Landscaping around house with fruit trees?
iamflowerdot
8 years ago
Hi all, Still working on my curb appeal. Planning to replace/enlarge the deck and put a garden bed to the left of it and wrapping the bed around house. Trying to choose a tree for the bed on the left. Was thinking magnolia or crabapple, but now it seems maybe I should just plant a dwarf regular apple tree. As you can see in the 2nd pic, my style is kind of cottage gardenish, so an apple tree makes sense with that. Just wondering if anyone has experience using fruit trees in their landscape design, and any pros/cons vs using typical ornamental varieties? It makes sense to actually get something to harvest, but has anyone else tried that in their foundation beds? Does it look weird having fruit trees right in front of a house? I need some structure of some kind around the house, but I know more about perennials but not how to landscape.
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bossyvossy
8 years agoRelated Discussions
Carpet around fruit trees
Comments (46)I should mention that my experience of losing sweetness of peaches after 20 years of mulching is entirely anecdotal, although I've seen some research that seems to support the connection. I didn't mean to suggest that organic mulch as a permanent weed solution is a problem everywhere or even that I'm certain it's a problem on my own property. I'm only suggesting it may be a problem over time at some sites. What I do know is that the standard advice is to keep tree vigor moderate to produce the highest quality of fruit. Vegetable growers know this applies to tomatoes as well and probably all other annual garden fruits that we call vegetables that are improved by more of their own sugar. I've also learned that fruit trees can do fine in mowed sod once they are established although it was never my preferred management method until I became suspicious of mulch sometimes over invigorating trees I care for. On some sites I continue to mulch peaches and cherries after I stop mulching apples because it supports the vigor I wish to maintain. The point is to keep your trees at the sweet spot, where they are vigorous enough to fight disease and grow perfect fruit and this will have everything to do with what your soil and climate is to begin with. Peaches as a species require more vigor and more nitrogen than apples according to general recommendations. Young trees of all species are best served by keeping them very vigorous so they can overcome competition and pests and achieve their place in the sun and bear large crops quickly. So the best advice I can give is to try to maintain the sweet spot of moderate vigor for bearing trees and watch their growth to determine how you manage them from that....See MoreRoundup around little fruit trees
Comments (13)I just have my trees mulched and I hand pull any weeds or grass that pops up. Yeah it's a pain but I'd rather do that than spray chemicals for a few weeds. I've learned to just accept that my garden can't be picture perfect all the time. I don't like using chemicals that are known to cause birth defects in my yard. I'm not pregnant or trying to get pregnant but I don't feel comfortable putting that kind of thing in the environment. Cardboard works better than the newspaper for the grass runners. I did a large bed with mixed paper products and the cardboard worked the best....See MoreLandscape privacy trees around shurbs, help
Comments (4)You state a few goals, one of which is screening for privacy. I think the solutions you are proposing are contrived and lacking in effectiveness, and you're trying to squeeze too much "interest" into the mix, which would ultimately create the opposite effect. It seems to me that you would create a visually stronger artistic statement and more effective screen if you were to vastly simplify the solution. I would also create a faux entrance at the street level so that the arrival experience had some convenience and architectural interest. The floor space there ought to be more like 6' x 8' or 8' x 10'. My drawing has just a simple arbor, but it could be any number of things and even include a waist-height shelf so you have a place to set packages temporarily. This is a place to start brainstorming......See MoreRedoing the landscaping around the house - need suggestions!!
Comments (5)There are three rules in landscaping. Thriller, Filler and Spiller. For the thriller, you want something that will give height to the yard and add some color. You might consider picking something that blooms with brilliant flowers for some of the year. I would start in front of the house, and pick taller bushes that take away a bit of the white space, but don't cover the house completely. I would center them with each portion of the house they will be sitting in front of. For either side of the front porch, and on the corners of the house, choose something even taller. Go with something that adds symmetry and gives the feeling that it frames the house. A taller tree may be a good choice for the corners of the house. Next, choose a filler. This can be comprised of many different types of plants that will spread out but remain short. Choosing a mostly green option is good, but don't be afraid to add in flowers as well. These will add additional color to the house and will compliment the thriller. Finally, pick a spiller. The spiller is especially great if you choose to put in flower beds that had a solid face at the front. This may be a good option for you since you have a fairly flat front elevation. You could do flower beds like those you have in the backyard, which have a plain front but add height. The spiller is a plant that will fall over the edge of the bed and break up the solid face of the bed. It adds visual interest, and if maintained and trimmed occasionally, it will not look messy or unkempt. I do not know what your house faces, but if it faces a street, you could consider putting in a stone or concrete path that would add an additional element of visual interest to the front of the yard. If you do choose to add a path, you can line it in plants of varying heights (Not taller than 18 inches). For around the side of the house, you can add higher trees or large bushes to fill in the sides of the house and frame it. Refrain from adding tall trees in front of the house as you don't want to hide the house from the street. Hopefully this helps...!...See Moreiamflowerdot
8 years agoiamflowerdot
8 years ago
l pinkmountain
8 years ago
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