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aerove26

Front landscaping ideas needed

aerove26
9 years ago

Hi all, I've just closed on our first house. we had options for the inside but the outdoor landscaping was already picked by them with absolutely no input from us :(

I would ideally like to have a colorful front yard. ( would prefer perennials). Have three layers of flowers at different heights. Also i have no idea what to do with the left side, the gap is so small , i don't know how anything will grow there.

Would love to hear ideas from you, additionally would love it if you could mention the names of the plants.

Comments (17)

  • aerove26
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    additional pics

  • aerove26
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    more pics

    This post was edited by aerove26 on Mon, Jul 28, 14 at 23:09

  • PRO
    Yardvaark
    9 years ago

    If I lived there, one goal I'd have would be some visual separation from the next door neighbor ... without smothering my own yard, since space is so tight. I also wouldn't want to cover all the stone on the house facade.

  • aerove26
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks yardvaark. Here's a better overall picture.

  • PRO
    Yardvaark
    9 years ago

    FYI, the last picture should have been the introductory picture. The scheme I offered would be the same except that I would move the row of proposed junipers closer to the lot line (on the other side of the retaining wall, at least.) In the first picture, it looks like there's about 6' of space between the houses. The last picture shows that there is more.

  • aerove26
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Hi Yardvaark, i didn't have access to that picture when i initially posted. Also, I was thinking of having a three-layered setting of flowers in that bed. Which ones would you suggest. if not , then why ?

    Also, on the either side of the driveway, i wanted to plant tulips, what would be the best way to do it ?

    Wasn't also sure what are the trees the builder planted in front of the house, would love to replace them with something more colorful , please do suggest something for that too :)

    Again, thanks so much for ur help!

    This post was edited by aerove26 on Wed, Jul 30, 14 at 16:31

  • PRO
    Yardvaark
    9 years ago

    I think of landscaping as being about identifying problems and solving them. Why is "... a three-layered setting of flowers in that bed..." the solution you are prescribing? Many people without landscape experience tend to refer to anything but trees, as "flowers." What does it mean here?

    Perplexed by your wanting trees that "are more colorful" while not knowing exactly what they are. Also, that would not be my idea of the top criteria for street trees considering all the other attributes a tree could possess. Find out what you have. They may be great ... and colorful during bloom.

  • aerove26
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Hi Yardvaark, i'm new to this, so please excuse me if i sound stupid. My idea was , i've seen pictures of multi layered arrangement of flowering plants and i had liked it. I'm just looking to add some colorful plants to the area with the mulch.

    From what my neighbor mentioned, looks like we have an oak tree, and the issue with that is its roots might eventually ruin the grass in the front yard.

    Also, on the either side of the driveway, i wanted to plant tulips, what would be the best way to do it, if at all its a good idea ? ( i was thinking of having an alternating set of tulips and any other plant which might go with it).

  • duluthinbloomz4
    9 years ago

    There are so many nice perennials you could use for layering and infill between the shrubs... Black-Eyed Susans, sedums, nepetas (looking forward to trying the smaller "Walker Junior" next season - about a third the size of Walker's Low which can get huge), Salvias - May Night or East Friesland, Siberian Iris, Balloon Flowers/Platycodon, daylilies. Georgia undoubtedly has more to chose from than we do here in Minnesota.

  • PRO
    Yardvaark
    9 years ago

    Aerove, "layered" is one of those words that is a bit vague and can mean different things to different people. You could describe in detail what its appearance means to you, or submit a photo example.

    FYI, flowers are parts of plants and almost all plants have them including trees, shrubs, grasses, perennials and annuals. While annuals must be replaced on a periodic schedule (annually or possibly twice per growing season) they are the plants with showy flowers on an ongoing (until they die or decline) basis. Annuals are temporary so most people do not want to construct an entire foundation plant out of them, which would need to be replaced at least yearly. Perennials last from year to year, and can have some lengthy flowering (sometimes not) but die down in winter. It's doubtful that you would want to construct an entire foundation planting scheme based on either perennials or annuals, which are the two categories people would probably be referring to when they use the term "flowers." Instead of saying you want "flowers," determine the plant TYPES you want to have: trees, shrubs, perennials, or annuals. While some people want a perennial garden as a front yard planting scheme, be aware that most perennials have a period of decline, non-flowering and then total absence in winter.

    Tulips ... Not always, but generally, the alternating planting schemes designed by homeowners, especially inexperienced ones, can appear quite dorky. I would avoid this scheme and place the tulips in a simple block, in a place where they can be easily seen from the street. I wouldn't make it less than 5' x 3'. Pick a single color for the block and use plenty of bulbs (150 - 200). If you use tiny clumps of tulips it will be appear meaningless for a house the size of yours.

    I would discount the neighbor's comment about the oak tree. Just about any tree can ruin grass, but it usually happens from the shade, not the roots. Keeping the trees properly limbed up as they grow will help a great deal in keeping the grass below them growing. But keep in mind that because plants grow, a landscape is always changing. There are always periodic adjustments to be made along its life. Eventually, a tree may need groundcover below it instead of grass. It's just the way it is.

  • aerove26
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Yardvaark, here is a picture of the colors i'm going for. I just saw this today , this is the kind of arrangement i'm going for, however these are not flowering plants but plants with colored leaves themselves(which actually seems like a good idea). I would definitely prefer perennials.

    Do you think i can integrate something like this into my existing layout without having to restart everything ?

    The only thing i'd want different is to have either some flowering plants or bushes with some white color showing.

    I also thought i'd plant the tulips around the base of the trees on both sides of the front yard ?

  • aerove26
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    heres one more

  • PRO
    Yardvaark
    9 years ago

    The first picture -- longitudinal stripes ... four of them, one hedge in front of the other (as shown) -- is a scheme that no one should try to replicate. There are so many more attractive ways of creating a landscape. Where it is not so pronounced, in the second picture, is tolerable. (Even if someone asked me to HELP them commit suicide, I just don't think I could.) This recalls the saying, "You can lead a horse to water..." I've already given you better than what you're seeking (though maybe you need to make adaptations.) Maybe someone else can jump in an help you push down the stick even though the alarm is saying, "PULL UP ... PULL UP..." Other than that, I'm at a loss.

    "I also thought i'd plant the tulips around the base of the trees on both sides of the front yard?" You can do this perhaps one time, but it's not going to be a good location over the long haul (for tulips) because of tree roots and shade. It would be better to place tulips in a location away from trees. If you want color around trees, pick something that tolerates some shade and persists from year to year without disturbance ... a groundcover thing.

  • aerove26
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Ok, I'll scrap the idea of the pictures as shown above, i wasn't trying to say that your idea was bad, i just was wondering how difficult it is to do what i had in mind.

    Would black eyed susans suit better under a tree ?

    Also for the evergreen ground cover plants, which ones would you suggest? the house faces the north direction and we have the sun beating down on that side of the house for about half the day.

  • PRO
    Yardvaark
    9 years ago

    Blackeyed susans would work for a while under a tree if they got enough light, which wouldn't be difficult while the trees are small. Eventually, you'd need to do something that's shade tolerant. But that's landscaping ... always changing over time. For evergreen groundcover, something that takes sun or shade would be best to use with the varying light conditions. Liriope is one such thing but it can get a little tall. It flowers. You might take a trip down to Pike's and see what other options you have.

  • aerove26
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks for the info on pikes! i was looking for a good nursery i can go to and also learn from. :)

    Also, yardvaark since you were from this area, do you have any professional landscape designers i can co-ordinate with and have them take a look at things ? I also wanted to have some privacy trees planted in the backyard and some shrubbery around the house. I'm thinking it might be a little too much to ask here. Do let me know!: )

    This post was edited by aerove26 on Thu, Aug 7, 14 at 11:56

  • PRO
    Yardvaark
    9 years ago

    Pike's also has a design department. Back in the day some of them were even LAs. Cannot say about today.