Shady shrubs to cover exposed cinder block foundation
I impulse-bought some shrubs at a local nursery's open house yesterday after a year of perseverating over my ugly cinder block foundation. Zone 8 eastern exposure but down a berm with tall trees, so dappled shade most of the day. From left to right: forsythia kumson, viburnum conoy, silver dollar camellia (put in last year), and illicium mexicanum.
Questions: would a real hedge of a single species be more attractive/grow in better? Other plants to add/try instead? Something fast growing? Should I move these a foot or so further from the house (currently 2-2.5 ft away)? Wood siding has me wary of bugs and moisture.
Entrance is to the right beyond the fence, so plantings will mostly be seen at a sidelong angle (second pic). This is why I erred on the close side when planting. By door is espaliered fatshedera and I just put in wintergreen beneath as groundcover. Deer ate most of my tulips in bed by fence, but they rarely come over the fence. Oy. This gardening stuff is new to me.
Comments (12)
kcmnc
8 years agoThanks! I went back out today and moved viburnum and anise out of this bed and moved in a bunch of Aucuba babies and a st john's wort. Decided it will be a green and gold bed.
i am glad to have hit on a unifying theme and will check out the annuals you suggested. I like the idea of getting some height while waiting for things to grow. Purple verbena will look great. Thanks!
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Comments (14)Blueberries are a thought, esh ga; I do love the foliage. The last time I had highbush blueberries was a good many years ago (at least 10), before the deer got bad. As for lowbush blueberries, I planted 5 of them about 5 years ago, and I now have one plant left. The deer pulled the other 4 out of the ground with their constant munching (much like they do everytime I try to plant anything in the carex species -- next time I try to plant either of these, I think I'm going to make a chicken wire cage to cover them until they have a chance to establish a good root system.). In rethinking the issue, the deer may not be a big problem in this area because the planting bed is pretty deep. The deer usually content themselves with dining along the edges of the borders around the house. I've never known them to move beyond the first plants in a border to get to what's behind. That could change, of course, as they seem to get bolder every day. Loris, I just happened to discover UCONN's plant selector search engine yesterday while doing some research. I know it's a site I'll use often. Plugging in my light/soil requirements for this site yielded nannyberry and blackhaw viburnum as results. I have a blackhaw in my front border at the edge of the house, and I love it, but has only been there about 4 years and would already be too tall for the site I'm looking at now. From what I've read, nannyberry gets even bigger. The problem is that my son's only bedroom window is directly above my planting site, so the height of whatever I plant there needs to top out at 10 ft. at the most; 8 ft. would probably be better. I frequently refer to the MD Native Plant Society's plant lists, especially because I'm really trying to have all my new plantings consist of plants that are native to the Maryland piedmont, not just to Maryland in general. As for William Cullina's book, I have seen that book referenced so many times, that I finally decided to order my own copy. The book I use most now for natives is Donald J. Leopold's Native Plants of the Northeast, which is a very good reference, too. I'm now also considering a mapleleaf viburnum for the spot. Although it would only reach 5 ft. in height, according to Leopold's book, it prefers dry soil and shade. I'm going to keep looking and mulling over the possibilities for a few more weeks. Whatever I decide on, I'm hoping to get it at 50 percent off when the local nurseries start having their fall clearance sales....See MoreSplit face block for crawlspace foundation....
Comments (4)Reinforced concrete block can be used for a crawlspace foundation, but it needs to be properly waterproofed and proper drainage needs to be designed to carry rainwater and water from gutters and downspouts away from the house. The biggest challenge with block is inadequate or improper footings, reinforcing and installation, leading to cracking which permits water intrusion and, if you are in a freeze and thaw environment, more cracking and damage to the block foundation. Parging and other waterproofing techniques will cover up the split face texture of that variety of block, so I'm not sure why you would want the added cost of using it. Good luck with your project....See MoreMystery wire running through foundation to outside
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Comments (43)I've had good luck with winter gem boxwoods here in zone 5. Also have had green velvet without a problem with the cold. I think these are both varieties of Korean boxwood. I have lost one or two over the years to what I believe was a fungal disease, but most years they look great. I don't happen to be using them as Foundation plants but you could. I also have had no problem growing densiformis yews in partial shade. Probably a prosaic plant but it works and stays fairly small. Maybe three feet wide and two feet tall. I do use some of these as Foundation plantings. Obviously you would want to combine several different types of plants. Annabelle hydrangeas are also popular here as foundation plants in shady spots....See Morekcmnc
8 years ago
NHBabs z4b-5a NH
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agokcmnc, shrubs grow faster than you assume. Here is a bed I planted in the fall of 2009, but photographed in June 2010, with nothing taller than 3' except a very few of the evergreens that were 4'-5'. Most of the rhododendrons, dogwoods, spicebushes, hydrangeas, etc were under 2', and some were about 6". The cherry trunk visible in the photo below is just out of sight to the right in this photo.
And here it is in 2014, with just less than 5 years in the ground. The large pink Hydrangea paniculata 'Pinky Winky' is 8' tall x 12' wide, well over my head (it is the little lopsided green blob on the left in photo 1.) Note how much space between the hydrangea and the dark green arborvitae in photo 1; they are touching in photo 2. Even after gardening for 35+ years, I was floored by how quickly it filled in! It has almost totally hidden the large logs, buildings, and solar panels it was designed to keep out of sight. Many of the perennials I put in initially have disappeared since they were overgrown by the shrubs.
Seriously consider looking up your shrub's predicted width and plant accordingly as suggested above by all of us. In two years you will have covered at least half of the foundation as long as they are plants suited for the spot (soil, sun, etc), and the plants will create a distraction that makes it less apparent since your eyes will have something else to focus on of more interest. Are you planning on staying less than 3 years? You also always have the option of parging or painting the foundation to make it fade into the background better. If you leave the shrubs where they are, either you or a future owner will regret it since you/they will be putting in time fighting to keep them away from the building.
kcmnc thanked NHBabs z4b-5a NHkcmnc
8 years ago
pinusresinosa
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agowisconsitom
8 years ago
cearbhaill (zone 6b Eastern Kentucky)