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Porches & Decks DIY Landscape Design

front landscape help

last month

My husband and I are trying to do our own front landscape. We want to use black obsidian rock to border the house and add plants/shrubbery. I am not very good at design much less which plants we should plant. I would like low maintenance and no flowers as I plan on using pots for those to help accent the house. I’ve seen wintergreen boxwood to be popular. Any ideas on how to place them and what else can be mixed with it to diversify it? We are in zone 7B. Thank you for all help!

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Comments (5)

laceyvail 6A, WV
last month
The first thing to need to plan for is location of appropriate trees so the house isn't baking in the sun. The most important location is to provide shade to the West/Southwest. Large trees at appropriate distance with smaller understory trees closer to the house. Second most important is to the East/Southeast for shade as long as possible in the morning. Same type of planning for deck/patio, though sometimes the smaller tree or grouping is all that is needed.

Please skip the black obsidian rock. Use proper mulch that will suppress weeds and feed the soil.
PRO
Owen Landscape Architect
last month
Wish architects would set the house off the ground to allow for the foundation beds to have some profile.........
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https://www.bhg.com/gardening/pests/animal/the-top-deer-resistant-plants-for-your-region/
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Comments (3)
"Here is a straight on picture." It is straight on in the sense that you are pointing the camera at something and it will not photograph around corners! Other than that, it would be hard to call this a picture that is in line with the door ... or slightly overlapping pictures ... or 180*. This is a scheme for arranging, not one of specific plants. To get suggestions for what plants could make these shapes and sizes, you can take the picture to a local nursery or the regional forum that applies to your area.
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Comments (1)
Japanese yew will get too large for that space. The shorter ones will probably be too wide. What about something like a sky pencil holly or something with the same growth habit. I prefer plants that don't need constant pruning.
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Comments (6)
the failing shrub ... should be IDd .. can we have a closer pic ... it is also under water stress from teh big tree ... do you know what the big tree is??? .. so we might know how bad root competition is ... is this a deal where mulch was thrown down.. becasue nothing.. including the greatest weed on the face of the earth .. grass ... wouldnt grow under the tree??? what goes where the tulips will be.. once they are spent.. are there perennials in there.. that havent come up yet ... or do you go all annuals .. otherwise it must be pretty bare all summer long ... or is that part of the problem ... how about a big city name.. i dont know what north IL means ... ken
...See More
R Tro
Original Author
last month
Thank you lacyvail! Trees seem so stressful to me lol we are in west Texas.
R Tro
Original Author
last month
Owen landscape I’m not sure what you mean? Can you give example?
PRO
Owen Landscape Architect
last month
foundation wall sits above grade

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