Ideas for landscaping under pine trees.
I could use some ideas for my backyard. Our wood deck was falling apart, so we had it torn out last fall. We decided not to replace it since it was so difficult to maintain. I'm starting to think that we made a mistake. We hired a landscape company to design a plan for the area and do the work. Things didn't go well. They installed the wrong flagstone on our walkway, cut out the wrong sized base for a patio and firepit area and didn't prepare the base correctly. All of their work has to be torn out. Our yard is a mess and the landscaper decided not to correct and complete the job or return our deposit.
So far I have only been able to successfully resolve one issue. Our walkway was installed 10 years ago so trying to match the paver stone color was impossible. Fortunately, I found some used paver stones that were close in color. I decided to install an 8" step the width of the walkway to make the difference in paver stones less noticeable. Our walkway and patio pavers are covered with construction dust in the attached photo.
Now I'm working on the rest of the backyard that the old deck covered. The landscaper planned to install a fire pit area on the right side of this photo, using flagstone. I have since learned that disturbing the tree roots of Sugar Maples, and White Pine trees is a bad idea, sparks from a wood burning fire could be an issue under pine trees, the base for the fire pit was supposed to have been 16 feet instead of 14 feet, the base was incorrectly installed for paver stones, pine tree sap is difficult to remove from paver stones and the wind blowing against top heavy pine trees, lifts the tree roots causing the paver stones to lift. A tree company told me that since the area has already been cutout for a fire pit, the damage to the tree roots has already been done, so he suggested that we use a fine decorative type gravel over the base, install the fire ring and just make sure to use a screen over the fire pit to contain the sparks.
On the left side of the wooded area, instead of a 16' circular area cut out for a patio, we have another 14' base. Pine sap isn't an issue in this area. I have looked for flagstone that would blend well with our paver stone patio and with the flagstone stepping stones in the wooded area, but failed to find anything that would blend well. I might have enough paver stones left over from the walkway to use for this area. If not, I found some Holland pavers that I think would mix well.
I originally thought that I should use the same material for both areas of the backyard along with pathways to connect our existing patio to fire pit and the patio in the wooded area. I could always remove what has been installed and just plant some ground cover.
Any advice would be welcomed.
Comments (7)
PROUser thanked JudyG DesignsRelated Discussions
landscaping ideas under big pine tree and for outside walkway are
Comments (9)First, I believe your "pine" is really a cedar (Cedrus species), as best as I can tell from the distance of the photo. And obviously landscaping under it in the traditional sense is not gonna work, which is why nothing grows there now - too large a tree with a too dense root system, lots of surface roots and too much shade. Bark or wood chips may be your best move, with perhaps a few partially imbedded landscape boulders to add interest. Keep the chip or bark mulch pretty light - too thick a layer can smother those roots - 2 inches is plenty and you can always touch up as necessary. With a tree this well-established and mature, you can skip the soakers as well.....that root system is able to access all the moisture the tree needs to survive all but the most prolonged droughts. You are going to have similar issues with the oaks - well-established trees with an aggressive root system. A good shade and drought tolerant groundcover may work (check local nurseries for what they'd recommend for your area), but be careful about too much cultivation under these trees - oaks in particular resent having their roots messed about with. You may decide to mulch directly under the canopies and place the GC at the dripline. With careful selection of a groundcover, it may creep back a bit under the trees on its own....See MoreNeed plant idea for under white pines
Comments (2)My front yard slopes a little from the house to the street. I had a white pine that, over time, did the same thing you describe on the sloping side. I planted a half circle of Royal Standard hostas at the drip line to visually extend the tree to the ground. I liked the look but when winter came and the hostas died back I had the same space problem. That same white pine eventually developed some gross black stuff on the lower branches. My landscaper-neighbor did a bonsai cut to it which saved the tree and opened up an enormous planting area beneath it for, you guessed it, more hostas....See MoreCover under pine trees
Comments (2)Sweet woodruff carpets the ground under my white pines. It is often listed as something people complain about as being invasive/too vigorous. I'm not sure what your zone is and how it would perform there but it makes a perfect cover here. It has pretty, white flowers at the moment. It's not in the least bothered by the thick coating of pine needles in the fall. I just leave the pine needles be and the sweet woodruff has no problems coming up through them in spring. Everything in the woodland garden comes up through the needles - no need to remove them; they're a great mulch....See MoreJapanese maples, under pine trees???
Comments (3)I think the key is the amount of moisture that it receives--remember that Japanese Maples like moist but good-draining soil (they are native for the quick-draining, monsoon-drenched storms of Asia), so U don't want them to be too dry. Also remember, though they like frequent water, standing water is a threat to virtually all maples (they can "drown" quite easily). Ditto the prior posts on the root situation....See More
PRO5 years ago
PRO5 years ago- 5 years ago
- 5 years agolast modified: 5 years ago
- 5 years ago
Dig Doug's Designs