uncommon shrub suggestions sought...
davidrt28 (zone 7)
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
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gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
9 years agoDave in NoVA • N. Virginia • zone 7A
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agoRelated Discussions
5 Uncommon Plants You Can't Live Without
Comments (25)Kind of hard to shift mental gears and come up with non zone 9/10 plants, plus I've no experience with Japanese beetles here in California. On the other hand, some of those recommendations of plants which are tender perennials here, such as the Nicotiana sylvestris and the various Angelica species are also great performers here in the SF Bay Area. Along those lines, I'd also recommend tall accents such as Verbena bonariensis, Helleborus argutifolius if hardy for you, and that Fringe tree is also fantastic in bloom here. And surprisingly, Hostas can be grown well here if carefully sited by keeping well separated from the rest of a garden by wide swaths of pavement which limit snail access. I would look into some of the hardier Euphorbia species such as E. myrsinoides and E. rigida. Eryngiums are another group of perennials with that something "extra". A rather tropical touch can also be had by adding herbaceous perennials such as Hedychiums, Colocasias, Cannas(Canna 'Pacific Beauty' is a particular favorite for outrageous orange color). Check out the on-line catalog for Plant Delights Nursery or our local California Annie's Annuals Nursery for tempting unusual mail order listings; both ship across the country and both have excellent web sites with lots of photos....See MoreWould Like Suggestions for Shrubs Behind Pond
Comments (5)Thanks, sheepco. I see you're a fellow Minnesotan. Helpful suggestions. I'll check with local resources. judithva wrote: "I would agree with sheepco, about checking with sites that talk about what shrubs do well in your area." Yes, I will do that. Judithva wrote: "I am surprised that the dogwoods did not do well there in the shade since they are usually considered 'understory trees.'" As you can see from my first photo, they thrived for several years. I too saw online that dogwoods should do okay in semi-shade. Sadly, I think we took them for granted and should have sought advice sooner. Perhaps we needed to replenish the soil's nutrients. I did have a soaker to water them during dry spells. Bill...See MoreSuggestions for interesting / unusual shrub or tree
Comments (3)No, but I do have two suggestions: Shrub: eleutherococcus sieboldianus 'Variegatus' tolerates dry or damp shade, even deep shade. I am less sure that it tolerates a lot of sun. My two new plants seem to be getting a little fried facing east. Tree: cornus controversa 'Variegata.' Tall, strongly horizontal branching, lovely leaf color. Expensive, slow growing, hard to find....See MoreSuggestions Sought
Comments (11)a strong second for fairview's comments about contractors' tendency to overplant in number and in size - pay close attention to the eventual mature sizes of anything you put in the ground - last year, we removed (with great difficulty) a red tip photinia that had been planted only 18 inches from the foundation!!! - those things can grow to be the height of a two story house & have no business being that close to a building in the same vein, you have crape myrtles on both front corners - make sure they're not too close - they come if different sizes, and some are the size of small trees when mature - and the front left one might be in shade the whole day, which won't go well for a crape myrtle, especially if this is a two-story house - if you're not dead set on symmetry, you might want to consider a japanese maple on that corner - lou can tell you more on that - and once your live oaks fill out, the right front corner will be just as shady and both crape myrtles will be unhappy also, why are your shade trees on the north/northwest end of the property????? - i strongly suggest you consider a shade tree for the south/southwest end of the backyard - not only will this provide shade for the house, but the a/c compressor will work more efficiently in the shade as well (lower light bill & fewer maintenance visits) - considering the narrowness of the yard, you might want to add another little gem magnolia at the top end (at the wood fence "spot"), then another west of the corner (at the stone fence bed "spot") or similar - or you could scrap the magnolias altogether and plant a couple of live oaks at that corner as you have at the front corner "know absolutely nothing" - we all come into this world knowing absolutely nothing - each of us were on square one in gardening at some point - i've found gardeners to be quite quick to share information i forget who made the suggestion, but driving around the neighborhood for ideas is an easy and very relevant way to brainstorm - take a digital camera with you so you can snap portions of yards that you like (or don't like and want to avoid) for later reflection - and don't limit yourself to your immediate neighborhood - i frequently check out neighborhoods of people who are "better off" that i am in order to see what professionally installed and maintained yards look like in hopes of seeing something i can replicate within my own budget and energy its cool that you're exploring your options now - unless you have an upcoming deadline for the contract/implementation, i'd allow yourself plenty of time to consider various ideas and suggestions - you may surprise yourself in how many times you change your mind - and its pretty d*** hard to move a tree over four inches to the right if you don't like where it's put ~ freshair...See Moremad_gallica (z5 Eastern NY)
9 years agodavidrt28 (zone 7)
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agomad_gallica (z5 Eastern NY)
9 years agodavidrt28 (zone 7)
9 years agoDave in NoVA • N. Virginia • zone 7A
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agodavidrt28 (zone 7)
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agoDave in NoVA • N. Virginia • zone 7A
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agoarquatus
9 years agodavidrt28 (zone 7)
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agofloral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
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8 years agolast modified: 8 years agodavidrt28 (zone 7)
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoUser
8 years agoNHBabs z4b-5a NH
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8 years agodavidrt28 (zone 7)
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoDave in NoVA • N. Virginia • zone 7A
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agosam_md
8 years agodavidrt28 (zone 7)
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoDave in NoVA • N. Virginia • zone 7A
8 years agoEmbothrium
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agodavidrt28 (zone 7)
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agogardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
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6 years agodavidrt28 (zone 7)
6 years agoUser
6 years agogardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoDave in NoVA • N. Virginia • zone 7A
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6 years agolast modified: 6 years agomattp321
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