Need help with Landscape design

12 days ago

Please, please help. I need help designing landscapefor my front yard. Plants, flowers, shrubbery, etc. Thank you in advance.

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Comments (10)

floraluk2
12 days ago
Vital information for any suggestions is your geographical location.
laceyvail 6A, WV
12 days ago
Remove the existing shrubs--both badly pruned and badly placed-- and pull the beds out at least 6 feet from the house.

A better picture must show the entire house head on from enough distance to see what's on both sides. We also need to know your zone, general geographic location and the direction the house faces.

The shutters should also go.
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Love! Thank you. Would never have thought to make bed this small or put tree on right side of garage but I love both. I see now exactly what you mean about making it more inviting . So much better, thank you from saving me from a huge mistake! Called my landscaper and he is going to reshape the island on Monday. We leave for vacation next sat so I think we should wait until we return in a week to plant? Guessing we need to water daily?
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Without a picture of the overall scheme, can't even begin to suggest what might work.
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Need help with landscape design
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You might want to ask this in the New England forum. However, make sure you have the zone right (If you aren't sure, give the town and somebody will know) Also, they will want to know which way the house faces (north, south, etc) Hopefully, the roses and hydrangeas are hardy enough. Most aren't. There are also issues of what sort of winter interest is wanted. 'Winter', in the sense of plants going dormant, lasts about 6 months here.
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Need help with landscape design for smaller, north-facing front yard
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Comments (4)
Check out this video by Rosalin Creasy, the queen of edible landscaping. She also has a Web site. Then follow any links from there. You'll find a lot of inspirational photos and resources online. Yaardvark's basic design can be followed, you just need to figure out edible plants with the shapes he has drawn that thrive in your zone. I'm not that up on edible weeping plants, but lots of big shrub-shaped edible fruits and there are also fruit trees that have a columnar shape (column shape) such as sentinel apple trees. Raspberries and blackberry tend to get droopy and weepy-ish shaped (fountain shaped). There are edible easy to maintain groundcovers too, like lingonberry, although they need acid soil to thrive so you may have to amend. I grew bearberry which also goes by the name kinnikinnick as a groundcover. It is not really "edible" so much as medicinal, where it goes by the name Uva ursi. Lots of herb ground covers like thyme and chamomile and some low growing mints. There's also wintergreen but that needs shade and can be fussy. Not too much in the way of edible evergreens although you can grow balsam or fraser fir in some zones and collect the needles for their scent and oil. With juniper you can harvest the berries and make gin. Some junipers are columnar. Some make good groundcover, a fairly common low maintenance option for small yards. Edited to add that you're going to have to be thoughtful about planting your front yard since most edible plants like sun or partial sun, and your sun is going to be filtered at best. Try not to plant things in the shade of other things, so watch where the shadows fall during a whole day at different times.
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PRO
Walla
Original Author
12 days ago
I appreciate your help. I live in Indianapolis. The front of house sits west. So the sun rise from east and mid afternoon my front is all sun. Hope this helps....
PRO
Walla
Original Author
12 days ago
PRO
Walla
Original Author
12 days ago
Added more pics
floraluk2
12 days ago
last modified: 12 days ago
The shrubs appear to be Burning Bush which, quite apart from aesthetics, is an important reason for removing them. https://eu.indystar.com/story/news/environment/2021/03/15/invasive-plants-these-5-plants-might-wreaking-havoc-backyard/4651652001/
callirhoe123
11 days ago
Yes, remove the shrubs. As it is, can hardly see where the front door is. Once they're gone, it will be easier to plan a front garden.
Sigrid
11 days ago
What are the existing plants? Yews? If so, I might move them. Burning bush? Kill it.

What are you looking for? Shrubs that you'll plant and forget about? Or a garden with shrubs and perennials that you will putter in? Something in between?

I think every front yard should have a tree. If you need shade, get a big tree like a tulip tree. If you want fruit, consider Apple, Cherry or Pear. Or an exotic like pawpaw, quince or persimmon. Otherwise, I'd go with smallish flowering tree. Dogwood and redbud are probably native to you. (Check your zone to see if you can do a redbud). There are some native magnolias, too. Another choice is a clump of birch. Site the tree to either provide some privacy/create a tree view or to leave your view of something else unobstructed.

For foundation shrubs, I like a mix of flowering, broadleaved evergreens. This is Rhodos, Azaleas and Mt. Laurel, plus some others. Get a mix of flowering times and be sure the mature size will fit your spot.
littlebug Zone 5 Missouri
11 days ago
I just want to say what a pretty home!

And definitely remove those huge shrubs first thing.
Rachel
8 days ago
We have similar front yards and this is what I’m doing.

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Need help with Landscape design

Comments (10)

floraluk2

laceyvail 6A, WV

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littlebug Zone 5 Missouri

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Need help with Landscape design

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floraluk2

laceyvail 6A, WV

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callirhoe123

Sigrid

littlebug Zone 5 Missouri

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