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Landscape Design Design Dilemma

Any suggestion on new flower bed design

last month

I have a few design dilemmas with my front landscape. I want to change the shape of my bed. The left side is sloped down which causes any mulch to wash down and out of the bed. What would be your solution to a yard like this? Thank you for any input!

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Comments (13)

chispa
last month
last modified: last month
Level the beds off with small retaining "walls". Brick would look good with your red accents.
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Deanna Sellers
Original Author
last month
Thank you for your response! Unfortunately, the red is now black.
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Certainly consider using at least one dwarf gardenia ('Radicans'). Although small at purchase, it can get large enough to need occasional pruning (but it is not a chore). I would plant it about 2/3 of the way towards the front so it has room to spread naturally to the back and it should also spread over the end of the bed. A native Christmas fern or two in the narrow area might be nice. You could mix it with a native Ebony spleenwort fern as well for a different look. A good native evergreen ground cover (very low growing) is Mitchella repens, Partridge berry. Dark, glossy leaves, bright white star-shaped flowers and vibrant red berries. I definitely think that initially putting several different things in there would be better than all one thing, as you said. If things don't work, pull them out and put them elsewhere and regroup - surely that is part of the fun of gardening for many of us.
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You patio area looks lovely. Now it's time for the fun stuff - the plants! You will get the most benefit from adding some structural shrubs. Just adding perennials won't give you any winter interest since they dieback in the winter and can be insignificant. Some low maintenance shrubs like Viburnums, Lilacs, Hydrangeas will work just fine and have a nice bloom in the spring/summer. Planting in odd numbers always works well and also planting in masses. I agree with Yaardvark by adding a nice ornamental tree to the right of the patio and tying the planting bed to the patio so it all connects. Once you pick all your main structural plantings (don't forget to include some evergreens to guarentee some greenery in the winter), you can add some perennials for a nice accent. For shade you can go with hosta, astilbe, ferns and japanese forest grass, to name a few! Also, when looking at the area from the secondary backdoor (not leading directly out to the patio) and your patio connection, you can easily just add a nice curving path of steppers to make that connection. That can be more cost effective and still give the same feel. Good luck!
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Comments (14)
I can’t grow Abelia, though I like the variegated abelias, but I like evergreens to dress up the winter garden. Check out some of the evergreen Rhododendrons bred by Weston nurseries in MA, sometimes grouped as PJM. They have smaller leaves, though not as small as boxwood, and often lovely winter foliage color - mahogany, maroon, olive. I have a couple of the smaller ones: Checkmate, which hasn’t exceeded 3’ in more than 10 years, and Olga Mezitt (sometimes sold as just Olga) which stays around 4’ in my garden. Landmark stays around 4’ as well, and there may be more that stay a reasonable height. Others such as the original PJM can get to 6’-7’ if left I pruned. I enjoy the way the leaves change daily with temperature, open during warmer weather, but rolled into tight little cigar shapes when the weather is particularly cold. They all have in-your-face spring flowers, blooming in shades of lavender, screaming magenta, and pink. http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=c163 Edited to add that you gave your zone, but often general location is helpful because we can infer info about the soil. In the northeast, most soils are acid, which Rhododendrons like, and though the PJMs are less fussy about pH than some Rhodes, they still won’t be happy with alkaline soil. So if you live in southern IL or IN, or even some parts of NY, be sure to get a pH test done to be sure your soil suits your plants.
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gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
last month
More plants, less mulch :-) Mulch only migrates or washes away if there is no plant material to hold it in place. Groundcovers or even a boarder of some low growing perennial or compact shrub will eliminate this issue without the expense and disruption of needing to construct any retaining walls.
Deanna Sellers
Original Author
last month
Love that idea! Now, if I can come up with a design.
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PRO
BeverlyFLADeziner
last month
Deanna Sellers
Original Author
last month
I love that! I wonder what the white plants in the front are.
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Kendrah
last month
Loriaope is good at holding ground in place in sloped areas. I agree you need the right planting and less mulch. I'd seriously trim down the round shrub or replace it with a few little meatball shrubs in that location instead.
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
last month
" I wonder what the white plants in the front are "

Any number of plants could provide the same effect...........candytuft, white flowered sunrose, carpet rose, campanula, azaleas, sweet woodruff, sweet alyssum, impatiens, zonal geraniums, etc. But none will have a continuous bloom. A few weeks at most.
cecily 7A
last month
Why not Madagascar periwinkle / annual vinca?
PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
last month
last modified: last month
Fix the downspout to not drain right into the bed. As for plants go to the garden center and get something that works where you live and in that space . Waht the heck is that red thing above the garage ? The garage door IMO needs to be nicer since it is taking over the whole house visually. As for actual planting beds they need to be much larger and maybe even a bit of a fix for the slope to add abit of interest to the landscaping sort of like this

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Maureen
last month
last modified: last month
Suggest heading to a large nursery for suggestions that suit your zone, soil, sun exposure and budget. They can address the slope/water issue (may suggest a berm).

They will suggest height variation, annuals and perennials and all season greenery. Use rope to test shape and size of garden before you go and bring a picture of the front of your house, so suggestions will be more relevant (they also will consider long term as garden matures).
tracefloyd
last month
Try to make the flat part of the lawn bigger. Replace the tilted round planting beds with a swath of dirt for the slope.

Here is a rough sketch of the approx. layout-- without plantings just to show the idea.
tracefloyd
last month
last modified: last month
Or just lawn?

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