation. They will dwarf anything else you are doing and it will all look kind of washed out. It seems to me your vision is for a wonderful little perrenial flower garden in front of your house, and in the meantime you have behemouth shrubs to deal with. I would seriously consider taking them out and plant something more open, airy and smaller. There are excellent selections of small, open evergreens at high quality nurseries now days, many of them bred to grow small because your situation is pretty typical of what modern home owners are looking for. At the very least, I would take out the big shrub next to the steps. I had a similar shrub next to the porch stairs in a house I lived in once, and it was a major pain to maintain. An evergreen such as that will trap moisture (especially melting snow) up by the house and the railing and the stairs, all contributing to their faster decline--rust, corrosion and weathering of concrete. There is nothing ugly about your foundation that you need to particularly hide.

    Rip out that big shrub, and put in something light and airy and flowery. Or at the very least, extend the smaller shrub border all the way to the steps. But honestly, I'd bite the bullet and tear it all out, then you will have a clean slate to design YOUR garden the way YOU want it, not have to work around those ponderous shrubs that someone long gone planted because they just filled a spot. They have overgrown their welcome, IMHO.

  • dtownjbrown
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Just thought I'd report back on my progress. I finally got some plants into the ground (but only on one side). I planted Creme Brulee Coreopsis, Snow Lady Shasta Daisy, Peachie's Pick Stokesia, Happy Returns Daylily, Hidcote Blue Lavender and some annuals as fillers (see pic below). I still have to decide what Im going to plant in the back rows but for now, I think Im satisfied. Thanks again for all your suggestions :-)

    {{gwi:38684}}