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Need plant/shrub idea for front door

8 years ago

Cross-posting from Landscaping forum.

Zone 7a - northern virginia.

Hi all. I would like to replace the two pink azeleas on the either side of the stoop (see picture below) with something else; preferably an evergreen shrub. These spots get 5-6 hrs of direct sun in the morning. Is it possible to grow emerald green arborvitae or hollywood juniper there? Any other ideas/suggestions on what to do with this spot? Thanks!

Featured Answer

bamboo_nuts

8 years ago

There are thousand dwarf/miniature conifer(evergreen) cultivars to choose from but the constraint is your planned budget.

You can get some rare conifers from Merrifield Garden Center or you can get cheap ones from other nurseries in your area like Meadow Farms or Betty's Azalea Ranch.

Talk to them what you like and what your planned budget is. I'm sure you they can tell you what is the best confer to replace those two bushes.

But whatever it is, based on your space limitation, I say you can only grow either a miniature or a dwarf conifer.

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Comments (9)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
8 years ago
why is there no sidewalk to the door ...

you might want to plan that into the design ... even if it wont be there for a while

of the two you mentioned.. both have way too much potential to be planted where the shrubs are ...

ken
mayurkirti thanked ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
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DeanW45
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As others have noted, it's really going to come down to personal preference. But I'd take a look at Chamaecyparis obtusa cultivars. They are a good partial sun conifer, and there are many, many dwarf and miniature varieties with different growth habits. And so far all of mine have performed well in a hot and muggy summertime zone 7b climate here in Georgia, which is probably not too different than a northern Virginian summer.
mayurkirti thanked DeanW45
gardener365
8 years ago
Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Golden Mop' would look pretty good.

Dax
mayurkirti thanked gardener365
mblan13
8 years ago
I'd go with something a bit more substantial on the left side to soften the corner, and something more columnar on the right, so as not to block the window. As for what tree...depends on what's available in your local nurseries or what you are willing to pay for a decent sized mail order trees.

Left - Picea Orientalis 'Skylands' or Picea Abies 'Gold Drift'

Right - Chamaecyparis Lawsoniana 'Wissels Saguaro'
mayurkirti thanked mblan13
sc77 (6b MA)
8 years ago
'Skylands' will get much to large for the left side. Swap that for Picea Orientalis 'Firefly', same tree, just more dwarf. Even 'Gold Drift' as a weeper, will overwhelm that spot fairly quickly. You could consider Juniperus communis 'Gold Cone' also
mblan13
8 years ago
Thanks sc77, I failed to clarify.

I didn't mean to put 'Skylands' or 'Gold Drift' (on the right side) EXACTLY where the azalea is, but far enough out in the yard to grow in to fill the space, leaving proper clearance to the eave of house.
Mike McGarvey
8 years ago
Will that leave enough room for the walk? There's gotta be one, sooner or later.
Mike
fernfarmer
8 years ago
I agree with Ken and Mike: figure our your hardscaping (a stoop in scale with the house and large enough for two people with umbrellas to stand on if this is a front entrance, an intermediate step (or steps) large enough to accommodate more than a child-size foot, a path of some sort to the driveway or whatever the access area to the left is, etc.) before you think about replacing plants. The azaleas look healthy enough and are not visually objectionable; the permanent pieces should be in place before plant decisions are made, whether or not (but especially) if budget is an issue.

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