Front of house landscape help needed

12 years ago

Hi all,

Thanks for reading. I just discovered this great forum in my attempt to look for inspiration for landscaping for the front of our house. I have never done any design nor landscaping and am at a complete loss and appreciate any suggestions! We are looking to just clean things up on a low budget and, of course, to look as nice as possible, knowing that we are not green thumbs and will need to take care of on our own.

The house faces south and gets sun all day. Here is what we know is growing, and what we are thinking of doing so far:

-For lack of a better solution and funds, replace missing privet bush on at sidewalk.

-Pull up the weeds-turned-bushes directly in front of the house (2-3 on each side in front of windows).

-Leave some of the hostas to the right and left of front stairs, but thin them out

-Edge beds on both sides in front of house, to either side of stairs

-Clean out most of the beds, with exception of some hostas, mentioned above

-Question pulling out all of the lily of the valley

-Other half says to pull it all out and add back some bushes and mulch--- I say we need texture, variety in height, texture, color, etc. but no idea where to start!

-We plan to work around the house on it's right side (pictured), to the basement window (for now) as it is more exposed to view and gets more sun. The house's other side is shady because of two trees in neighbor's yard. We think the large trees/roots and shade, in part, the reason why the front privet is dead (in addition to not having been cared for for years).

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Comments (2)

gilld
Original Author
12 years ago
I am not sure how to add additional images to the above post, but I have 4 more with different views. If you have idea on how to attach, please let me know- I have read all of the help pages w/o luck. Thanks!
on_greenthumb
11 years ago
It's a very formal frontage - I would try and keep the plantings as formal as it is (although you could add a little whimsy to it too)...It's all going to depend on how much you want to spend.....Your cheapest solution right now is probably going to be a hybrid of the two choices: I'd cut back the plantings so they are reasonable again and then mulch. That will give you time to research what plants you like and what will work for you and you can try them one at a time to see how they actually fare for you :)

I would trim up the shrubs (or replace one or the other - they look unbalanced - don't know that is because of the time of the year or not). Since you have hosta and LOTV, I would think it's a shadier type bed; there isn't too much in the form of easy care, tall, shade loving plants with lots of colour.

So if you're looking for replacements, yews and boxwoods would be good evergreen choices. For colour, an easy care part shade perennial options would be things like Tiarellas or Heucheras - you might even get away with things like Columbine.

As for remove LOTV or not - I will give you my experience. When we bought out house, the previous owners had removed all but the LOTV from the garden. Every year we get out there and remove 2 garbage bags full around the plants that I've now put in.....every year it comes back just as strong. It's pretty and fragrant when it first comes out, but it starts to look ratty towards the end of the season. So your call, but if it were me, if you are removing things, take it out, if you're not, work with it. If you are removing things, but love the LOTV, try putting them in a pot and sinking the pot into the ground (with the lip above the edge of the soil). Since they spread by rhizomes, that should help to contain the plants somewhat (that's what I recommend to all my friends and it seems to work well).
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