Zone 8A flower box ideas needed
moppymo
5 years ago
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PNW Zone 8a, roses putting out leaves, soil is very cold
Comments (31)I have been gardening in what I call "glacier slurry" and you call glacier till since '04. The only tool that worked for me was a hand mattack and I dug deep wide holes and perk tested them. My backfill was natural soil and purchased compost because my housepad/gardening area was cut out of a slope. There is probably little plant organic material in the gardening area because of it being cut out of the slope ... except for the decayed mulch material I have applied twice a year over the last several years. The glacier slurry is porous and drains well, which means that anything I use will end up in our water supply, the Trinity River. Until last year, I tried to get by with organics and time-released fertilizers, but the plants just didn't thrive. They did OK, but I knew something was missing. Last spring, after the estimated last frost date in April, I applied 1/4 cup of calcium nitrate to the larger roses and less to the smaller roses. I watered well the day before and then watered again the same day I applied the CN. It was enough to kick start the roses and they did a LOT better last season. Altho' the roses do leaf out earlier than they should, most of that growth is blind growth. I think it's the plant trying to feed itself through photosynthesis. We always get a late frost or snow before the middle of April and that growth generally dies off or gets pruned off. We have temps in the high 90s or low 100s for weeks at a time during the summer and time released foods are just burned up too quickly to be reliable, so last year, I did a combination of organics and synthetics and all of the plants were healthier than in prior years. In my experience, it's hard to find the right balance to feed the plants and not pollute our water source. I think I have planted the last of the roses I am going to plant, except for replacements for roses that don't do well in this climate. I know I don't want to dig any more rose holes in this stuff. Smiles, Lyn...See MoreHedge for 8 foot fence . Zone 8a
Comments (12)I submit that hedges or bamboo will give you just as much grief as the fence, maybe more. Too monotonous. And bamboo is very messy. If you think of the fence as the background of a painting, creating a beautiful, though spare, scene in front of it will put it to good use. Place a sturdy trellis at a focal point of the fence (center?) and grow a delicate vine -- not a monster that will take over, but maybe a clematis or similar. In front of that, possibly place a birdbath or simple drip fountain surrounded with some easy-to-grow flowering and foliage plants to fluff around it on either side and along the fence, and include some plants with tall spiky leaves for contrast. Voilà, you are at peace. If you need more coverage (we don't know the expanse of the fence) place the trellis/vine at intervals, or break up the monolithic feel with a couple of very large pots with standards in them (shrubs or small trees trimmed to grow a single trunk and allowed to branch out higher up). If necessary, paint the fence a color that will contrast with and show off your plantings. (See photos)...See MorePlant Suggestions? Zone 8a, Eastern N. Carolina. Foundation Planting
Comments (2)What's the "tree" that is there now? Maybe that can go to that left corner. FYI the shape you show on the right = a small shrub at most - the large shrub category covers ones a lot taller than that. Might work best to convert the small section of lawn between the house and the walk into bed, concentrate your planting there. At any rate I wouldn't line the walk with anything, rather have the lawn come right to the walk....See MoreLandscape tree suggestions - Zone 7b/8a
Comments (14)15' wide and how tall? What happens when the 15' width is reached, will you then be having to cut it back every year? If so you will then need to either plant something smaller growing instead or a kind that can be headed back repeatedly without being spoiled visibly. Also you are taking the automatic approach to view blocking that is often seen on this forum, that is placement of screening planting over where the unwanted view is. Instead of where you are looking from - the latter is the most efficient as the plants do not have to become nearly as big to do the job. Which brings up another recurring aspect of this subject area - how long are you willing to wait for a tree out at the entrance to reach enough size to screen as much as you would like starting today? Because you should keep in mind the effect you are going for might take many years to be produced by a new planting. Which gets us back to maybe you should do something up by the house instead. Something that would produce the desired privacy level more quickly, if not immediately. As in maybe even something built rather than planted....See Moremoppymo
5 years agotqtqtbw
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5 years agoSnaggy
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