close up

de goroots is possible..

smargard ... aka emerald green.. no way ...

you should plant nothing closer closer to the utilities.. than halfway between the walkway and the house ... in other words.. on the edge of the now existing bed...

foundation plantings are planted to hide the foundation... not on them.. especially conifers.. which are trees ...

and actually.. i am wondering .. what purpose the grass inside the walkway serves.. besides being a PIA to mow ... think about going 'all bed' ...

see link ... annual growth rates are key to filling your beds ... with really cool conifers.. subject to budget ... you should be working in the small dwarf and mini size range ... anything that does 6 inches per year.. will get big pretty fast ...

as conifers are trees... understand.. that they never really stop growing.. in your lifetime ... tags are estimates at 10 years.. and you can presume they will be twice as big at 20 years... and that is why you see so many very old arbs.. trying to eat older homes ....and that is why i suggest better placement.. for future growth ..

your options.. to my reading.. make me think bigboxstore offerings.. if you really want to do it with some flare.. mail order is the way to go ... and the next EASY planting season is fall ...

so ... if you are interested.. in conifers ... plant some annuals for this summer.. and plan out a really stunning landscape for fall planting ... and if you plan right.. you can make a collection out of the conifers.. and work small budget investments every planting season ....

we have some favored mail order vendors if you are interested ...

good luck

ken

ps: holly schmolly.. never heard of one.. this is the conifer forum... lol ...

pps: might be nice to know where you are ...

Here is a link that might be useful: link

DeGroots would be my choice- they are a lovely and very well behaved tree. Make sure and get single leader specimens.

Thanks guys, glad to know we have a clear winner, at least out of these.

Ken--
I definitely was planning on planting at the edge of the bed as it stands-- if you remember me, I'm the person who posted about that huge alberta blue spruce in my backyard that the previous owners planted in a teeny tiny little space, as though they expected it to stay small forever. I have learned from their mistakes!

As to the bit of grass there-- I honestly don't know what purpose it serves. None, I suppose. The previous owners had it there and I decided to take it farther out some last week, but I didn't remove it altogether. I don't know that I love the idea of mulch just stopping abruptly at the sidewalk I guess... but that's the deal I have going on in the front of the house anyway so what the hey... maybe we will get rid of it. And plant the DeGroot's even further out, nearer to the sidewalk. Although I've been thinking I likely will have to do some pruning to some of the dwarf conifers (or even "mini", wow thanks for the link!) I end up purchasing, at some point anyway-- hopefully not for several years though.

You are correct in your assumption of my finding these at the big box stores. I can't afford to buy EVERYTHING at the good places, so I figured I'd get *some* of the cool things that happen to still be popular and affordable enough to be sold at the bigbox's. And then go to specialty places around here for rarer/pricier specimens here and there around it, maybe 1 or 2 per year. We have a place not far from me-- Valley View Farms-- that has quite a selection of interesting stuff. I'm about 20 minutes outside of Baltimore btw, zone 7.

Having said that, I'd be very much interested in hearing your mail order recommendations. To this newbie though, it does sound a little daunting to spend all that money on something I can't see/touch first. Obviously though if you are recommending it, it must be a great option. Healthy plants generally that I assume are returnable on the off chance that they arrive not so healthy? I made the mistake of ordering a baby Hazel Redbud from a reputable (seemed so anyway) place in Oregon about a month and a half ago-- it arrived so tiny and it died almost immediately, within 10 days at least. I'm sure the mistake was user error and not the order itself, but I'm a tad nervous to try again. After all, I'm only about a-month-and-a-half-less a newbie now : )
Luckily it only set me back about $30.

Lastly, I'm not such a big fan of annuals- or flowers in general. Maybe I'll just get all my soil ready and newspaper& mulch my areas and then wait for fall...

Really though, thanks to both of you for your suggestions.

Just weighing in on the holly--I'd hate to be the meter reader who has to work his way through that holly.

one trick .. with the sidewalk ... is to install.. one or two course of retaining wall block... to raise the bed ... so mulch and what not stays in the bed ... and levels out the area ....

like this:
{{gwi:259539}}

the beauty of it.. is the cement is already plumb and level ... so all you have to set is the back edge of the brick ....

the suggestion of annuals... is to get something there.. RIGHT NOW ... while you plan out conifers... which dont ship and transplant well in july/august ... unless you dont mind looking at whats there.. until sept planting time...

and let me be clear... it can be done... i am talking about cutting the odds of failure ...

do a new post.. and ask if anyone has a link to the posts about our favored providers ... i like conifer kingdom ... but there are many others ...

then start another new post... tell us what big city you are near.. and ask for suggestions.. for good places to visit actual plants .... i cant stress how important it is.. to turn of the computer.. and go see things ....

PBucket is giving me fits.. maybe junkie can find my HTML.. and post it to his PB acct.. and get the pic up.. otherwise it will show on 6/17 ....

ken

By golly, I think I've got it.

tj

THANKS JUNKIE!!!!!

you guys dont want to know what that rhodie looks like after a z4 winter .. on the NW corner of the garage.. with prevailing NW winter winds ... but .. its alive ...

OP .... i was just reviewing your pic.. please tell me that is NOT a burning bush.. in front of the basement window ... if so ... get rid of it ...

ken

ps: lol .. wanna guess what happened to the little strip of PIA grass on the near side of the sidewalk ... lol ...

pps: oh carp.. i just flipped to the first pic.. your sidewalk is not horizontal ... the block job just got real complicated ... note on my pic.. on the asphalt side ... i am not on such .... so to make it flat.. like the sidewalk ... i had to dig into the soil ... you might want to skip this brainstorm... but at least it gets you out of your box.. with other suggestions ....

laceyvail-- I was under the assumption that the Sky Pencils stayed skinny enough to leave plenty of room for the meter man to walk around. Maybe not? Doesn't matter, I've scrapped that option. Everyone in the know here seems keen on the DeGroots, I can afford it, win/win.

Ken-- Great little area there, I love the retaining wall and the rododendron! Too bad it took a beating last winter, that's no fun. My hydrangeas were so beautiful last year, blue and purple. This year, just a couple feet of leaves. What are your orange flowers? Looks like maybe some sort of small azaleas, but I don't think I've seen that vibrant orange color. I normally don't love azaleas, but if that's what that is, I'm a fan.

I won't be doing a retaining wall here anytime soon, even if I had an easy job of it (going to ask for more explanation there in a second though). Thing is, our entire yard needs major help. Starting almost from square one all around. There is SO MUCH to do and just getting a decent canvas going is proving to be costly. So, things like retaining walls will probably have to wait another year or two unless I find some material I like really cheap somewhere like a yard sale or something. We already have like 5 different kinds of bricks/pavers though--4 of which I don't care for-- so I don't want to add another random one into the mix. Doubt I'll be lucky enough to find a specific kind of stone, in bulk, somewhere dirt cheap!

I might get some annuals, I might not-- I've had to work hard at mentally resigning myself to being patient in so many other areas, seeing just mulch in this one til fall isn't going to kill me. I might put some things in pots out there so I can move them/plant them later.

LOVE your thoughts on other posts I could make-- will do that just after this. I've been wondering if there are some fun places to visit near me-- I currently spend some time driving through nearby neighborhoods looking at their setups, ha.

Are you and Junkie friends in real life? That's awesome if so.

And most importantly, yes that's a burning bush and we already have plans to move it to a much bigger space on a sunnier side of the house. It will be in full sun there and have about 10 feet between it and the house. Is that ok? I assume you meant because they get so big? I know it can get even bigger than 10' but I was planning on keeping it pruned to just under that. Tell me if it's a bad idea please! Hubbie just planted it last fall so it'll surely be easy to get out still.

What happened to the patch of grass? (and what does PIA mean, pain in the..?) Was it grub damage? I have no idea. You're not saying there was a burning bush there, are you?

And lastly I'm confused about why it would be difficult for me to do a short reatining wall there, if I had the resources. Bc the sidewalk curves around? Also I guess I can't really raise it up there anyway bc of the hydrangeas... unless it's ok to throw a bunch more dirt around the bases of them. But that doesn't seem safe for them, no?

Thanks for the pic! I'd love to see more of your garden, and everyones! I keep posting pics of all the horror that's going on in my own, taking comfort only in the fact that someday I will be able to post some darn progress pics. But I'd love to see more of evryone's pretties...

Here's what I would as a retired landscaper who used to do a lot of yard makeovers.
First take care of unsightly downspout extention. Bury it and direct it somewhere downhill where it won't be a problem, maybe even an asset. Use one piece of corrugated ADS pipe so you have no leaks that roots can penetrate in the future.
Next, get rid of the sod on the inside side of the sidewalk on both sides of the house. Cut it in squares and lift it with a fork, put it in a wheelbarrow and compost it somewhere in the back or fill in a low spot.
You don't have to build a wall to hold back the soil and mulch from the sidewalk. Just dig a ditch next to the sidewalk and throw the dirt back on to the bed, giving the bed a mounded look. After planting, fill the ditch almost up to the sidewalk. That works the same as a wall and doesn't cost a dime. A little shovel work maybe. Check the level of the bed next to the house. It looks like it's up on the brick. That can't be good. Lower it to the foundation.
If you can, cut those stumps down lower. If not use the dirt from the ditch next to the sidewalk to partially bury them. Don't try to pull them up because of all the utility lines going to the street from where they are attached to the house. Digging them up might be a problem for the same reason.
Here's what I do to exposed stumps that can't be dealt with otherwise. Just a scoop of soil, a couple of rocks, and some Sedums. The groundcover is a hardy Geranium. Hardy in Zone 8, anyway and a little over a foot tall.
More later.
Mike

Here is a link that might be useful: My garden

I like the arbs to soften the corner of the house.

Al

the grass .. i got rid of it.. because it was a mowing nightmare .. just like i told you

i put the generic yellow sedum there.. and i walk on it all summer ...

in my pic.. the sidewalk is flat.. and the front edge of the brick is set on it ... with wall building... there is only one important course of brick.. the bottom one.. it must be level ... front to back.. side to side.. and on a footing that will not sink ... once that is set ... you build as high as allowed to your hearts desire ...

its all complicated.. if to make the wall match the level.. horizontal .. house brick lines ... if you have to lay down a foot or two of compacted scree to set your first wall bricks ...

when done right.. a wall is sublime.. when not.. its a nightmare .... as you are driving around town... just start noticing wall work.. and you will soon note novice 'i did this in one afternoon' jobs.. versus peeps who did it right ...

we often say... to insure you start with the backbones of the scape .... things that cost money.. and will be there for decades ... filling in with other stuff over time ....

but what mike the bot is telling you ... is that there are a few structural backbones... that need be taken care of ... like the downspout ...

too many peeps start.. by buying plants... then figure out all the nightmares ...

also.. just to get your head straight.. NEVER USE LANDSCAPE FABRIC ... ever.... just in case you had that thought ...

see how the multiple posts ... are generating interest.. and peeps are starting to recognize your name.. and looking at all the posts ... too often.. newbs get this 200 page thesis going.. and it just gets all so complicated.. that no onw can keep track of every subject ...

when is your first road trip.. and where are you going... the favored GW plan.. is to take pix.. and give a tour of where you went .. so we can join you on your trip ... and comment on things you saw ... and again.. dont go all tunnel vision ... look for inspiration ...

and if you do go to nurseries.. i talked of holding over stock until the proper planting season ... many.. for a deposit.. will put a SOLD tag on them.. and you let them hold them until planting time ... hell.. if its going to die between now and then.. let them kill it... lol ..

its another glorious day outside... time to go ...

ken

I meant to say fill the ditch with MULCH almost up to the sidewalk.
Mike.....not firing on all cylinders this morning.

All this good advice!! It's so exciting and I can't believe its FREE : )
You guys are the greatest.

I only have 5 min on my lunch break (unfortunately I work every fri and sat and it's gorgeous out those two days this week!) and wanted to get on here and at least write one response. Can't wait to respond on my other threads and it's killing me to be here at work-- last night I got home late and my computer was locked up for some reason ARRRGH.

Anyway Mike, wow THANKS!! I think we will actually be following your advice to a T!! I hate that rain spout. Didn't even consider burying it, figured I'd cover it up best I could. I hope the burying is a project my husband can do-- if not whom would we call? I assume a landscaper, since a landscaper recommended it?

More later, I want to say more on this thread too. But don't worry Ken-- I'm not getting too overwhelmed and I love all this insight more than I could say. And I will try my very best not to get tunnel vision hehe : )

Ok few questions, if anyone still gets notifications to this thread..

Mike, that pic of your stump/rocks/sedum is great-- the stump is under the rocks? I can't tell what is stump and whit is rocks, or if it's all rocks and the stump is completely covered. I'm sure we can cut ours down some more and probable enough to bury it and plant something shallow like that. Love that idea.

I'm confused about the downspout though. It would be buried underneath the sidewalk and come out somewhere downhill on the other side (of the sidewalk, in front of the house)? Sounds like a job for professionals. I like it though and now would certainly be the time to have it done. I also hate the green shutters and screen doors and have been considering brown-- maybe a brownish/taupeish/greenish-- and would like the part of the downspout that comes down the wall to match instead of that stark white. Probably more than I can afford right now, with the doors especially.

Also about the foundation-- I didn't realize our dirt was up too high-- I don't think I've seen anything *but* brick on the soil line since we moved in!! Should I be alarmed? I guess I need to go all around and pull quite a bit of mulch and soil down away from the house, still on a slope? If I do that, I'm not sure that it'll be level with the sidewalk anymore by the time I make it that far..

And while I'm at it Mike, your pictures are too glorious. It's taking restraint on my part to not lose myself in jealousy : )
The picture of the really bright red twisty JM in fall-- that whole scene is heaven to me. The colors in that shot, red/orange/gold/yellow/green and blue with such interesting conifers peeking through- if I can get a teeny tiny taste of that feel in my little garden one day, I will be very very pleased. Breathtakingly beautiful.

Ken- I'm sorry, I got confused on which piece of grass you were talking about as there's a little spot in the photo on the left. Yes, husband and I have discussed and the grass is going! Wish I'd have posted for insight before I edged it out a little farther and curved it-- here's a pic of the hydrangeas I thought I'd killed when pruning last fall that will show what it the edge looked like a month ago-- but oh well. Was fun practicing with my new edger : )

And the previous owners used the black fabric everywhere (as did the previous owners of our first house) and in each I have cursed it's existence! I've pulled up what we have here as I've gone along but there's plenty still in the areas I haven't even started on yet. They used it everywhere. EVERYWHERE. The method I started using at the last house, loved, and want to continue with here is the newspaper then mulch. Once my soil is amended some and all turned over, loose and level. That black stuff either creeps up no matter what kind of mulch or rocks people put over it, or they never put *enough* whatever over it in my experience, bc I can always see little bits of it here and there, EW.

Not sure when my first road trip is as I have plans or appointments every weekday this week except Thursday so either Thursday or one day early next week but I am super excited! And will be following your exact advice-- take pictures, write down names, post here and get feedback : )

BTW you didn't respond about my burning bush-- if it were you, would you get rid of it altogether or do you think my new plan for it is ok?

I put a couple of rocks and a scoop of topsoil on the stump and then planted Sedums. Here's another stump planted with Sedums in a wilder part of the garden.
Nikki, I'm glad you enjoyed my garden pictures.
Mike

ohhhh yeah Mike, I'm definitely doing something similar with our stump. Love it.

Hello all-
Been a while since I was on this thread but I'm checking out some more conifers and I still like the DeGroot's for that space but was wondering, how about a Juniperus Compressa? Seems like the pics I see of both trees show varying thicknesses. I prefer the really skinny ones of either but most pic show both of these as columnar but not super skinny, as in oddly skinny. I really admire the oddly skinny ones though and was wondering if anyone knows why some of these 2 trees have that more extreme shape than others...

Ken and Mike, I figured you guys might have an answer for me on this. I'd post some pictures but they're not mine so... probably shouldn't do that. Anyway, planning on planting at least 2 or 3 dwarf conifers next month sometime, getting down to the wire for some decision making. Thanks!