Another picture of Front Yard

These are types of preferred grasses....but we are totally confused regarding a full,yet simple layout for the various front beds

http://www.pinterest.com/wwwdreamyardcom/ornamental-grasses-and-landscape-grasses/

Thanks Again

You should know that, for me, GardenWeb has been doing some weird things with formatting. Some of the messages extend out of the field and run underneath the advertising at the right-hand side of page where they can't be seen ... or copied. Therefore, the link you posted in the first message was unusable. I suggest that any link you add in your message be put in the proper place so that it is clickable. (It's directly below the message-writing field.)

If the picture shown above is the existing conditions, do you plan to make the bed larger to accommodate more plants? ... Or remove some of what's there now?

Thanks Yardvaark for the start

I will try to re-link my Google addy,,,but the photo above is fine to work with

Answer to your Q is def NO..we want to keep beds the same/or less.The existing beds are fine size wise,and leave just enough room to walk to the back yard pool area on the left side

http://www.pinterest.com/wwwdreamyardcom/ornamental-grasses-and-landscape-grasses/

Thanks
Dempsey

Where will the new bed be?

Thanks emmarene

The beds will be basically in the same spots

Also,,,its hard to tell in the pic with the Huge Japenese tree on the right....but there is another UPPER bed behind there,against the house(built out of the same brick as the driveway).Its the same level as the front stoop

Thanks :)

You mention bedS, but there is only one visible in the picture. Are we on the same page?

If you don't want to expand the bed, what existing plants do you wish to remove? (... as there is no room currently to add grasses, some of which are quite large.)

(Again, when adding links, please put them in the "Optional LInk URL" directly below the message field.)

Hi Yard

Maybe I should have made myself clearer,,,,we want to REMOVE all/or most of current plantings.There are two individual beds...the big one with all the huge growth,,,,and one more thats hard to see behind the Jap tree at the stoop/stair level.

But the following have to go IMO:

1-Overgrown Rhodo's on left

2-Huge Japanese.plant on right

3-lower bushes on left lower bed

Obv we could *trim/cut* existing plants and bushes...but we really want to build/layout a NEW fresh idea.The link above and our liking ornamental grasses,and much lower ground cover is our goal.The beach house landscape look is something we are hoping to attain

I hope i am explaining it better

Dempsey:)

Re: the links extending past the post's borders, if you click on the link three times the whole thing will be copied and can be pasted.

TheDempster - do you have a picture of the "beach house landscape look" you have in mind? I realized you've posted a pinterest link to grasses, but I'm trying to visualize the overall look you're going for. I'm having a hard time picturing a beach house look for a house in a subdivision with a lawn.

The suggestion is about form and arrangement, not about specific plants or color.

Pampas would be too large.

Our front yard in the woods is in hard clay and exposed to a great deal of wildlife coming through at night. It's mostly ornamental grasses and strappy, coarse, or fuzzy fragrant foliage to deter the deer who used to think it was a salad bar out there. Grasses need to be cut back or trimmed seasonally or rotated with new stock. And they do reseed. The nice think about it is you can easily rearrange it to suit the appearance you want and to see which ones suit your zone. The salad bar is now in the fenced back gardens.

Another great grassy looking plant is Mexican bamboo. This specimen was grown from a five gallon nursery start and it's clumping and easy to keep within bounds. It does freeze here but snow is rare. I'm not sure if this plant would work where you are but something like it would look great off to the left as an anchor for your plot.

Thanks Again,

yardvaark;

Great rendering and thats exactly what our goal is at this point...to actually show the house,and esp. the long windows.I totally agree that form is much more important
Do you have any particular species in mind(trees,bushes or GRASSES?

elysianfields:

thanks for the ideas...this is why we want the majority of the front bed to be various grasses.They are easy to care for seasonally and always look fantastic after re-growing

Is the top photo sideways(and what type)?

the second photo...I love it!!
but i think Bamboo is illegal on Long Island

Dempsey :)

"Do you have any particular species in mind?" This is where I'd go local. There are so many options in grasses and other plants that it would be best if you get local advice on what grows best in your area and do some research on basic stats for each option. The tendency after learning specifics about plants and seeing them is to WANT them. That's what I hope my picture helps you control ... having too many different things in the mix, which can then lean towards clutter instead of appearing soothing and clean. Usually a beach is pretty simple looking ... and look how I've cluttered it already!! You could take the picture to regional forum for your area, or to a local garden center and begin to collect advice on possibilities. Maybe more recs. will come here. If you have the time, you might want to observe what some of the potential plants look like during the winter months to see if their "down time" can be tolerated.

"... if you click on the link three times the whole thing will be copied and can be pasted." Ruth, I'm capable of going two clicks, but three ... wow ... I don't know. :-)

Once Again...Thank You Yardvark

we are in a tough spot :(

You're welcome.

"we are in a tough spot :("

In what way? (Not a cryptologist here.)

Is it strictly grass only? I think a few beach y shrubs would be nice.

Hi emmarene

I probably expressed myself wrong with the *grass only* request

We want the majority of the front beds to be ornamental type grasses...but if some small evergreens,bushes are def OK

but maintenance free is a must

Dempsey :)

Hate to tell you, Demp, but "maintenance free" does not exist for any landscape owner. There's lower and higher but not "free." I think you would be low of middle.

The first image is a straight on shot of the left corner of my front garden from an iPad. This is a long shot across from left to right. I do nearly zero to this plot and let it do its thing because of the heavy clay. I water it when I add something new or move the Mexican feather grass seedlings around for better spacing. You do need to grow what grasses work in your zone and are sold in your area. I'm in NorCal where it does freeze and I plant varieties that can survive frosts. What I have planted includes thatching reed, cordyline, New Zealand flax, Berkeley sedge, prunella vulgaris (heal all), miscanthus, various puya plants which are super wicked prickly. And I do not plant trees that need pruning so I use tree ferns, purple hopseed, and Mr. Happy echiums for vertical accents.

lol, Mr Happy
has he been "happy" yet?

Hmm, grasses aren't maintenance free -- you have to cut them down in the dormant season, of course.

I think your yard is very pretty . . . except for that monstrosity to the right. Is it that you just want a different look?