Schip Laurel or Hicks Yew, semi-understory hedge
Joe F
7 years ago
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Dave in NoVA • N. Virginia • zone 7A
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoJoe F
7 years agoRelated Discussions
Advice on Landscaping/Fence(s)
Comments (9)excellent feedback from both of you, thank you. You are right, Yardvark, three trees will not give us total privacy. I am a bit fearful of creating a long line of shrubs of similar height (see our schips, which look terrible). I was thinking one tree on the right (to obscure the view of the red house) one in the middle (for our neighbors), and one to the left. However looking at the pics posted by deviant I am thinking i should not worry too much. I am 99% sure that there is no utility right of way. My thought had been that we would need to replace our current fence (where the no-man's land is) but a look at the local regs says that 4' is high enough... i am pretty sure our neighbors new fence is that high. This suggests that we would not have to replace that segment of fence at all. However we would need to do a lot of plantings to get sufficient privacy (we may even want to start next year with plantings, then remove the existing fence later after they start to grow in.) I think we woulld then have about 10-12' total between the property line and the pool and the property line/our neighbors new fence. We could also get more space for landscaping by avoiding putting a 'paved' path all the way around the pool (as in deviant's photos--that pool landscaping looks great, by the way). Do you think 10-12 feet is enought to incorporate layering? Yardvark, re the schips, I think you are right about the light. Some of them are growing reasonably well, so I dont think that it is a water issue (though it is possible). For each of last 2 years we had a local tree service fertilize them. This helped a little bit but not nearly enough given the cost. Some more pruning may be called for. The vine suggestion sounds good too....See MoreNew Red Oak - did I do this right?!
Comments (54)splaker(5a): For what it's worth, I think the consensus is to get rid of the ornamental grass. Logan L Johnson(NC Zone 7a) We're not doing a foundation planting. Are we doing a mixed border? Is screening a goal? I'm not sure. The goal, If I understand it, is to provide some visual interest and distract from the sapling, on the theory a lone baby tree can look sad on it's own. Or perhaps to frame the oak. Conifers are trees not known for shade tolerance. I'm not sure they are a great choices for under an oak. The big ones could compete with the adult oak and the dwarfs grow so slowly they may be shaded out before they come into their own. They are marginal in Zone 5, but I like holly. Grow slowly enough to be no threat to the oak but shade tolerant enough to have a fighting chance when the oak gets big. Also Bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi), Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens) Rhododendron. I do like the blue star juniper. You are probably overdoing and overthinking this. There is a temptation to clump all your plants together in one place, but if you do that they crowd each other. You don't have to put everything you want in your yard in this one spot....See MoreOld house: need front yard landscaping advice
Comments (45)Lord knows I love Hicks yew, but it grows 3-4 ft. spread and 8-12 feet high. I would not put one of those next to my house. You can prune them into a hedge, but pruning is not everyone's forte. Looks like Novice has some kind of yews already up against the house. That's why it is very difficult to advise someone on plant choices, because everyone is different in terms of taste, desire to do maintenance, family, pets, time, etc. Your landscaping really isn't that bad. It just needs to be maintained and pruned for the most part. I'd focus on the area around the front steps, and just edit the edge islands, there seems to be weedy plants in those areas and the mature trees and shrubs could be pruned a bit to make them look more aesthetic....See MoreNeed help identifying foundation plants
Comments (22)Dig Doug, what do you think about the blue cascade distylium? This is what the landscape designer suggested: Front entry island bounded by drive: o Tree removal: selected tree removal to provide better environment for understory and lawn plantings. Leave desirable and healthy specimens. Consider limbing up to raise canopy and structural pruning of existing trees to remain to improve light conditions for understory and lawn. o Create a semi-circular shaped lawn in island to relate to main body of house front corners. Consider adding a border planting at edge of lawn to transition to natural area beyond. Border plantings to consider include big blue liriope, Bordeaux dwarf yaupon holly or Wintergreen Boxwood, etc. Plant spacing close to provide instant hedge or border effect. o Consider adding “drifts” of raised beds with broadleaf evergreens/southern indica azaleas/ blue cascade distylium,etc. and native flowering shrubs/hummmingbird clethra/little henry itea,etc. along with a few cluster groupings of Brodie Eastern Red Cedar o Add 3-5 Flowering Dogwood and Forest Pansy Redbud between Cedars and street for additional color accent · Front foundation: o As started with Boxwood parterre/hedge planting to frame front bed between drive and foundation on either side of entry porch and corner Accent upright evergreen/Italian Cypress/emerald arborvitae/Spartan juniper o Theme tree: between house and parterre/hedge centered in middle – single stem Natchez (white) Crape myrtle (or as selected single stem crape myrtle) o Groundcover mass underplanting with dwarf gardenia or crown jewell gardenia · Brick planter: o Blue Cascade or Emerald Heights Distylium back planting with dwarf plum yew groundcover mass in front OR Duke Garden Plum Yew in back with Dwarf Gardenia or Crown Jewell Gardenia as groundcover mass · Left front foundation next to path to backyard: o Blue Cascade Distylium next to foundation with Boxwood or Dwarf Bordeaux Yaupon parterre/hedge with Miami Crapemyrtle centered on window. Mondo grass, liriope spicata OR dwarf gardenia as groundcover between parterre and foundation planting o Work to improve existing lawn: provide more sunlight through tree thinnings/removals/raising canopy where possible, add dolomitic lime at 50lb per 1000sq ft along with a complete lawn fertilizer for cool season grass/fescue per label · Groundcover mass between drive and natural area on side: Baltic Ivy or Vinca major or Liriope spicata...See MoreDave in NoVA • N. Virginia • zone 7A
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoLogan L Johnson
7 years agoken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
7 years agoEmbothrium
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoLogan L Johnson
7 years agoEmbothrium
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoDave in NoVA • N. Virginia • zone 7A
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoLogan L Johnson
7 years agoNHBabs z4b-5a NH
7 years ago
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