Front yard landscape help needed - Chicago (Zone 6)
Y. S.
12 days ago
last modified: 12 days ago
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Patricia Colwell Consulting
11 days agolast modified: 11 days agoY. S. thanked Patricia Colwell ConsultingRelated Discussions
Need ideas for flowers/landscaping for my tiny zone 5 front yard
Comments (8)Based on your last picture, I would begin removing lower branches from the tree in an attempt to regain a view of the house and so that lawn can be maintained easily below the tree. To not remove lower limbs encourages the upright oriented limbs to become future trunks and compete with the main trunk. Not that that is bad in and of itself, if that's what one wants. But it often results in a trunk formation that is less attractive when trunks branch below the canopy. (Unless it's a multi-trunk tree and then it looks best if it "branches" at the ground.) It's already happened and when allowed to go too far, is too difficult to correct without maiming the tree's appearance. Also, the one low branch on what looks to be a weeping cherry at left corner of house seems odd and out of place. I would get rid of the white gravel mulch and replace it with wood-based mulch. Plan so that plants eventually cover everything and there is no longer need for mulch. In my drawing I'm showing an idea for creating a landing off of the stoop. It's not a finished plan, but you could create a workable plan that improves the approach to the entrance. I'm surmising that the slab continues behind the hedge, in which case, I'd get rid of the hedge and all plants in front of it and bring only grass to slab ... the purpose being to make a welcoming entrance instead of a secret, purposeless hideaway. It is not necessarily the case that ADDING plants is the key to improving your property. The large shrub left of walk seems too close to the walk. If you can't relocate it to in-line with the window (about 4' from the wall,) I'd scrap it and get another shrub for that location. I'm showing only groundcover around the weeping cherry. It looks a bit junky to have those other plants coming up under it....See MoreIdeas for new landscaping and walkway - front yard zone 5b / 6a
Comments (10)If it were me and I was going to redo the front walk I would just do poured concrete in an oval shape to mirror the bed around the trees in front of the house. That's the least maintenance. Yes, remove the yews, they should not be trimmed in an unnatural box shape for a home as natural looking as yours. Don't know what the tree is next to the yew shrubs, maybe blue atlas cedar or blue spruce? Either way, it is going to get big so you may want to move it now while you still can. It's a "specimen tree" meant to be viewed from afar, so I'd put it in the back yard, "afar" from the house where I could take it in while sitting on the back patio or looking out the back window. You could take out the front set of birches with two trunks, that is the one that blocks the view the most. I wouldn't do that, but I am a tree hugger. Where the yews and that blue green tree are, I would put some flowering trees or shrubs that would remain small, and maybe something that smells nice to greet me as I walked up to the front door. You don't say your zone, but it appears to be a 4 season area so I'd put in some rugosa roses (but that's just me) maybe mixed with hydrangeas. That's what I have in my front entrance way. Roses can get buggy, so if you want something even less maintenance, shrubby cinquefoil and low growing spirea are just about as easy peasy as it gets. "Knock out" roses don't smell as great as a rugosa but are more foolproof, depending on your zone. BTW, there are small evergreens you could put next to your house. There are some small junipers that would fit the bill, or a bird's nest blue spruce (which I don't particularly care for but some folks love). But like I said, not sure what that is by the yew hedge, it may be a dwarf for all I know but it doesn't look like it from my casual glance....See MoreNeed Front yard landscaping advice/Ideas- Chicago suburbs
Comments (9)You can use annuals for now and wait until the fall to plant perennials. Take this time to visit local garden centers (not HD or Lowe’s if possible). research plants for your area (preferably native!). Here, we have a few local wholesale nurseries that sell retail one day a week. This allows non-industry folk like me to buy at a reduced cost. It would be nice if you found a similar arrangement. In the meantime, buy a couple of pots, plant them with annuals and place them to flank your columns, if they fit. Otherwise, just plant a few annual salvias, marigolds, whatever catches your fancy as a “place holder” in the beds....See MoreNeed shrub and tree ideas for front yard landscaping. Zone 6a
Comments (4)big city location would help .. as z6 is about half the US and rather divergent ... with that darn sidewalk.. [i hate buliders and architects for the lack of imagination in dealing with this] .... if you want any kind of shrubs or conifers.. or small trees... work out into the useless lawn ... with that couple feet of garden bed.. you really dont have space for anything but annuals and perennials inside the walkway .. unless you want to be out there shearing twice a year .. ergo.. you would have to kill me.. before i ever planted box in there ... and if those two shrubs are still by the garage.. get rid of them also ... really.. one of them is square.. whats that all about .. lol ... and im thinking it might be an invasive burning bush ... but that is just a gut reaction... but i just had taco bell.. so take that for what its worth .. lol... maybe my gut is lying to me ...lol .. also.. while its barren .... work that soil off the lattice under the deck ... avoid future problems ... either dirty plastic.. or rooting wood ... and be honest.. is the lawn used for anything other than complaining someone has to mow the lawn every few days ... if not.. start with some nice trees out on the lawn ... make you landscape 3 dimensional.. instead of focusing on a few feet right on the foundation ... never forget..... foundation plants are to hide the foundation.. not to BE PLANTED on the foundation.. thats the root problem with your square shrub ... its a giant plant.. planted when it was a babe.. on the foundation. with no real idea of its future potential ... lets not do that again ... and as part of the 5 year plan.. i would hide the foundation on the extreme right.. and no one wants to look at the basement walls ... do you have two front doors .. reminds me of the old doctors houses in my rural town ... kinda cool ... anyway.. plan and plant your backbones.. trees ... in teh proper planting season ... plan out future shrub locations not in the foundation ... and for this year.. just plant some pretty flowers in teh beds you now have... and if it takes 3 to 5 years.. so be it ... it will be stunning ... if you want the instant gratification.. as embo noted.. just go to big box.. and buy whatever strikes your fancy ... but search out future potential.. before you plant that babe which will end up a 10 foot problem ... ken...See MoreY. S.
11 days agolast modified: 11 days agohoussaon
11 days agolast modified: 10 days agolittlebug Zone 5 Missouri
11 days agolast modified: 11 days agomad_gallica (z5 Eastern NY)
11 days agoSigrid
11 days agoYvonne Martin
11 days agoCelery. Visualization, Rendering images
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6 days agolast modified: 6 days ago
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