New Landscape Plan for Front Yard
I'm reworking my front landscape and I wanted to pass some ideas/questions along to the group. There is bindweed that has grown in all the flowerbeds and in the lawn. I just decided to remove all the old landscaping - the bindweed is just choking it all so I need to work on managing it. I have a company that does organic lawn care coming on Saturday to look a the lawn and weed issue.
My questions....
- Should the smoke tree stay or go? Its beautiful but messy and I think it's too close to the house. I was thinking of a sargent tina crabapple that is smaller and I wouldn't have to vigorously prune like the smoke tree.
- I'm moving the rose of sharon tree to the back yard. Winter gem box wood was mentioned to me by a local nursery as a good foundation plant to put in the front. Do I need something in front of the boxwood for vertical height between the windows?
- I wanted something vertical next to the door and the nursery suggested: purple pillar rose of sharon, fine leaf buckthorne or black tower elderberry. Anyone have any experience with these or another suggestion?
- Because of the bindweed, should I consider just putting in fabric and rocks in the front?
- I don't really like the straight flower bed but I also don't want to increase my work having it extend the full length of the walkway. What could be some other shapes that would work for the flower bed in the front besides just straight? Would I need to include the cherry tree to the left in the bed?
- The smaller bed to the right - I'm going to take out the perennials and put fabric/rocks in. Add some drift roses and some different perennials.
Thank you
CJ
Comments (9)
intltraveler
4 years agoRelated Discussions
New Construction - Front yard landscaping question
Comments (13)stu, Sodding the small area is easy for him and he's charging for every piece of sod they put down. I would have some good garden soil put there and plant several blueberry bushes and use strawberries as a groundcover. Pine bark mulch with a pine straw mix works for a mulch and won't wash away if it's not too high above the side walk. On the other side of the sidewalk I would plant some nice medium sized shade trees such as red maple, black gum and sweet bay magnolia. You can use the same mulch here. All of these are AL natives so there won't be any issues with getting them to adapt.Reaserch the proper way to plant trees or take a look at the tree sction of the forum. If you want pretty flowers check the Alabama garding section for suggestions....See MorePlan for ranch front yard landscaping--am I on the right track?
Comments (3)johnfromperrycopa: What a great idea to use the hose! and yes, I agree about not runing vines up the columns. I read in an article on bhg that suggested doing that, but when I messed around with it on photoshop yesterday it looked awful. Yes, the long step is like a landing. And yes the tree on the left is alive, The tree on the right with green leaves is a Magnolia and the one in the front of it holds onto its old leaves until feb/march (or so my neighbor tells me). The tree you see down the driveway is a pine. (I took this picture a few days ago on Jan. 5, so it's a winter picture). I love the idea of a Japanese Maple. Sure it's on the expensive side, but I've got five years to enjoy it! Thanks so much for your thoughts. It's kind of like what I was thinking, only way better. mactac: thanks for the plant suggestions. I looked up the leadwort and it looks beautiful! It would also go very well with my large container plants (I have purple cordlylines as the tall spiky plant) I probably couldn't use the evergreen in the backyard . . . there are so many trees back there I've got to consider taking some out. :( Do you, (or anyone) know somewhere I could maybe "donate" them? Do people do that? I don't really like the evergreens, but my trash could be someone else's treasure . . . I also like the idea of using some annuals. Thanks to my two-year old and his love of the backyard, I'm afraid most of my gardening is going to have to be in the front yard this year, so that'd give me a chance to play while I'm waiting for the perenials/bushes/etc. to grow. Thanks again to you both for your thoughtful suggestions. It helps make the whole process less intimidating and more fun....See Morefront yard landscaping new idea
Comments (14)The cycad (not a palm) looks a little silly stuck in the middle of the lawn all by itself. I would prefer to see it incorporated into a larger planting area that runs to both the curb and the drive. Can't advise on much more as there is no real information to go on as to what you want or would like to do and the single photo doesn't illustrate the situation very adequately. What is the purpose of that square hole in the foreground on this side of the walkway? That looks like a broken ankle waiting to happen............See MoreNew Home! Need help with front yard landscape!
Comments (8)I think sprucing up your lawn quality will go MILES. I also like the post showing a corner tree, and nice edging/mulch. You have good bones to work with, just needs more TLC....See More
Tracey Woods
4 years agoYou need to create rhythm through repetition. Quick search photo to give you concept. Your maple should be more of a star / specimen and then you need a taller key plant further away from the house on the other side. In between a low/medium shrub to tie it together. Add perennials for year round color.
intltraveler thanked Tracey Woodsintltraveler
4 years agointltraveler
4 years ago
Thank you for all your
comments. I finished the landscaping for the front yard. I just took everything
out and started over again. I plan on putting a black tower elderberry on the
corner - its a bit tricky because of the gas line and irrigation control right
there. The corner looks like it needs something. Should I also mirror the red barberry
on the right and plant another one behind the gray rock on the left? I also
went ahead and planted daffodils, tulips and crocus in the bed for spring;. On
the left is a sargent tina crab apple, spirea, small butterfly bushes, hot
poker, bowling ball arborvitae, little gem boxwood, miniature butterfly bushes,
small hydrangea (3-5 ft), blue juniper, echinacea, dwarf daisies. Under the
Japanese maple, I put easy grow paprika roses and dwarf Russian sage.
PROYardvaark
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoHa (I missed this back in Sept.) ... serves me right for not reading far enough. Didn't get past the top of the post before doing this ... for posterity, I guess.
(The smoke tree would have been much easier to maintain as a tree form, allowing it to grow much larger. True for Jap Maple, too.)intltraveler
4 years ago
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