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Landscape Design Perennials Design Dilemma

Looking for landscape ideas

3 years ago

last modified: 3 years ago

I want to replace three holly bushes in the front (just in front of the bay window), the evergreen bushes, and two bushes behind the hydrangea tardiva tree....then add some more perennials in the backyard and trees...any ideas and suggestions would be helpful.
Zone 6a
Thank you kindly!

Featured Answer

PRO

Yardvaark

3 years ago

Tall perennials around the hydrangea are not going to look very good. Needs groundcover or low perennials used as a groundcover.

Would be good to remove hedges flanking entrance.

Would be good to limb up tree. Or possibly remove it. There would be better places in the yard for a sizable tree.

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Comments (14)

PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
3 years ago
Okay , I am thinking this is a day with posts and no pictures no info and we are somehow supposed to guess
Donna Forever thanked Patricia Colwell Consulting
Donna Forever
Original Author
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
Sorry, here are the pictures of the front and back.

Front...

Pic 1 want to change the evergreen bushes, also the two bushes behind the hydrangea tardiva tree. Looking for ideas and suggestions.

Pic 2 - hard to see...need better picture, I want to remove the holly bushes (not doing well) right in front of the bay window...need suggestions.

Pic1

Pic 2

Backyard - want to add more perennials, trees...any suggestions?

Pic 3

Pic 4
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Where are you in the world? Can you take photos that show the whole width of the front and the back from a greater distance? It is clear from shadows that you have trees, but difficult to see how they and other surrounding pieces of the landscape fit in. Both type and distance may influence what you can do for foundation plantings. Are there chunks of rock in the front bed between the garage and front door? If so, are they moveable?
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You've already got a background. I'd suggest a relatively low (6" - 12") groundcover. It could be punctuated by some slightly larger colorful or blooming plants -- perennials or shrubs -- at the base of the foreground trees. If it was me, I'd do a little more work on the wall, trying to smooth out the top of it a bit. Then, the ends, especially the right end does not look good ending like that. These ends should turn back into the slope.
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I second the concept of a "relaxed, old fashioned garden that says “farmhouse” - yes with grass meadows. With 140 acres you will have plenty chores. There is no need to make the grounds around the house into another constant chore, unless one of you is an avid gardener, well then we can't stop you. Some ideas to ponder: A farm house landscape needs a legacy tree, that single, large, perfectly shaped, mature, deciduous tree. You have only shown us one view of the land. That tree might belong on a different side of the house. Someone has to plant that tree first. What is the state tree of Missouri? What is your favorite big tree? Give it the room to live to be hundreds of years old. Be the people who planted that tree. Piet Oudolf is a great source for inspiration. His work is based on very intentional layout of plants. I think you could go with a more specific to your place, natural grassland meadow and still mimic Oudolf very well. A grass meadow is probably the best way to live with deer. Plenty forage and color for everybody. Paths are most important in this kind of landscape to give it intention. Mowing would be easiest it seems and just done regularly with the areas kept as lawn. You can add a touch of modern or formal with sculpture placed in a meadow. Could even be done in plants. Picture this off in the distance from a primary view from the house, rising from the meadow, a row of columnar evergreens standing alone, closely planted to make a green wall or hedge shape with a single Lime Light kind hydrangea given the room to grow to its massive self when left alone. First thing I would think about in laying out your landscape is the traffic patterns of people and the machines you will be using. If you do any regrading or bring in top soil think about grading the paths first and making them rideable in ATV's. That will help tell you where the gardens go. There is joy to be found out there.
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What cities are you close to? We can't guess your climate. Pictures from the corners of the yard would also be helpful.
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emmarene9
3 years ago
We need to know your location for plant recommendations.

Do you know why the holly are not doing well?

After you remove the hedge I suggest making that bed a little smaller and returning to lawn for part of it.
Donna Forever thanked emmarene9
Donna Forever
Original Author
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
Zone 6a

I think I want to replace the evergreen bush with boxwood and add some taller perennials around the hydrangea tardiva tree... To fill in some of that empty space.
emmarene9
3 years ago
I would put a flowering ground cover under the Hydrangea. If you want to outline it I suggest Iberis instead of Boxwood. Here is how it looks as an edging.

What are the two shrubs in back you want to remove?

Does that wall have a window in it? How deep is that bed?
Donna Forever thanked emmarene9
laceyvail 6A, WV
3 years ago
Iberis needs heavy shearing after bloom to keep it from getting rangey, and deer often eat it in winter.
Donna Forever thanked laceyvail 6A, WV
Donna Forever
Original Author
3 years ago
Emmarene9 the two bushes in front of the short wall are Potentilla. They don't look so great... Perhaps I need to water them more. The wall behind the bushes is a short wall and then some space between that wall and house. I'll take some better pictures.
Donna Forever
Original Author
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago

Added more photos... If you click on the photo it will appear more clear.
PRO
Yardvaark
3 years ago
Based on the pictures, it seems you are merely wanting to replace each shrub for some different shrub. You'll end up in the same place with different shrubs a few years down the road, if not sooner. For "landscape ideas," you need to present the entire front in a cohesive, panoramic scene, looking at it straight on from a SINGLE, central position, i.e., from in line with the door. Take a series of slightly overlapping photos that span from side lot line to side lot line, from that position. (The camera should be about 25' from the house.)
HOWARD Martin
3 years ago
not what I call cohesive
emmarene9
3 years ago
It looks like the little wall is too low to have shrubs in front, unless the goal is to hide the wall. Do you have any favorite perennials?
Donna Forever thanked emmarene9
Donna Forever
Original Author
3 years ago
I do want to incorporate hydrangeas
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
3 years ago
i would get rid of the tall thin tree at the corner of the house.. before it falls on the house.. or gets so tall.. it just looks out of place ....

and i would get rid of the tall tree which i suspect is a pear [pic 2] ... in front of the front door ... its just gotten too big also.. and all out of proportion to every thing else ... i bet it was planted by the builder ...

and then remove those you hate.. lifes to short ... and ...

THEN .. once they are gone.. i would put together a plan to make a cohesive whole ...

with the two huge plants.. everything else just looks squat ... and yuck .. those are technical terms.. if you dont know ....

one of your design issues will be the height of the house.. versus the narrowness of the beds to work in ... and anything that gets tall enough to deal with that.. will put you back where you are now.. inside ten years ...

around the neighborhood.. if you see other houses which you like the design.. snap a pic.. and we can interpret it for you ... so you can set some long term goals to accomplish .... this would be a good exercise.. even if you end up hiring out the job ....

we need big city name to help you with ideas ... for your area

ken

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