Looking for landscaping recommendations for a slope. NW Illinois Zone5
Illini Fan
2 years ago
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gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
2 years agoGardenHo_MI_Z5
2 years agoRelated Discussions
Planting out in NW Illinois?
Comments (7)I'm in zone 5, SW Wisconsin. I think they say it's best to wait until 5/15 because there have been freak cold snaps in late April, early May in the past. The majority of the time, we're done with all the frosty stuff by the end of April but every once in a while... Anyway, I only wait until May for things like Tomatoes and Peppers. They prefer the kind of warm weather we don't usually get until May and later anyway. It won't kill them if you transplant out in late April (unless there's a major frost) but they also won't grow much until the weather warms up a little more. I plant everything else (peas, beans, lettuce, broccoli, brussels sprouts, etc.) in late April and they seem perfectly happy. As long as we don't get a freak cold snap, they're fine. I play the odds so to speak...wagering that it won't be one of those years that we get a freak frost in May. Nine times out of ten, that bet will pay off where I am....See MoreLandscaping steep bowl shaped slope-backyard
Comments (32)taterville, Things are coming along very nicely. I bet when you were in school you were one of those students that always did your homework; I never did mine. lol Most of your measurements worked fine, but something went wrong with the measurement of point A. That's my fault, not yours; my instructions were not adequate for the task. As we go along, there will be times when you need to mark a place on the ground in a semi-permanent way. Any number of things can be used; stakes, tent pegs, or nails with a ribbon attached. Now let me revisit the location of point A. You will need to place a marker at point A that is at the bottom toe of the slope about mid way in the curved transition between the relative straight line of the toe running behind your house and the straight line of the toe running along the side of your house. Begin at point A and measure along a line parallel to the back of your house to a point that aligns with the back of your house, shown in my graphic as point B. Earlier you gave that distance as 4ft 11 inches. That may have been correct, but because we may now be starting from a new location for A, you will need to repeat this measurement. Now go back to point A and measure parallel to the side of your house to a point that aligns with the back corner of your house shown as point C. Think of the box defined by the the three points and the back corner of your house as a rectangle. It is the width and length of this rectangle we seek. You did not give a distance from point E to F and I assume that the slope is just too long and slick to make the measurement. That's OK, there are other ways to find the location of point F. I'll prepare some instructions on how to go about it. You are getting close to providing the data needed to produce a base map defining the terrain you have. It wont have the precision of that of a professional, but is certainly suitable for planning purposes. The precision can be improved as needed. Taking what can be used from your photos, the survey, and the measurements requested by yardvaark and myself, I have made a drawing. Contours shown are at 1 ft intervals. Scale, small squares equal 2ft. I will add to and make corrections as additional data comes in. Below is a thumbnail. The full sized drawing Is in the optional link. I would invite everyone to use any of the graphics I provide to convey your ideas for the site. Here is a link that might be useful:...See MoreLandscaping steep slope at front of building
Comments (23)Inspiration photo showing tall groundcover around tree. We just tapered the asphalt to help direct stormwater to its sewer and are doing some backfilling. The area gets occasional stormwater, but is fairly dry. clay. zone 6. I am trying to plan the area to the left of the stairs. I like the idea of breaking up the area with a light airy tree or shrub (red twig dogwood?) or tall grass, surrounded by a rectangle of a taller groundcover centered in front of the balconies. And then and then a workhorse low viney ground for the balance. What about a border next to the parking lot and next to the stairs - salt tolerant. wild geranium? wild onion? canada anemone? giant liriope? 1-3 ft sedge? The area does not need shade and I'm a little afraid of getting back to my BEFORE pictures. Doom. leaves. debris. Drawn to scale - each block is 5 ft. The sloped section of the leftmost rectangle where I am starting is 15ft x 50ft. Stars are existing shrubs, trees. Any suggestions? Thank you for reading...See MoreShrub ideas for zone 5B
Comments (2)Thuja occidentalis AKA arborvitae if you don't have deer. There are cultivars with a range of heights. Two I have are Sunkist and Techny which will stay in your size range. Lindera benzoin AKA spice bush has really early tiny chartreuse flowers and bright yellow fall color. Clethra won't get very much over 4' IME, but has late summer blooms. Red-twigged dogwood (also available with either variegated leaves or gold twigs) has several larger sized selections. Be sure to check the height of the cultivars you are considering. Betula migration 'Little King' AKA Fox Valley river birch is a dwarf version that should stay within your size range. It is often grow with several stems, has nice bark, and has good yellow fall color....See MoreSigrid
2 years agoken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
2 years agoIllini Fan
2 years agogardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
2 years agoIllini Fan
2 years agobtydrvn
2 years agoIllini Fan
last yearsherrygirl zone5 N il
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