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Shrubs Wildlife Garden

Shrub suggestions

beesandblues88_z7a

last year

I have an area on the side of house about 15 ft x 4 ft with azaleas in it that I'm not happy with. I would really love to plant something that has berries for the birds in winter. Was thinking of viburnums but not sure what kind. I would love to find something that only grows to 5tf high at most and produce lots of berries, any suggestions? I tried looking online but my head starts spinning going back and forth trying to figure out what would work.

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Comments (7)

tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱
last year
Where in z7 are you and any chance of a pic or two of the area?

tj
beesandblues88_z7a
Original Author
last year
last modified: last year
In delaware, full sun and it's up agai the side of ranch house. That's one reason would like something about 5 ft. Used to have lilac there when we moved in .I'll try to get pics.
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Do you want an evergreen or are you OK with a deciduous shrub on the corner. Everything presented to you to date is deciduous. You'll have a barren corner all winter. Take a look at Hinoki Cypress. There are many varieties that reach all different sizes. I love their irregular shape and branching. I planted a Jade Waves™ Fernspray False Cypress Chamaecyparis obtusa 'MonYur' last year in this new garden bed I'm working on. It's slow growing; reaches 6 to 8 ft. tall, 3 to 4 ft. wide. Here's another variety Slender Hinoki Cypress Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Gracilis' Another gold version, Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Fernspray Gold' Hinoki Falsecypress
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Comments (5)
the lack of sun... is going to make whatever you plant there.. lack vigor.. meaning.. very slow growing.. not to mention your short growing season ... so unless you buy huge plants to start with ... its going to be a very long time before you accomplish your goal ... and by the time you pay for said huge plants .. you may as well think outside the box ... is there some reason you couldnt put in a couple 4 x 4s ... and a section of wood privacy fencing .. and start enjoying the privacy that evening?? ken https://duckduckgo.com/?q=patio+wood+privacy+fencing&t=ffcm&iar=images&iax=images&ia=images ps: also ... instead of looking at your problem from where the camera was ... move that chair around your patio .. and sit in it.. and see if you can see that house from every angle.. it might not be as big a problem as you see from the camera ...if you did go with the fence section ... i would leave a standard gate width at the house ... to make it easy to go around that side of the house;.... you dont need a fortress wall there.. just a site block ... in other words.. make it a free standing thing.. not a part of the house ...and of course.. in the mean time.. you could plant some shrubs out into the lawn .. so in 10 years.. when the fence is rotting.. the shrubs will be there ....
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Comments (14)
One last question re the Japanese forest grass. Would it be silly to plant it this fall, or it helps develope a better root system even though it dies? or should I just wait for the spring to get them in the ground? @laceyvail 6A, WV @Christopher CNC
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kitasei2
last year
I ha ve seen winterberry (ilex verticillata) used in a similar position very dramatically. The berries stsnd out best against a contrasting backdrop. What color is your house?
diggerdee zone 6 CT
last year
I second the winterberry (you'll need a pollinator nearby for berries) - you can get red, orange or yellow berries - and also suggest callicarpa. Beautiful unusual purple berries. And the birds like other berries better so the purple ones last longer lol. There are some smaller viburnum varieties out there as well, and yes, every time I try to choose a viburnum for my garden my head spins! Sooo many choices!

I'm trying a shrub I just heard of last fall (bought one as soon as I read about it!). It's symphoricarpos and it has pink berries. It may be smaller than you'd like, at about 4 feet, but I thought it was so unusual I had to give it a try!

:)

Dee
beesandblues88_z7a
Original Author
last year
last modified: last year
The house is brick red. I thought about winterberry but that's another head spinner. Was looking at berry poppins but read on here that the birds don't eat them. Iv been looking and going back and fourth between winterberry, viburnum, and serviceberry but can't figure out what to do. I'd like something to fill the space in so I won't have to weed much and something that won't look bla since the neighbors have to look at it.
kitasei2
last year
i’d choose a yellow winterberry or the purple callicarpa. You will need a groundcover as well. Any suugestions out there for one thats low msintenance but pollinstor supporting? How sbout a wild geranium?
diggerdee zone 6 CT
last year
kitasei2, perhaps an evergreen groundcover? It would be nice to have something green as an underlaying for the berries in winter. Maybe even common old vinca minor? It would take some minor work in the spring to keep it in the bed but nothing too maintenance heavy. And I think those purple blooms are lovely in spring kind of underrated as an early spring bloomer. And I think the vinca is loose (i.e. not dense) enough that it won't choke the shrubs.

:)

Dee

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