What to plant here

7 years ago

last modified: 7 years ago

Started planting along our back wall. So far we've planted the large evergreen shrubs/trees we needed for privacy to get those in.

In the center of the back wall we had 5 black stem pittosporum in standard form planted. They are 9.5 feet apart. On both sides of the group of pittosporum we had 5 zhu zhu loropetalum planted (5 on each side).

Now I'm stumped about what to plant under/around the pittosporum to fill it in. I do know I want it to be a mixed planting. I do want to use Grevillea Bonfire (I have another Grevillea down the way further and love it. My hubby also insists on Little John bottlebrush.

Stumped on how to go about it. Put the same shrub in the middle between each pittosporum so the background is the same and do a mixed planting all around those? Or do a mixed planting all together? Suddenly having trouble deciding what to put in and how to arrange it all.

zone 9, just outside Sacramento

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Comments (5)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
7 years ago
i dont do CA.. so i cant make specific recommendations ...

but lets talk about your goal .. or lack of one .. and therein lies the problem ...

your first goal.. was the sight block.. so that made the decisions rather easy ...

but now.. you are at a loss.. because you arent sure if you want it all regimented like the previous ... or whether you want to start mixing it up a bit ... and we cant really define that for you ... where do you want to go with it??? .. and how much time do you want to spend on it.. weekly ...

my first thought was.. in 5 years [maybe faster in CA?] .. what you already have there.. will probably fill in nicely and be a rather carefree landscape ... could that be your goal??

which begs the question of instant gratification ... do you want to wait that long for it all to mature??? .. i figure not ... but it still needs to be addressed ...

all that said ... its a garden .. not an interior design.. just plant things that make you happy .. or hubby ... it can always be moved or removed in the future ... too many peeps.. think a garden is a plant once and forget about it type thing.. in my world.. warped as it is ... it isnt ... i think of it more of a collection of things.. that make me happy ... and if and when they dont.. be done with them ...

soooo ... whats your goal??? .. when you can elucidate it .... explain it ... then your problem is solved ....

aw heck.. just buy what pleases you.. and plant it ... lifes too short ...

ken

ps: i didnt know yards could be that big in suburban CA .. lol ...
A S
Original Author
7 years ago
The center is also straight off the patio. So fun, pretty, colorful. Love interesting flowers. That's why I love loropetalum and grevillea so much I think. It would be nice to have something that flowers other times of year besides spring.

Guess I need to draw on graph paper what both ways would look like and see how it goes.
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Raya, I love how the colors and textures in that view of your landscaping compliment your house colors. But honestly, I don't think you need to add more to what's there. Instead you need to remove things. My initial reaction was that it's much too crowded. The bed itself should be longer and deeper with more generous space between each plant so that each can grow into its own form--- not into each other. Truthfully, most of these plants will overtake that area before too long. Ken is correct. Foundation shrubs should be grown several feet away from the house so that you can get behind the shrubs to maintain them and the house--- plus to discourage insects. I know you said you don't want to mess with the brick edge and, definitely, moving plants may seem like a big job. But it's better to do this now while the plants are relatively small rather than later when they're full grown. At least at this size they'll have time to mature and grow properly in an optimal environment. Do you know the names of these plants... the roses, the evergreens, and other shrubs? Sometimes builders leave the identification tags on the plants; these will give you important information --- like future growth. I ask because that Japanese maple in the corner (a Crimson Queen?) must be taken out. I have one that's 7 years old and already 4 feet tall by 7 feet wide. If you leave the maple there, in time it will drape over everything around it --- including the porch----and block the window. Those two smaller evergreens in the back should also be moved. Could you post a longer view of the front, one that shows both sides of the front as well as the doorway? I really think this is more of a "re-landscaping" of what you have rather than adding more plants to this area. Things should be spaced out in a way that accentuates your home rather than crowds it, but it's hard to make suggestions without seeing the whole picture. You could also post this on the Landscape Design forum.
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How about some sensory plants like Superstition Mallow (Abutilon palmeri)? It has velvet soft leaves and attractive orange sherbert colored flowers. You could also start an "ABC" garden. Pick flowers or herbs that match a letter of the alphabet and have a large painted letter nearby to help your child identify it. For example: A = aster, B = butterfly weed. Experience textures by planting Lamb's Ear, a wooly herb. Use highly scented herbs like Mints for M for a different experience. Later you can consider a "Dinosaur Garden", an area that would attract those creatures if they lived today. Small palms, asparagus ferns, junipers, pine and other greenery that predate flowering plants are perfect. Imagine a world without flowers! For the dinosaurs there was just an endless world of various shades of green. Flowering plants were just coming into the world during the dinosaurs last days. Adding large models of dinosaurs nearby can give your child a feel for dinosaur time and what their world looked like then.
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Good idea to move the stones. How large is the area? I am guessing about 4'x8' assuming that the stones are 1' square. Is this area mostly viewed from close in such as by a walkway or from farther away such as from the road or both? A photo of the wider area including surroundings would be helpful so that this area works well with its surroundings. If you use mostly perennials and roses, there won't be much late fall - winter interest. Is this an area that you walk by daily such as the path to the door? If so, put in something evergreen, at least flowering evergreen groundcovers. These would include cottage pinks such as Dianthus 'Firewitch' or 'Greystone' or Veronica 'Georgia Blue' or even perennial candytuft/Iberis sempervirens, which isn't strictly a groundcover, but could be planted as several plants close to each other to function like one. Or a broadleafed evergreen such as rhododendron or mountain laurel/Kalmia, both of which have spring flowers, but retain winter leaves. I might put in a flowering evergreen groundcover, a couple of the smaller panicled hydrangeas such as Bobo or Little Quickfire which will give summer-fall blooms (and I find the dried winter flowers ornamental), and then spring bulbs such as crocus or small daffodils for early spring interest. You could fit several peonies and one hydrangea into the area as well. Because it's a relatively small area, you don't want to use too many different types of plants unless you like the slightly chaotic look of a cottage garden and that style would fit with the rest of your plantings.
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A S
Original Author
7 years ago
And the problem is, is that I like most everything at the nursery. But I don't think buying one of *everything* is a great plan either.
A S
Original Author
7 years ago
And yes I know my Nandina look like soldiers in a row. Gonna fix that.
A S
Original Author
7 years ago
Anyone have a minute to weigh in on whether you'd mix it all up? Or plant the same shrub between each pittosporum (likely grevillea) and then mix it up surrounding all the large background shrubs?

What to plant here

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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

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