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Need help with plant selection in front yards

3 years ago

I posted before we had all the shrubbery in the front of the house removed as well as removed the flagstone pavers to the right of the front door. I appreciate all the great feedback I got. We are now ready to replant and I need your help again.

This is a northern exposure in Zone 7.

I picked up 4 great specimens at an end of season plant sale. A large (3” caliper) Japanese Stewartia tree that I want to plant somewhere away from the foundation on the left side ( if you are facing the house), a Weeping green Japanese maple (Viridis), which I plan to plant in the vicinity of that light post, and 2 tree-form Limelight hydrangeas ( don’t necessarily need both up front ). I also picked up 2 Highlights Arborvitae (greenish yellow narrow pyramid maxing out at about 8 feet) for either side of the front door).

There is no money for a new sidewalk this year so the bed on the right side where the lamp post is, is 25 feet along the front of the house and about 20 feet deep at its deepest point.deepest point.

Would soft touch hollies be a good choice for the front of the foundation? Should both sides match? There is only about 39” below the windows on the right side, but about 5 feet the left side. How do I handle the slope on the left side ( I think it would look odd to have the foundation shrubs running downhill).

Can I incorporate some taller shrubs in front of the shorter ones in front of the house ( as I get farther away from the house.) or should I just stick with smaller shrubs, perennials and ground covers.

The old bed on the left was about 28 ft wide and 36 ft deep. I plan to name that considerably but want the bed to flow with foundation plantings.

Any suggestions for a large evergreen specimen on the left edge of the house?

What else to plant in that long border on the left ( preliminarily thinking camellias, hydrangeas, azaleas pittosporum, Hosta). Any thoughts on those as well as suggestions for a few dwarf conifers in the area that gets the most sun? Also I love the texture of soft caress mahonia.

Hoping to get this planted this fall, but time is running out. Any help will be appreciated.

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Comments (5)

rmccaw
Original Author
3 years ago
For some reason, the pictures included in my post didn’t show up.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
3 years ago
whats the tree on the left leaning away form the house... how close is it to the foundation ... i realize it might be a camera trick.. and that the lean might be due to all the stuff you had removed ...

i figure we need to know what it does.. and whether to include it in the design.. or ignore it because it will be gone some day ...

ken
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Both you and your neighbor have exactly the same need for a tree that frames the houses. Whoever installs it first pretty much gets to control what and where it is. It should not be too much in front of the house, because the goal is not to block the view to the house. If you drew lines extending the face of the house to the lot line and one from the house corner to the lot line at a diagonal, the tree could go anywhere in that zone over to just your side of the lot line. The larger the tree is, the farther from the house you'd want it. A tree that reached 30' would be fine, but it would be OK if it got taller, too. You'd just keep limbs trimmed to well clear the house and roof. You also have a need for a street tree that could be an even larger species. It could go anywhere in the right half of the parkway. Undoubtedly, you have similar needs at the left side of the house.
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nickel_kg
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
I'm late to the game, sorry. Love the idea for the stewartia. I like soft touch hollies. For your other selections and placements, I'm a bit concerned they are going to be too big and overwhelm you front area, especially the arborvitae on each side of the front door. But if the price was right and they're already in the ground -- either you like them and they'll work long term, or you end up changing them out in a couple years. Not a disaster.

Incidentally I like your remaining yellow shutters. They add a sunny quality to your front facade. And they help your house contrast pleasantly with your neighbor's house, which has lighter siding/darker shutters.

eta: oh, I see you posted this in "shrubs" -- a less active forum than "landscape design". That must be why there are fewer replies.
davidrt28 (zone 7)
3 years ago
soft caress mahonia isn't really zone 7 hardy...might be ok in areas close to zn 8 like Atlanta or Raleigh, NC...but for everyone north of there, they have died in cold winters.
Embothrium
3 years ago
One I am pretty sure was this selection froze after a few years even in my part of USDA 8.

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