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Landscape Design

Help with finalizing front yard landscaping!

29 days ago

Need help finalizing my front yard, which I've been trying to do with an Armstrong Landscaper. Biggest problem is this raised planter next to kitchen window. I've got back to designer twice but he keeps charging me for another hour without answering my questions and concerns.
The final photo is the plant palette we're looking at, plus the one rounded bush that I don't know the name of.
Taking palette into account, ideas for the planter? I was going to take bottle brush tree out but maybe just leave in since it's tall? Should I do some repeating plants in a row, make it symmetrical, or???
Current design shows 2 kangaroo paws in the middle, flanked by a sundowner on either side, then a dianella variegata on each end. First, I don't think the kangaroo paw will get enough sun (though I LOVE them and there are some on other side of front door.)
Second, won't the sundowners be taller than the kangaroo paws, and thus should go in center?
I feel like we need some rounded elements...? Like the round bush in palette collage?
To left of front door, we're adding a giant agave. But I feel like we need something with more height, considering the evergreens.
(evergreens left of front door - keeping because they keep dust and pollution from going into my son's room)
Any other plants to add, to either area? (left and right of front door)

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Comments (7)

littlebug Zone 5 Missouri
29 days ago
last modified: 29 days ago
What is an Armstrong Landscaper?

Two things immediately come to my mind (and this is blunt so I’m begging your pardon right off the bat):

Whatever that tall thing in the red circle is looks ridiculous rubbing up against the house and blocking the windows. Ditto on the short stone wall in the red rectangle. I’d tear out both, plus whatever is planted behind the short stone wall. All (the tree, wall and whatever is planted on the house-side of the wall) are way too close to your house. In my opinion, of course.
Sigrid
29 days ago
I like the wall. I'm a little confused why you have a plant palette but no idea of where to put the plants. I can't help without knowing what the plants are.
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You can work off the photo, but -- as always -- it needs to be converted into a PLAN first ... a plan being, more or less, a map of your yard. It allows you to place the plants in the right place. Just draw the components of the yard -- house, walk, drive, trees, lamp post, etc on a piece of graph or plain paper, measuring everything out in order to keep it in relative scale. 1"=10' is a good scale to work with. You could also use 1/8"=1' or 1/4"=1', though the latter might require a fairly large piece of paper. After you get the base information down, you can start drawing where plants would go. Do this on copies of the original or use tracing paper in order to avoid lots of erasing. One tip: don't draw individual plants unless they are standalone specimens ... like a tree or shrub that stands alone. First draw the bed, then draw the shapes that the plant collections occupy within the bed. If you have a survey, you can begin with that as the basis of the drawing as it will show the location of the major constructed elements. As I mentioned previously, you can clutter up the simple scheme I gave you as much as you like, but keep in mind that when you do, the end result will look cluttered, and require more maintenance to keep up with. The scheme I offered accomplishes your basic goals, but allows you a great deal of control of its ultimate "flavor" through the selection of plant materials. You have options for tweaking bed shape and other details, and adding some "punctuation" (those special plants that excite you and you can find a good spot for.)
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Trying to make progress even though I'm using a temporary (for me) drawing program. My sketch is incomplete. We don't have a good idea of what the left or right front of the house looks due to being absent in the pictures or covered in shrubbery. Nevertheless this can cover some of the basic points. Sorry if I'm repeating myself or something someone else has already said but I don't want to re-read all. I would not bring planting bed alongside the walk toward the driveway. doing so will make the walk seem much smaller when in fact it would be better if it was wider. Too, it will add to maintenance and it will not look as good as if you had nicely edged turf there. A truth about turf is that it will not grow in too much shade. It's time to divide out those areas from the lawn where it won't grow and turn them into groundcover. I disagree with your idea of planting so many things -- 3 stripes of plants -- in front of the foundation. There simply isn't room and this busy scheme will not look near as good as a single plant in front of a given part of the foundation. Color fits flanking the entrance. A low evergreen shrub or groundcover could surround the bay windows and shrubs or low plantings could be farther away (this is the area we don't yet know.) We don't know what the condition of the lawn at the left side of front yard is either. If a tree is far enough away from the others and limbed up high enough that sufficient light gets below it, it's possible to grow grass. If otherwise, then it's not and that area should be sectioned for groundcover. A small (12'-15') multi-trunk tree (made of a large shrub) could be off the right corner of house.
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I would consider adding a low wall along the driveway to reduce the slope a bit if possible. Regardless, you will want a highly textured mulch and a spreading groundcover as Skmom suggested. These two will help reduce erosion and help moisture soak in rather than running off, but you may need to install soaker hoses as well. Choose and place the azaleas carefully with regard to the window unless you are aiming to hide it and don’t need natural light in the room behind it. Whatever you plant now under the J maple will likely be all the planting you can do there, as J maples have relatively dense surface roots and don’t particularly like having their roots disturbed, making it difficult to add plants successfully later once the maple is established without the underplanting or the maple suffering. If you plant spring bulbs, plant a medium height groundcover such as the painted ferns as well to cover up the dying foliage of the bulbs. Leave a couple feet under the maple unplanted, and if conditions are right, the groundcover will spread. If not, foliage will hide it. Along the path and next to the door you want low enough plants so visitors don’t feel crowded by encroaching shrubbery, but tall enough so that the walkway nestles down into them rather than perches above. I would also likely add simple, visually unobtrusive railings to the pathway, fastened on the outside, for safety. Stepping off one of those drop offs due to slick conditions or a careless step could be dangerous. Alternatively, consider a knee wall along the steps and walkway, though that would be more expensive.
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when you want to talk about plants.. you have to tell us where you are.. big city name... in every post .... depending where you are.. it might be too late to move rather large plants.. the next best season for that would be fall ... the plants there are too big.. rather overgrown for the location.. you can prune them back hard.. but i might suggest.. thats not a multi year project for the front door of you new castle ... next.. you need to give us some goals ... and then we can help you get there.. what do you want to do here???? in this case.. do you want have a rather largish garden.. or will some of the area go back to lawn ...??? finally.. understand that foundation plants are planted to hide the foundation. NOT ON THE FOUNDATION.. over the last 10 or 15 years.. the plants that are there.. have grown to their potential.. and you should easily see.. they were planted to close to the house.. without the requisite maintenance.. its would probably be easiest.. to just remove them.. rather than messing with them .. check out section one at the link below.. then the rest of it... ken https://sites.google.com/site/tnarboretum/Home/planting-a-tree-or-shrub
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gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
29 days ago
Armstrong Garden Centers are a major chain of California retail nurseries, mostly located in SoCal. Since CA plantings tend to be very regional in their suitability, they are unknown to many US gardeners so labeling your plant palette would be very helpful.
vickirycb
Original Author
29 days ago
The plant palette, starting from top left:

1st row: Sunset gold (evergreen bush), miner's merlot euphorbia, sundowner (grows 3-5 feel tall),

2nd row-

Aeonium black rose, campfire (a green/red ground cover), dianella variegata (green/yellow stripes)

3rd row -

Giant agave, dianella blue, phormium "jack sprat" (a black grass),

4th row

Red kangaroo paw /Bush Ranger, rosemary bush not sure what it is?? (this is the one I added, saw this on a walk)

Other notes -

Yes ridiculous tree will be taken out! The rock wall is staying :)

I'm mostly asking about to fill in or balance things out in terms of shape and size, once that tree is out.

Yes am in SoCal and live in a mid century neighborhood, if that helps at all.

The palette I mention here what plants will be added to the entire from yard, so am asking if one were to redisgn that rock wall planter from scratch, what to do, drawing from the palette, new ideas, or some combo.

The Armstrong guy seems good but I think he's overloaded so questions don't get answered right away mad when they do they don't address what I asked. and the job is smaller so I feel my project goes to bottom of pile. But then they charge me. So... any advice or ideas is appreciated!

Also - will have drip system installed but trying to keep it somewhat drought tolerant.
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mojavemaria
29 days ago
Glad you're taking out the bottle brush but do you really have room for the New Zealand flax(sundowner) in that not very wide planter? Love them but they are huge in SoCal. Whats happening with the asparagus fern, artemisia(?) and spiky plants in your planter?

Usually the best looking landscapes for most of us non pros have a limited palatte and close attention to mature sizes of plants. If it were me I’d be tempted to put the same kinds of plants in both planters for balance maybe even a juniper on the near end like the one you have on the other side.
vickirycb
Original Author
28 days ago
Thank you @mojavemaria, this is helpful! Do you think even if we went with a small sundowner eg 1 gallon that it would eventually too big?

I was planning to remove all the plants here, (tree, fox tail, all others). Hoping to transplant the fox tails somewhere else.

Any other ideas of what to put instead? I'm thinking juniper would get too big too?

But I do agree there needs to be something that matches the other side. Which is why landscaper recommended the red kangaroo paw, but I don't think it'll get enough sun.

Any ideas?
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mojavemaria
28 days ago
That shade makes things tougher, its the opposite of the problems we have:) A lot of the plants on your list like the sun but Jack sprat New Zealand Flax will stay small enough for your planter and Ribes Viburnifolium is CA native that likes shade and is evergreen with seasonal berries.

your succulents might be ok, Aloe vera grows well here in sun and shade it just looks different. You could plant and see what thrives and what doesn't and adjust. So far as what to put where you can try plants out still in pots and move them around until you like what you see, just keep in mind their mature size!

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