Help pick out shrubs and trees (Zone 6b)
Hello,
We purchased our home two years ago, and have finally decided to do some work on the area between #1) the curb and our front lawn, and #2) the boundary between our lawn and our neighbor's. Currently (see first picture below) we have a mix of perennials, shrubs and weeds in area 1), which is very untidy and gets unmanageable in the summer months. We are planning on cleaning out all the existing stuff and putting in boxwoods/shrubs and mulch that would give a clean look. For the boundary (#2), we thought adding boxwoods and properly edging could help make things look neater. Someone suggested planting emerald green giants, but we don't want something tall that would create a screen between the areas.
Can anyone provide any recommendations for what we should plant in the front and along our border? We are Zone 6b (Northern NJ) and would like something that is relatively low maintenance. We don't want to repeat the mistake of having too many different things that can get difficult to manage (we are still learning the basics of gardening and lawn maintenance).
A second project we are looking to do is to plant some trees along the backyard fence. The neighbors will be putting up a wooden fence, which is not something we would like to be looking at directly, so we would like to put some trees to at least provide some green and block a naked view of the fence. We are not necessarily looking for complete screening, and in fact, we are worried that planting too many trees close together would make the lawn look much smaller. So ideally it would be something that is not too dense. One other consideration is that we have deers visiting us now and then, so hopefully, not anything that would be too much of a culinary delight for those unwanted guests.
We are looking for some suggestions for types of trees to plant. We have thought about Emerald Green Giants, but we are worried that they are too narrow and dense. Green giant was also recommended, but not sure whether this would be a good fit, and what spacing we should be using.
Thank you so much for your help!
Comments (6)
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Comments (10)Most jm's do better with morning sun and afternoon, at least, partial shade and if you want at least some color you will need at least 5-6 hours of sun...so it depends on how your tree is situated. Pin oaks are fast growing but IMHO crappy trees ( although ANY 150 year old tree is a treasure!!) I have "inherited" three of them all about 50-75 ft tall. You should be careful planting them too close cause the nasty acorn fall in aug - oct may damage your leaves and small branches of your jm's...fortunatly the acorns are small..( although i've had my head cracked by them more than once and it's NO treat.)Also note the above fast growing statement ...what may be in partial sun this year may become full shade next and trimming ( or in your case falling old dying branches) near your maples may be problematic since pin oak brances are especially twiggy and heavy leading to possible damage of your JM's.( and I don't know how much more growing a 150 year old ree will do).If you have lived with this tree for a while you may be aware of everything I have posted but others here reading this may not!!! All the varieties you mentioned should do well in St. Louis... but the placement may be problematic ...David...See MoreNeed help picking out shrubs for zone 6.
Comments (11)You will want to space them to avoid the windows if you want them 4' high. The sketch has ground cover partly because it creates a mass large enough to be seen from a distance, and partly because in the areas in front of the windows, either you want something low, or the windows will be blocked which typically looks awkward. There are ground covers with flowers for at least part of the year such as Veronica 'Georgia Blue', Iris cristata, Phlox divericata (a 1' tall, spring-blooming, woodland phlox), variegated Solomon's seal (Polygonatum) or one of the running Tiarellas, any of which will do fine in your site, and there are ones with variegated foliage such as Carex 'Ice Dance'. The advantage of adding a small to medium tree or two off the house corners is that they will help ground the house rather than have it sticking up really high above all the plants. I couldn't tell from your post if you were planning to just skip them or planning to add them later. Hydrangeas that would probably work here (since I think the afternoon shade will be bright unless there are overhanging trees out of sight) include Annabelle or other H. arborescens types which form flower buds in the spring, or a low-growing H. paniculata such as Bobo or Ddharuma or White Diamond, which also will form flower buds on new growth, or a reblooming H. macrophylla (they should bloom even if the overwintering flower buds get killed) since they will form flower buds on new growth as well. Just be sure you don't choose a once-blooming H. macrophylla. I don't know of any oak leaf hydrangeas that stay less than 5'. Daphne x transatlantica 'Summer Ice' is a gorgeous plant IMO, but is best appreciated close up for its scent and subtle variegation. Will you be using this door regularly or hanging out in the front yard? If not, I'd put that one somewhere else. There are a few shrubs that will stay low, perhaps stay low enough to grow in front of the windows. One of the short Deutzias, as mentioned above, might work (Nikko, Chardonnay Pearls, Yuki Cherry Blossom, and Creme Fresh all stay short but there are others that to to more than 6'), and there are some Weigela that stay short, both variegated and dark-leafed....See MoreZone 6b VA Starting almost out of scratch - landscaping design help!
Comments (7)Lazy gardens - there is ant much space to widen the sidewalk. We don't mind the walkway for now but we will keep it in mind for future projects! Yardvaak - that looks great! Thank you. We actually just limbed up the tree but maybe should have done a bit higher. Any specific plant recommendations? I guess you tried to draw in crape myrtle on the left? Hedges in front of the door? What specific shrubs did you envision? Also ornamental grass on the corner of the house?? I like the idea of connecting the oak tree with the other bed - nothing is growing there anyways.. other than weeds so maybe some ground cover there, although I cannot decide whether I want pachysandra or Vinca minor there?...See MoreLandscape Help for a Ranch Home in Zone 6B
Comments (5)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....See More
JW K
6 years agoedlincoln
6 years agolast modified: 6 years ago
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
6 years ago
edlincoln