Plantings for front and side
Anthony Giordano
last month
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My front porch and need new plant ideas
Comments (25)There are different ways to accomplish the same objectives, depending on your taste and what kind of garden work you like to do. If you like a densely-planted look, you can cut many plants back every year (usually right after they bloom, but look this up) so that they stay within boundaries. If you like a more spaced-out look, then you could reduce the plant density. You could perhaps move some of the azaleas to be among the roses? Even then, the plants will need pruning to continue to look nice - and because even for more space, they can get too big! I agree not to move shrubs at this time of year, but what I would suggest you do with the hostas while they are in leaf is separate out the green from the variegated leaves if you want to keep those as separate plants. Not sure how this happened - either you have a variegated plant that is "reverting" to green, or you got some root balls of one mixed in with root balls of another. You can do this in late summer once there is some prospect of rain, or if you do it earlier, be sure to water when you replant. Hostas are pretty tough plants anyway. Karin L...See MoreOG in front of 3 ft green electric box in front yard corner
Comments (4)"Black Fountain Grass" is probably Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Moudry,' common name Black-Seeded Fountain Grass. It's a great plant, and I have several, but it doesn't reach 3' in my zone 7 garden. It's only 3 years old, but it tops out at about 30" to the blooms. It can also self-seed prolifically if it likes it's environment, so unless you will be cutting the seedheads, or collecting the seed, you'll have volunteers. There are hundreds of 3'+ ornamental grasses which would grow in your zone, but most of them won't provide a year-round screen for your utility box. A dwarf Pampas Grass (Cortaderia selloana) variety would be semi-evergreen to evergreen for you, so you might look for those. The cultivars are 'Pumila' (5-7'), 'Andes Silver' (7') and 'Patagonia' (7'). Other tall ornamental grasses would have to be cut to the ground every spring, and would take several months to regain their height....See MoreNeed help with Landscape around my home
Comments (13)I have been asked so many times over the years, "What is the BEST _____?" Fill in the blank with "thing-to-build?", "time-to-cut?", and so on. I would like to dispel the notion that the "BEST" matters much. The answer is often that there are several, or many, bests and usually quite a bit of leeway. There is no need to obsess about absolute perfection. Better to look for what works well. It would be as if someone said "What is the best clothing to wear?" and intended to wear only that for the rest of their life. So many different plants a yard can "wear" and many would look good. Also, with the walk material, there are choices in both brick, pavers and concrete that would work well. Personally, with your house, I would keep it traditional -- like red brick or pavers in the standard brick shape -- and avoid styles that look modern or fakishly rustic. Get samples large enough to create something that can be seen from a distance, and appraise it. Since I had to invent the foreground it's understandable that the walk might not work as shown. It's just to give ideas. One would adjust as reality demands. A note about trellises: If placed in front of a wall, one would provide enough separation so that there was space between the wall and the plant. That way, it's never a problem with the siding. Also, I've never seen a ready made trellis that was worth a flip. It's something that must be custom made, though it's generally not a difficult proposition for someone with modest carpentry talent. The large dome-shaped shrub near the wall could be many thing. I'm not sure if it grows in your zone, but while I drew it, the plant that came to mind was Viburnum carlesii ... producer of one of the most delicious scents known....See MoreFront yard landscaping
Comments (5)Aside from plants, you're going to need hard-piped irrigation with several valves. Do not let them install flexible pipe...it splits, lengthwise, over and over and over again. Lesson learned, 20 years in The Valley....See MoreD M PNW
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