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Landscape Design

Landscape Help for a Ranch Home in Zone 6B

6 years ago

Please help! We ripped out the overgrown jungle and planted foundation plants, but now I feel as though the landscaping is too bare. I'd like plants/flowers that give visual interest at all times of the year, but I don't even know where to start. Do you have any gardening ideas to give this ranch home more curb appeal? Would love any advice and ideas.

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Comments (5)

PRO
Yardvaark
6 years ago
You could add a couple of sizeable areas of annuals flanking each side of the entrance for seasonal color. And you could place a solid bed of variegated groundcover below the tree that is off the corner of the house.

Some of your plantings do not look like they'll stand the test of time. For example, the weeping evergreen near the right corner of house. It looks much too close to the house and as if it will get too large. Can you identify all the plants? The large shrubs in front of windows doesn't seem like a great idea.
Robin Schmidt thanked Yardvaark
Robin Schmidt
Original Author
6 years ago
Hi Yardvaark - I really appreciate your reply. And continue to appreciate any advice. I'm trying to visualize your ideas, but sometimes I need a picture right in front of me. I'll have to find someone to do some sketch renderings of ideas.

The little green balls around the house are "Mr. Bowling Ball Linesville Arborvitae." I'm wondering what type of things I can put behind the little green shrubs to provide additional height and texture.

The three shrubs with pink flowers under the windows on the right side of the house are "knockout roses."

And the the weeping tree is a "Weeping Alaskan Cedar."

I absolutely love anything blue or purple. I would like to plant some catmint and some iris.

I'm new to all of this, so I appreciate any advice. I'd like to know more about your ground cover suggestion, and I definitely plan to plant annuals next summer! This year, I just did pots!
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Robin Schmidt
Original Author
6 years ago
One more picture...
PRO
Yardvaark
6 years ago
I don't know that exact variety of arborvitae but if its relatives give a clue, it's going to get very large. You'll need to keep on top of trimming as you won't be able to let it grow too and then trim it back. There is no room behind them to plant anything. The small trees are too close to the house.
l pinkmountain
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
If you have a chance to move the Alaskan cedar, do it now. It's going to get very large and outgrow the space you have it in sooner rather than later. That's a specimen tree, should be planted where it can spread out and where you can view it and enjoy it's beauty. Google its mature size so you know what you will be looking at and how much space it needs, and find a nice spot for it. If you want something weepy and evergreen by the house, get a DWARF conifer.

Catmint and iris perfect for by the house, would look good together. There are also many pretty blue perennial salvias that are pretty and bloom later in the season. Agastache, vervain, delphiniums, bellflower, you have room for a nice blue themed perennial garden . . . if you move the misplaced cedar. As for the bowling balls, check their mature size too. I wouldn't put something behind them, rather something around them, maybe some creeping phlox, I dunno, they are probably going to fill that space so widen the bed and the phlox could go in front.

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