I’m no landscaper, but I can‘t hear “Canadian Maritimes” and not respond “Queen Anne’s Lace!” 😆

I hope you get advice from somebody more helpful than I!

@Mazsola There is a tonne of Queen Anne's Lace (and lupins) along the road leading to their place :) Taking inspiration from the area for sure.

The main area of concern is the spot to the right of the front door. Should the planting bed encompass that entire area? They've started planting grass but it hasn't all filled in yet.

Small flowering tree to the far right by the secondary driveway?

Shove some evergreens shrubs in the centre nook?

Principal limitation is this requirement:

Minimal, very low-maintenance, just something to make the home look more like it's part of the landscape rather than freshly plopped upon it

Anything and everything planted will need to be attended by them. Unless they hire it out.

Of course @Embothrium, we're not talking zero-maintenance. Think trims a couple times a year rather than weekly pruning, perennials that do their own thing rather than re-planting annuals each season, etc. And anyway I've already drawn up a list of plant species native/naturalized to our area that will be relatively easy to care for.

What I'm looking for now is help deciding where to put what in terms of layout. I get hung up on the arrangement. I know a cottage-style bed wouldn't look right with everything lined up like soldiers but I don't know the creative alternative.

What on your list is going to be happy with a northern exposure?

Cottage-style beds aren't lined up like soldiers. They are ideally planted in drifts.

@mad_gallica (z5 Eastern NY)

What on your list is going to be happy with a northern exposure?

Thinking witch hazel or serviceberry for a small flowering tree. For shrubs: northern bayberry, wild raisin, and/or red-osier dogwood. I expect most of our 40+ native ferns would be fine since their natural habitat is forest undergrowth. Haven't chosen flowers yet but am looking at those with similar shady habitats like trillium and lily-of-the-valley.

Cottage-style beds aren't lined up like soldiers. They are ideally planted in drifts.

Oops I just realized how I misphrased that. I'm aiming for a cottage-style bed and know that everything lined up like soldiers isn't the way to achieve that. I am asking how best to arrange the drifts. It'll be my first time planting anything other than rows of vegetables ha!

Edited to remove some TMI bogging things down and to clarify my request :)

Entry space is way too small accommodate either of trees you mention! They would need to be planted out away from the house. Area also too small to worry much about 'drifts' :-) And I'd always recommend something evergreen by an entry so it doesn't look stark, bare and unwelcoming for 6 months out of the year.

Maybe a dwarf conifer to screen the tank and clusters of 2-3 shade tolerant perennials of your choice in front.......

Hi @gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9), I meant for the witch hazel or tree to be on the far right by the secondary driveway, right about where I foolishly cut off this closeup pic haha:

I'm seeing a width of around 12-15 for the natives in my area, meaning they'd only need to be planted at least 7-8 feet from the house, right? I thought I'd have sufficient room there. This is the main area I'm trying to plan out with drifts of shrubs & perennials. I agree the spot to the left of the entry is only big enough for two or three things :)

I love the idea of a conifer by the fuel tank, being able to string up some lights around a Christmas tree shape there would be so cute! But I'd worried even a dwarf variety might get too big for that area and restrict access to the tank or disrupt the driveway. Am I overthinking?

Dwarf varieties of conifers are determined by their rate of growth, typically less - usually a lot less - than 6 inches per year. Choosing appropriately, it could take decades before they outgrow that space.

Natural looking landscapes grow in plant communities. That is the design concept you should explore for how to lay things out, how to minimize maintenance and to have year round seasonal interest. There is much written about that concept these days and I'm not in the mood to explain it. I'm going outside to the wild cultivated gardens for a post spring freeze stroll.

How far are you from Annapolis Royal? There is a quite decent public garden there. While most of it is probably more formal than you are thinking, it isn't a bad idea to visit something like that - look, take pictures, ask questions.

That black hole where the tanks is will be a very dark place to try and grow plants. The north side of a structure can get tricky. While it gets sun in the early morning and late afternoon, that doesn't necessarily compensate for the quality of the light. So the ferns are about the only thing mentioned so far that will be able to handle the light levels close to the house.

BTW, put the house exposure and zone back into the original post. It's important.

@Christopher CNC Ooh that is a helpful and concept, thank you! I'm looking into it and finding lots of references to the book Planting in a Post-Wild World: Designing Plant Communities for Resilient Landscapes for anyone else interested in learning about it. This is a page from it where it shows the kind of thing I find helpful in visualizing: an overhead plan. It contrasts traditional "drift" planting on the left and the "plant community" model on the right.

@mad_gallica (z5 Eastern NY) Annapolis Royal is in another province, so not able to travel there currently with the pandemic. I looked up photos online and it is beautiful! I know there are some lovely gardens local to me that I could visit to get more inspiration and ask questions about, that's a good tip.

I removed the location since I figured that has more to do with plant selection, whereas I'm just looking for layout ideas, but I do appreciate the insight on how difficult northern exposure can be. Looks like I'll need to relax on the idea of using mostly native plants and seek out shade-lovers from other parts of the world as well.

Here is a picture for you that shows the structural plants growing IN a plant community.

I suppose that conditions might be analyzed a bit if you haven't already. .. such as, if there's a low level or rain goes, a group of River birch trees would be natural. If you might like group of daffodils, choose whatever place they'll prosper. Healthy plants!

Red-twigged dogwood you mentioned is fab. Again, a group looks nice, esp. with snow... wherever your view might 'need' red [or the yellow twigged]....

I don't think a person plants willy nilly though. Do you have any structures in the yard that could have some planting near it....

more photos might help.

Trilliums are woodland plants that grow in the rich soils of the forest understory. Those areas are sunny in the spring before the tree leaves come out, and then the trilliums go dormant and disappear completely when the trees shade them in summer. So I can't see them working in your space. Especially since you don't seem to have soil that's rich in humus.

Beware of lily-of-the valley. It's very invasive. My neighbour planted a little patch a few years ago and it's spread widely and killed everything else that she had planted around it. Very pretty for 3 weeks or so in spring when it blooms, but then the leaves get ratty and it looks a mess the rest of the year.

Where are you? Your sandy red soil looks like PEI. If so you need to take that into account. I believe it is quite acidic and is often limed.

Look for plants that bloom for a long time, either perennials or shrubs. For example, black-eyed Susan or coreopsis. Ones with nice fall colour are good too, or coloured twigs in winter. https://www.greatgardenplants.com/blogs/content/top-10-long-blooming-perennials

For the triangle with the meter and propane tank: would add pavers (either with small gravel or add either moss or clover or low growing ground cover) to create a "patio" for a swing or bench and potted plants, specifically including a rectangle planter with lattice for in front of the propane tank (and perhaps the meter) -- either wheels (if you're adding enough pavers beneath it) or "skids" for feet so the planters can be drug forward or pushed back into place easily as needed to access the tank.

https://www.amazon.com/Exaco-1-416-Calypso-Watering-Metallic/dp/B0052WIS1Y/ref=asc_df_B0052WIS1Y/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=416926195104&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=4783457654391727230&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9011062&hvtargid=pla-439265102379&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=97671764607&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=416926195104&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=4783457654391727230&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9011062&hvtargid=pla-439265102379

@everdebz No structures, just bare dirt and a bit of grass at the moment. This is the only other picture I have of the area in question:

Again, wondering

- should the whole whole area should be planted up or should a flower bed be formed within it and just fill the rest in with grass?

- if a bed, what shape should it take?

- what general shape should the planting take? As in: scatter three-five bushes, surround with ferns and sedges, line the drive with flowers, stick a tree to the right? Very basic stuff here, I'm just swimming in ideas I need nailed down.

@partim Thanks for your suggestions and words of warning! When it comes time to chose the actual plants I will visit my local nursery who knows the site/soil conditions, but at the moment I'm stuck on the overall form to work within.

If you want a more natural look and design the whole space in the picture above should be a planting bed. A mowed strip of grass along the driveway framing a defined bed is not natural. Your tree is the Witch Hazel or Serviceberry and can go between the 2nd and 3rd window moving from the front door side. You can add in some dwarf conifers or BLEs for winter structure, just don't line them up against the house like a typical suburban foundation planting.

Online: "Plant these kinds of bulbs where they will not be disturbed by spading.

• They will attract insects, bumblebees. Even at a time when almost nothing else is in bloom, these early bulbous plants are already providing enough nectar.
• Plant them among groundcovers [[or among grass?]] under trees... Daffodils, squills (Scilla) and spring snowflakes (Leucojum) in soft pastels and white."

https://www.flowerbulbs.com/1030/bulbs-that-naturalize-make-for-easy-gardening

I would place something like a narrow lattice in front of that tank and plant a climber. Then hostas, or tall ornamental grass.

You might be interested in this garden. https://torontobotanicalgarden.ca/explore/themed-gardens/entry-garden-walk/

If that fuel tank is going to be taken out to be refilled or refilled on site, you probably don't want to plant anything right around it because you will need plenty of access to it. Why not just put in a fence or something around that area and leave easy access to that tank? So hide it with a fence and then plant something in front of the fence (don't build it right to the edge of the pavement).

Can you repaint that fuel tank? It’s so white!

I agree with posters who suggested not planting in the area near the fuel tank . Fence around it with lattice or a horizontal board fence with possibility of growing vines on the fencing. Keep the fencing far enough away from the fuel tank for access.

Adding French drains to keep water from accumulating near the house and also adding a mounded area with a faux stream using a mixture of pea gravel with Med or larger rocks to plant vertical leaved plants sporadically in clumps. In the mounded area do not plant taller tree or plants right on top, rather slightly down from the top. If you can find a larger rock or Boulder, be sure and ‘plant’ it so it is not just sitting on top of the soil. Take your time and add plants throughout the season that catch your eye. That way you will have visual interest throughout the year. Have fun!

Looks like you have a large garden to plan, I suggest you get a professional to work with you for the overall plan. Perhaps a variety of grasses mixing in a few flowering bushes such as hydrangeas would make it interesting and all are easy to maintain...

agree that a landscape designer would be a good investment, even if what you end up with is a multi-year plan rather than an all-at-once planting.

If something like Liriope grows well in your planting zone, you might consider outlining your driveway with it and limit the kinds of landscaping that require a lot of maintenance as those are the ones that can look unnatural -- even cluttered.

I've had a few lily of the valley for twenty years and though it spreads beside itself alongside the driveway, I've seen no indication it jumps across the yard and acts as an invasive plant. My mother in law had a circle driveway with lily of the valley and though it increased within that circle, it never jumped the driveway. That said, it is attractive in spring but seems to die back as soon as it gets really hot so you might not want it "front and center" of your yard..

Natural is spreading it out, and not just in one area, by the house.

Copied from houzz: "I have naturalized daffodils planted 50 years ago. The only place they do well is out on the edges of the yard, where we don't mow. We don't water this area and they come back beautifully every year (but we have a lot of snow).

I've also seen them under fruit trees and other small trees, where the grass is left as more of a meadow area. If you mow them before the foliage dies back, I don't think they come back” …. “Leave those sections unmown for 5-6 weeks”

Look up Piet Oudolf, he is the master behind so many famous gardens like the High Line in NYC. He has some amazing books, and there are lots of YouTube videos.