Ideas for new landscaping and walkway - front yard zone 5b / 6a
kcandm
8 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (10)
User
8 years agoUser
8 years agoRelated Discussions
New Large Raised Bed - Please help me plan it (Zone 5B)
Comments (9)I wrote this out yesterday before I read Yardvaark's response, so some of what I have written may repeat or contradict what he said. Though you may not want to hear this, I have a few concerns, some practical and one aesthetic. I live in an area that looks fairly similar to yours. I don't know how long you have worked on gardening here, so forgive me if I bring up things you have already considered. For the aesthetic, you want to remember that this is the front of your home, and while the flowers pictured will give you summer interest, you will want some evergreens or other plants with winter, spring and fall interest such as interesting branches, colored bark, etc. to help provide structure and form to the bed in the 7 or so months of the year that your flowers aren't blooming. An evergreen groundcover could also work. You can most likely have flowers but you will also want some year-round plants; otherwise you will have an empty bed for about 2/3 of the year, and while some of the time that is under snow, something like 4 months of the year in my garden are both cold and snowless. Plants that need to be dug up like most of the bulbs pictured (not the lilies in the last photo) need to be planted in a separate part of the bed from shrubs or plants like the lilies that are true perennials in zone 5 so you aren't creating root disturbance. Most of the plants you pictured really like all day sun and good soil, and I am not sure that even having taken down the marked trees and improved the soil you will find they grow well due to the conditions. Some of your trees may be species which don't share space well, so I would take good photos of buds and branching to get them IDed if you don't know what they are. That will allow you to judge how likely you are to get a fair amount of roots growing into the bed from nearby trees (whether the bed is raised or left at grade.) I think that while the trees currently may not shade much of the bed once the marked ones are down, the remaining trees will extend their branches to some extent to take advantage of the newly available sun. In a bed alongside a treed area like this, I might focus on plants that I know will do well with a mix of sun and shade and are relatively tolerant of dry conditions and are hardy enough to not need to be dug up annually. They also will look more natural against the tree line to my eye as the transition from a mass of flowers to native woodland might well look quite abrupt. Dogwood trees (Cornus kousa or Cornus florida), mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia), hardy rhododendrons, silverbell (Halesia), Epimediums (there's a world-class Epimedium nursery in MA) are some flowering plants that do well along wooded edges for me, but none of them will bloom all summer like those pictured above. I think I would put the flowers in your photos up closer to the house, pehaps enlarging the current bed and replacing part of the lawn (which likes similar growing conditions), including something similar to what I mentioned above for winter interest. I think having a bed at least 8' deep and with at least a foot between plants and the house for maintenance would look better. If you have deer, you might want to consider a high fence or a regular spray program to keep them from eating your flowers since many flowers are quite attractive to deer....See Moreyellow climber for part shade in z6a/5b
Comments (46)Vaporvac, ac91z6 - I have both Florentina and Princess Alex de Lux, and I highly recommend them both. Florentina I've had for about 4 years and it's an enthusiastic bloomer all season with entirely cane hardy survival in an average zone 5 spot. The blooms are very full and dark red and it's among my favorite climbers these days. PadL is newer, since she just went in last spring, but I can already tell she's a typically enthusiastic Kordes rose. She's putting out canes in every direction trying to elbow wimpy neighbors out of the way, and I've seen clusters of those thickly petaled blooms off and on all season. She hasn't gotten to her third season yet so her repeat isn't all that frequent, but I don't expect that in a rose's second year. I think she had some but not all surviving cane over the winter, which is typical of most of my roses. Both were from Palatine for me, and both have done extremely well. Cynthia...See MoreTips for front yard landscaping, plants and trees zone 6
Comments (18)I would remove all the shrubs on the left and start fresh. It's hard to tell how much space you have between the house and the sidewalk. I keep picturing an old fashioned lilac--the kind that get up to 12 ft high--in the middle of the blank space between the windows. Then you need some low evergreens such as spreading or densiformis yews on either side of it near the foundation for winter interest. And if there is any room left in front, a few dwarf hydrangeas like "Bobo"....See MoreLandscaping ideas zone 6, new pillars and front door color
Comments (17)Anybody who had to deal with coal dust knows light colors are certainly out. My favorite with a yellow home is black. It is a nice contrast. I would paint the porch and shutters black. Leave the window trim white. If possible paint the soffit and fascia black. I would keep the screen door white and paint the door a turquoise. Black metal porch furniture with turquoise washable cushion covers. Navy instead of black would be my second choice with a darker red door. Personally I would put a railing on your porch for safety. CLF are not the most attractive, but they are sturdy and long lasting. People with animals like fenced in yards. I would grow flowering vines on some of the fence It would be a perfect place to grow bird house gourds if your into crafting....See MoreYardvaark
8 years agoKim in PL (SoCal zone 10/Sunset 24)
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agokcandm
8 years agokcandm
8 years agokitasei
8 years agokcandm
8 years agol pinkmountain
8 years ago
Related Stories
GARDENING GUIDES6 Steps to Get a Garden Off to a Glowing Start
Grow a lush, balanced garden from an empty patch of yard or neglected landscape spot with these easy-to-follow guidelines
Full StoryLANDSCAPE DESIGNHow to Design a Great Garden on a Sloped Lot
Get a designer's tips for turning a hillside yard into the beautiful garden you’ve been dreaming of
Full StoryGARDENING GUIDES5 Easy Plants for a Romantic Entry Garden
Abundant flowers, a heady fragrance and striking foliage combine for a romantic front-yard garden that's deceptively low maintenance
Full StoryCURB APPEAL7 Finishing Touches for a Thoughtful Front Yard
Make a great first impression with artful house numbers, water features, garden art and more
Full StoryFRONT YARD IDEASMeet a Front Yard Designed for Gathering
Hanging out with neighbors comes naturally in front of a Southern California home, thanks to comfortable zones and beautiful plantings
Full StoryCURB APPEAL7 Great Structures for an Attractive Front Yard
Create a tasteful tableau for all to admire with a fountain, gate, statue or other eye-catcher
Full StoryPATIO OF THE WEEKWater and Fire Mingle in a Canadian Front Yard
If the illuminated moat winding through this Ontario patio doesn't dazzle you, the 8-foot-wide fireplace will
Full StoryCURB APPEAL7 Ways to Create a Neighborly Front Yard
Foster community spirit by setting up your front porch, paths and yard for social interaction
Full StoryPATIOSPatio Details: A Relaxing Front-Yard Retreat in Los Angeles
A retractable awning, a water feature and an onyx fire feature transform a formerly unused front yard on a busy street
Full StoryFRONT YARD IDEAS10 Ideas for a Front-Yard Edible Garden Your Neighbors Will Love
Choosing attractive, well-mannered plants and sharing the bounty will go a long way toward keeping the peace
Full Story
User