skip to main content

Wind-hardy, evergreen, inexpensive foundation shrubs?

16 years ago

I need a row or groupings of wind-hardy, mostly evergreen shrubs for along the straight back wall of my house. The area is 3-4' wide and 18' long, has great soil (lots of compost), gets full sun for 7 hours and gets harsh winds. I'd like them to eventually be 3-6 ft. tall, and if possible, not really expensive.

I'm open to some dedicuous (sp?) shrubs, but prefer mostly evergreen so they can help protect the house from the winds in the winter.

I'd really appreciate any ideas. Thanks.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (2)

katrina1
16 years ago
Burfordii 'Nana' USDA zone 6-9

This is the Dwarf Burford Holly. If the area is on the west or southwest side of your house the micro climate there might be warm enough for this rugged evergreen to survive in your USDA boarder line 5/6 zone.

This shrub is reported to produce a darker green and more dense leafing habit when compared to the full size Burford holly. The Dwarfs also grow a little slower.

They are reported to grow 5-6 feet tall and about 4 feet wide. They also can be trimmed.

Lowe's usually sells this shrub at a reasonable price. Sometimes you can find them on sale later in the season. If those local sales happen when there is not much time before you winter temps drop below freezing, the ones purchased at that time would need to be repotted into a one size larger pot, kept watered, and protected from the pots freezing. Once the risk of freezing passed in the following spring, they could then be planted in their bed.

If you do want to chance the wait to see if they are not sold out by the end of the season sales, then make sure to run at least 5 gallons of water through each pot at least every three days in the daily heating temps of above 70 degrees F. and once a week in the cloudier and cooler temperatures of Fall and Winter.
indianawendy
Original Author
16 years ago
This looks like a great fit. We may check our Lowe's for some tonight. Thanks!
Related Discussions
Hardy, pest-resilient, evergreen shrubs, 10-15' tall
Q
Comments (10)
We will definitely look into the viburnum. Thank you, laceyvail. rhizo_1, thank you for responding. We sheared them from the time we planted them, twenty-five years ago - They actually are 20 - 25 feet tall and about 10 feet wide. We have had to use a bucket truck for the past 3 years to get the job done. Since we have to remove them, we would prefer something more manageable (height, width, pest-resilient, etc.) -
...See More
What evergreen to plant in narrow, north-facing foundation?
Q
Comments (14)
I wouldn't recommend the conifers for a shady area, especially the cypress or juniper. Being in zone 8, you have lots of options, but the edible/medicinal criteria is difficult to satisfy. My best suggestion is Camellia sinensis, for tea production, but I'm not sure it gets tall enough naturally to provide much screening. I'm growing a flat hedge of mixed camellias in a similar space, pruning them into a narrow "wall" in sort of an unsupported espalier and tying the branches together where they intersect. It's a long term project, but provides color from September through April due to the variety of cultivars involved. The same technique might work with something more vigorous, but less ornamental, like photinia (I hate to suggest that, but it works in some situations). Osmanthus frangrans does fairly well in shade, as do (believe it or not - I didn't at first) Gardenias. Both of these are naturally spreading shrubs, but can be trained and pruned into a somewhat 2-dimensional shape. The kind of height you're after is a tall order - no pun intended!
...See More
evergreen shrub for southern exp, dry, hot, windy foundation.
Q
Comments (3)
May I suggest.. plant some tall ornamental grasses. even in the middle of a hay field with no shade July, the soil stays cool. Most heat loving plants have issues with their ROOT temperatures more than the air temperature. If you do not like grasses, you can still use them as a nurse crop for a few years until the desired shrub is big and strong enough to handle the harsh conditions. The grasses should buffer the heat, and offer wind protection, and by doing that, they will help conserve moisture in that bed. Just make sure that even after the grasses are not there, you keep an underplanting to keep the roots cool. My dad has the same problem (a south facing concrete porch), and some good ground covers are Petunias (but only if the wind is not too bad low to the ground), they love heat, and lamb's ear... which for him has become a weed. It started in a 4 inch pot and has spread to cover a large area. Also many old world herbs are used to dry, hot conditionds. But I think you would do best with daisies or grasses. and there are some very nice ornamental grasses around. and the effect of the wind on them would be quite beautiful! Hope this helps.
...See More
need inexpensive way to cover exposed foundation - QUICK!!!!
Q
Comments (5)
Sprice...DH and I just painted our "stucco" foundation yesterday (it's actually S-type mortar). We had originally planned for stone too, but budget constraints kept us from it. We caught the housewrap problem before the siding went on. To remedy the situation we had them add a 10" band of trim to the bottom of the siding to bring it down to the level of the block. We'll still be using stone on the porches and steps, but I think it would have been a little much on the entire foundation when it will be hidden by shrubs anyway. It looks really nice and I'm actually glad that we didn't go with the stone. I'm not sure what kind of prep would have to be done to do the stucco over the framing, but I'm sure it could be done. I'll post some pics of what we did later this afternoon if you'd like to see it.
...See More

Related Stories

GARDENING GUIDES 7 Ways to Rethink the Shrub

By Falon Mihalic

These versatile plants can do more than frame your home’s foundation or line an entry walk

LANDSCAPE DESIGN 10 Evergreens for Beautiful Foliage All Year

Give your landscape consistent color and structure with the emeralds, chartreuses and blues of evergreen trees and shrubs

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Curl-Leaf Mountain Mahogany, an Easy Evergreen

By Jocelyn H. Chilvers

Use it as an accent plant or mass it as a screen; this pine and spruce alternative is a hard worker in dry, cold climates

FALL GARDENING 9 Deer-Resistant Flowering Shrubs to Plant This Fall

These exquisite shrubs will attract your attention but won’t tempt the deer that roam your neighborhood at night

GARDENING GUIDES 10 Drought-Tolerant Shrubs That Thrive in Full Sun and Reflected Heat

By Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

Got a hot spot in your garden where plants often die? Try these tough shrubs that add beauty while shrugging off the heat

TREES How to Buy Healthy Trees and Shrubs

By Falon Mihalic

A healthy young plant with a strong form is more likely to do well in your yard. Here’s what to look for at the nursery

LANDSCAPE DESIGN Great Design Plant: Retreat to the Shade of Hardy Catalpa

By Jocelyn H. Chilvers

Big foliage and a towering height provide a shady respite in summer, but that's not all hardy catalpa offers dedicated gardeners

FLOWERS AND PLANTS Easterners: Consider This Native Alternative to Boxwood

By Curtis Adams

Inkberry, or Ilex glabra, excels as a foundation plant or formal hedge perfectly suited to the East Coast

GARDENING GUIDES 9 Low-Growing Hedges That Make Good Neighbors

Define garden areas or borders without blocking the view, with these evergreen shrubs that take kindly to trimming

GARDENING GUIDES These Hedges Can Add Interest to Your Winter Garden

Evergreen trees and shrubs provide structure and color in the winter months — and can attract wildlife too

More Discussions

Conifers/Trees in the snow (yard photos).

75

Saybrook Gold Juniper

4

Aralia 'Sun King'

7

Need help trying to save this Blue Arrow Juniper

7

Italian Cyprus in AZ Turning Brown

2