landscape design advice - cut down, trim, or keep? Help, please!
carrieprwtt
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
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Yardvaark
4 years agocarrieprwtt
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoRelated Discussions
County cutting down trees, Need new design ideas
Comments (18)@rosiew ... "Yard has very strong opinions toward "well ordered" landscapes. Remember this is your property to do with as you like." Ah, Rosie ... where to begin ...? I don't know what makes you think we are in disagreement about a person's right to control their destiny, but "do with it as you like" is the bottom line for me, too. Thinking that I think otherwise means you've misunderstood something (or maybe many things!) I've said. There are many times that people wish to do things that are not in their own best interest. If I advise against such things it does not mean they can't call the shots and have what they want. Maybe you could tone down your opposition just a bit ...? Where you disagree, instead of mischaracterizing me, the most productive opposition you could offer would be to submit your intellectual arguments and make your points. Then we could make progress. I don't know how you define order, but to me, order is a key component of design. The recent photos submitted by neutralground, though they're not what I think of as the pinnacle of great landscaping, neither are they bad or without order. There is a distinct theme, edge, background, foreground, flow, color organization and quite a bit of repetition. @ neutralground ... notice that in the photos you've submitted, there are not shrubs and perennials growing up below other trees. The perennials and smaller shrubs are placed in front of trees and large shrubs. The smaller plants get their share of light and the scene doesn't become "muddy" by them growing indistinguishably up into the taller plant material (like a "natural" area). Compare this to the bed space that you are offering. It's going to be difficult to create a similar scene with trees and shrubs all in the same narrow bed. (Look around your neighborhood. Plants have a way of becoming much larger than people think they will!) If you keep the tree foliage limbed up so that the lower plants can get light and have space to make their display, that's one possibility. Another is to place trees on the outside of the fence and give the other plants a little separation from them that way. But trees, large shrubs, small shrubs and perennials all in that same narrow strip -- without limbing up the trees somewhat to create separation with the shorter plant material, well, it's going to get messy. Keep in mind that some of the lower material, unless very shade tolerant, may suffer and show it. I don't think the fence is something you are trying to completely obscure. So be careful of cramming so much into the scene that it happens. You might consider "blocking out" plant silhouettes along the fence just to discover (and share) exactly what you do wish to be obscured by foliage. It might help define your direction for yourself....See MoreCan someone please give me exterior design/landscaping advice?
Comments (17)Pink Mountain, lol about my house being a prime example of needing foundation plantings! It's what we've been saying for months. We've only been here a year, got a lot of inside work done and now want to start on front. Little by little as budget allows. I'll definitely use these ideas....See MoreAdvice on landscape/garden design please
Comments (35)"I need something that won't get over 10 feet (my husband doesn't want it to grow taller than the corner of the roof)" from a landscape perspective that doesn't make rational sense. The purpose of that tree is to give a sense of shelter and protection for the house (making it look somewhat nestled in, and be over the head of of those who use the walk. It can't do this job if only 10' tall! When such a small tree is planted close to the house, whatever portion of it would grow into the house is simply cut off. It's at the back side and doesn't show. As with a wall sconce, one does not become distressed because the back side of the lamp & shade doesn't exist. If a tree is only 10' tall, then one figures the bottom of the canopy can be no higher than 5' to 6'. (A pancake shaped head is not desirable.) That is not exactly OVER one's head, as shelter would be. It is a head SCRAPER ... as a tree that seems neglected would be. The point of the small tree is that is doesn't exceed a certain terminal height by virtue of its genetics, but a reasonable height for the position you have would be 15' or 16' with the canopy bottom being in the 8'/9' height range ... plenty easy enough to walk under and plenty tall enough that it looks in proportion to the house and capable of acting as shelter and protection for it. If it doesn't look like it makes sense, it's ultimately not going to look good. The tree itself may be a beauty even if it's way undersized, but it is certainly not going to look like it's properly manning the post for the job it's supposed to be doing for the house....See MorePlease help with some landscaping advice zone 7a NJ
Comments (25)TFitz, when you say "gas meter," that's what I think you're talking about. The higher meter is electric. Sky Pencil Holly is a possibility. Regardless of what you plant, it would be good to paint the conduits, box and wires white in the meanwhile so it doesn't stand out as much. Be careful of planting something that will grow too large or fast or you'll end up regretting it....See MoreYardvaark
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4 years agoYardvaark
4 years agocarrieprwtt
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4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoYardvaark
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4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoYardvaark
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4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoYardvaark
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4 years agokinlaw (Zone 7b/8a, GA)
4 years agoYardvaark
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