I'm redoing my front yard again. Need advice

16 years ago

Here is how it originally looked

{{gwi:39712}}

Here's how it looks now

{{gwi:39717}}

{{gwi:39713}}

We took the railroad ties out and had the stone put in. Also, the trees on the top middle level had termite and carpenter ant damage, so it was recommended that we take them out. I replaced them with Knock Out roses and planted yellow Coreopsis in front of them. I recently decided the Coreopsis was getting taller than I had wanted, plus I felt like there was too much yellow in the yard with the golden eunomys and Stella D'Oro daylilies planted around the house (behind the truck). I recently took the Coreopsis out and planted some white daylilies in front of the Knock Out roses. Now my dilemma is what to do on the bottom level, in the circle of golden eunomys. I currently have roses there, but the one on the right isn't doing good and needs to go.

The one on the left is doing much better, but I'm not sure if the color of the blooms goes very well with the color of the Knock Out blooms.

If I replaced it with roses, what color should I use. There's a Magnolia in the middle of the bottom tier and I thought the white daylilies would tie in nicely with that, but if I put white roses, then everything on the bottom would be white and I'm not sure I would like that. Is there anything else besides roses that I could put there? Would it look best to just put more Knock Outs or something different?

Laurie

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Comments (9)

carrie751
16 years ago
Laurie, are you aware that as your magnolia matures, it will send roots all over this area, and pretty much take over. I wish someone had told me this before mine became a tree, and the roots are just below the surface, and I cannot dig to plant anything around it. I finally just put clerodendrum in and let it spread it's own way.
msrose
Original Author
16 years ago
Carrie,

No I didn't know that, although that's pretty much what happened with the Redbuds that we used to have on that middle tier. We at least had the stump ground up so that I could plant the Knock OUts in that spot, but there's tree roots everywhere under there. I actually wanted something besides a tree in the bottom tier, but my husband was set on a tree.

Laurie
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fairysoapgirl
16 years ago
Maybe try dwarf, bush type crepe myrtles?? Or maybe some grasses? A Mexican Feather grass might add some movement to the yard and they don't grow enormous like some others. You could add some dwarf or medium size nandinas (try the ones that turn bright red in winter to add winter color)?
brenda_in_tx
16 years ago
Your yard is gorgeous and I love the stone. At our last house, we too had the railroad ties and if we'd stayed, we were going to replace them with stone. Yours is really nice.
msrose
Original Author
16 years ago
Thank you, Brenda. It took us 22 years to finally getting around to putting the stone in, but I'm really glad we did. Actually, it was the scare of having termites and carpenters ants that pushed us to do it.

Laurie
denisew
16 years ago
If it would have been my choice of where to plant that magnolia, it would have been on the left side - whether the bottom tier or the middle. It is too big for right smack in the center of that one side of the house. It will eventually block the entire view from that window in the house from the inside and from the view at the curb. If there was a way to move it, I would do it this fall. The landscape would look more balanced with it on the left. Then you could come back with some dwarf crape myrtles, daylilies or whatever you're wanting to plant in that area and have a lot of fun with it.

I do like the stone. We're in the middle of adding stone around our landscape beds. We have a good portion of the front done, but need to finish it then do the backyard. A little bit at a time is the best way for us because it can be quite expensive.
scuba-gal
16 years ago
oh it's so pretty-
lou_spicewood_tx
16 years ago
That's really nice looking yard. That's something I wanted to do for the side yard ( I live on the corner lot with sloped side yard). I just need to come up with money... and not kill shantung maples somehow while doing something similiar like yours in the future.

I don't think Shantung maple roots are very agressive at all. I think they are similiar to japanese maple roots according to a shantung maple grower who has all kinds of azaleas growing around them. 'Fire Dragon' shantung maple would be nice addition to the landscape somewhere if you needed shade. www.metromaples.com to see pictures...

Dwarf abelias would be nice as well. I thought I had enough of knock out roses (and their thorns) so I figured i'd try abelia. I love them! They have tiny flowers all over them and seem pretty tough so i give them high marks!
msrose
Original Author
16 years ago
Denise,

I was going to ask if anyone had any suggestions on what to put in the place of the Magnolia. I don't think there's any way I could talk my husband into taking it out, but I was trying to figure out what would look good there just in case I did. I think the variety of Magnolia is Little Gem so it's not supposed to get big like the regular Magnolia, but I agree that it kind of blocks the view. I'm really not much of a tree person, which is why I was glad to get rid of the trees on the middle tier. I like planting flowers and the trees cause too much shade sometime. I would love to fill that center spot with daylilies and other flowers. I've been trying to get hubby to let me take out the Yaupon by the front door and put something lower growing.

{{gwi:506465}}

I would actually like to take out all of the yaupons, but I can't make up my mind what I would want there instead.

We have a shorter stone wall in the backyard, so we had to do a little bit at a time also.

Laurie

I'm redoing my front yard again. Need advice

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carrie751

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I'm redoing my front yard again. Need advice

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carrie751

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