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Landscape Design

Help designing landscape in front of porch

9 years ago

I would really appreciate some help with designing the landscape for our front bed. This area gets morning sun and begins to get shady around 2-3 PM. The right side of the porch gets shady a bit earlier. I would like a variety of evergreens with some perennials toward the front. We don't want to completely cover up the stone, so the biggest challenge for me has been finding a variety of plants that will stay short. The porch is 3-4' above the dirt, so I'd like the majority of the plants to stay below 3'. I'd like to plant a nice cryptomeria yoshino in the space off the corner.

Here are some evergreens that I am considering (these are all available at nurseries nearby):
-moonlit lace viburnum for the corner next to the stairs
-rose creek abelia
-vintage jade distylium
-doublemint gardenia
-soft touch holly
-cryptomeria globosa
-several varieties of low growing juniper
-purple pixie loropetalum (or other low growing)
-pieris

I am not sure where to start or how to arrange them or which plants go well together. I know I don't want it to look like a row of shrubs and that it is better to plant them in groups. And I know they need to be spaced to accommodate their mature size. But I don't know how to take my list of plants and turn it into a cohesive and beautiful bed :/

I would love to hear your suggestions. Thank you!

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Comments (6)

PRO
Yardvaark
9 years ago
What is just above the arrowhead near the right end of the porch? ... it looks like a light colored rectangular stone. Is that something?

Could you add another picture? From the same location where the first picture was taken (directly opposite the center of first pair of windows right of flag) pivot the camera rightward so that the right end of the above picture is at the center of the viewfinder.

Approximately how much distance is there between house and right lot line?
kendravicknair
Original Author
9 years ago
I'm not at home at the moment, so I'll have to add the picture later this evening or tomorrow. To answer your questions:
-Yes, that light stone is a plaque we had installed, and we definitely don't want to cover it up. The bottom of it is 2 feet from the ground. Sorry, that was an important detail that I forgot to mention.
-The house is on acreage and there isn't an adjoining lot on that side. The woods begin another 15 feet beyond the right side of the picture (so 30 feet from the corner of the house) and the property continues another 200 feet or so into the woods.
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zone is not enough ... we need a location.. big city name ... do you know your soil??? what direction does the front door face ... are the only shade trees the one on the left .... if there is clear sky above.. im not sure i would even call this part shade .. if this is a winter pic.. do you have a summer pic to see such?? winner winner chicken dinner is done.. more tomorrow ken
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kendravicknair
Original Author
9 years ago
Does this picture show what you need to see? The boulders are approximately 30 ft. off the corner of the house.
PRO
Yardvaark
9 years ago
I would bookend the porch with a large flowering shrub, and bookend the steps with a 3' evergreen shrub. I think it would be most important to reshape the bed as shown: grass borders the drive nearly to the steps; the bed is a little deeper front-to-back (in scale with the large house); and the curve at the front of the bed is a longer arch to blend more smoothly with the woods. (Hopefully, you'll arrange and set the rocks more artistically.) A partial plant list might be dwarf yaupon holly, panicle hydrangea (ignore that in the picture looks like "big leaf,) daylilies such as Stella, and groundcover ... whatever is low and works best there ... maybe blue rug juniper.

A street, shade or flowering tree, or trees, at the foreground (out of view of this picture) would help if the front yard has a vacant, empty feel.
kendravicknair
Original Author
9 years ago
Wow, that was quick! Thank you! Do you have a suggestion for something evergreen that we could use in place of the daylilies? I think I want something that will still be pretty in the winter.
PRO
Yardvaark
9 years ago
It would be better if you investigate that locally and stick with what grows best in your area and is the proper height. I liked daylilies because the foliage is not that high and the flowers sit well above. And something like Stella is so long blooming ... all summer. Personally, I don't think the foliage is gone long enough in the winter to worry about ... so long as you have other evergreen things adjacent. But I'm sure you can find something else that will work.

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