Newbie with questions!

7 years ago

Hello, and thanks for this forum! We've just moved from Chicago and purchased a lovely old home in Monroe, NC and we have modest ambitions for our property. I have dozens and dozens of questions, but for now I will restrict myself to a few (not wanting to annoy you all too much...) We have a backyard with some issues...I will include photos.

1) Heavily shaded lawn beneath huge old pecan tree. I've sown a five-pound bag of white clover and some has taken, but I am not near getting the ground cover I desire. What should I try? Is there a good mix that is shade and drought resistant that will take and spread?

2) Tea olives along shared fence? This area gets dappled sunlight for several hours a day. I am thinking of 3-4 tea olives, will they thrive, or is there a superior alternative?

3) Knock-Out rose bushes along front fence. This area gets good sun for several hours a day. Will they thrive? Is there a better choice for flowering shrubs, perennials in this area?

4) Sedum and/or phlox for groundcover alongside the house? Good or bad idea?

5) Inherited rose bush--I have cut it back severely, as it was overgrown and non-productive. It keeps coming back, as you can hopefully see from the photo. Is this a lost cause or can I revive it to blooming productivity?

6) Camellias along the shared fence--as you can see in the photos, the previous owner put these here and they have clearly not done well. Can I/should I try to move them? What conditions do they like? Oh, and when the heck do they bloom? I have several others around the property with buds.

Thank you so much for reading and any help you can provide. Right now I have lots of questions but hopefully down the road I will be able to contribute!

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Comments (5)

countrygirlsc, Upstate SC
7 years ago
I can only comment on the poor rose. No, it is not a lost cause. Do not prune it back anymore at this time. It will stimulate new growth that would be killed by winter freezes. Next spring I would cut back one of those very woody canes to try to get new growth from the graft. did you see it bloom at all? do all the canes have 7 leaves?
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DAVID ARGENTIERI thanked countrygirlsc, Upstate SC
DAVID ARGENTIERI
Original Author
7 years ago
Thanks for the reply and advice! No, when we moved in late July, it was wildly overgrown but no bloom. Lots of rosehips (?...hard buds?) Yes, seven leaves everywhere there is new growth.
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trianglejohn
7 years ago
Welcome to NC! I think you need to be patient with the clover lawn. I don't think all the seeds sprout at the same time, some may sprout next spring. If any of them sprout they will most likely take over the yard in a few years, just make sure to set your mower to its highest setting.

Tea Olives are great and easy to grow - it can take while for them to get really big.

Camellias can be very slow growing so be patient or buy larger trees (they cost a lot because they grow even slower in a pot).
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DAVID ARGENTIERI thanked trianglejohn
nandina
7 years ago
David, some thoughts re your questions:

1. Grass under pecan tree---Yup, be patient with your clover seeding. If the non growing grass in the shade problem bothers you consider having an arborist work on the tree, removing some branches to allow more light to reach the ground. Also, do a search for fertilizing pecan trees in zone 7. Setting up an annual fertilizing program would make your tree more productive, if that's what you want.

2. Tea olives along the shared fence---Good choice. These shrubs remain branched to the ground which is desirable. Plant four. Wonderful fragrance when in bloom! Move the Camellias. There are several types of Camellias. The most planted are Camellia sasanqua, a fall-early winter bloomer. Camellia japonica, blooms late winter into early summer. Lot's of on-line information about planting, fertilizing and mulching them correctly. Very important information. Study!

3. No thoughts on what to plant along side of house without a picture and description of the area.

4. Inherited, mangled rose bush---Give it a year. Picture shows no sign of black-spot. Something to consider. Fertilize. Cross your fingers. You may have a treasure. If so root a cutting next summer. It's easy. (Check out the Rose Forum here on GW.) Toss the old one. Replace with the rooted rose. That is, if you want a rose growing in that location.

5. Knock-out roses along front fence---These are the least demanding roses to grow. En mass the better growing red variety makes a brilliant statement. Much discussion recently suggesting that they are being over planted in the south. This is your choice depending upon how much you want to garden? You have just moved from the frozen north to a growing area that supports a wide variety of interesting perennials through a long growing season, requiring a bit of learning, tending, deadheading, etc. It's your choice.
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DAVID ARGENTIERI thanked nandina
tiarella
7 years ago
Just be aware that we have rose rosette a virus that attacks roses. It is fatal to roses and spreads via a small walking insect. Google it; If any of your neighbors have the problem you will have it soon. Ask your local extension office for ideas in place of the roses.

The tea olives are wonderful and can bloom in fall and spring when weather conditions are similar. Camellias like a bit of shade and there 2 types sasanquas and another one that I forget the name of. Another question for the extension office!

If you can go visit Plants Delight( on line catalog) in Raleigh NC high $ plants when they have their open house dates and by all means go to the Farmer's Market lower $ too. They have a lot of new intros.
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DAVID ARGENTIERI thanked tiarella

Newbie with questions!

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countrygirlsc, Upstate SC

DAVID ARGENTIERI
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Newbie with questions!

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countrygirlsc, Upstate SC

DAVID ARGENTIERIOriginal Author

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