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emmarene9

Help a reformed plant collector

emmarene9
10 years ago

[URL=http://s1331.photobucket.com/user/sempernervosa/media/Phasethree005_zps208a6dc6.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1331.photobucket.com/albums/w590/sempernervosa/Phasethree005_zps208a6dc6.jpg[/IMG][/URL]
When my parents bought this house in 1977 my mother and I thought something interesting could be done with the recessed entry. Long story short; yard was never landscaped.
My parents are long gone but I want to try to landscape it in my humble way. This is all work to be done by me. I beg of you to help me. I voted to not have the boxwood hedge there but it went in anyway. I think it makes that area remote from the rest of the yard. The eye does not easily flow to the door. I want to re use the boxwood's if possible For the rest of the yard a plan more what I call 'sameness' which I now know is called repetition .

Comments (15)

  • emmarene9
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    I should have mentioned I have poor motor skills and my pictures are rarely level. It is not from a lack of trying. Here are pictures from the left view and the right view standing in s{{gwi:45828}}ame place.
    {{gwi:45829}}
    {{gwi:45830}}

  • emmarene9
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    I drew up a few plans and would like you all to tell me the mistakes I have made. Is any of them viable? I would not mind doing something completely different if anyone feels generous. I just wanted to show that I at least tried on my own.
    {{gwi:45831}}
    {{gwi:45832}}
    {{gwi:45833}}
    {{gwi:45834}}

  • emmarene9
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    The boulder goes with plan two. I have three of them.

  • duluthinbloomz4
    10 years ago

    The only problem, as I see it, is it's just kind of a "no color" presentation; grey on grey on grey in a green necklace.

    I like boxwood and probably wouldn't be in a hurry to eliminate those; let them grow out - a bit less cushiony. Do some infill with color; zone 9 must have much to chose from. Even many of the larger succulents have different bright colors and green values. And they'd add a bit of drama.

    Like you, I do my own gardening so I have to deal with what I can handle and what the deer won't eat.

    The "pops of color" idea can get pretty formulaic, but in this case I think pots with color on the recessed porch - one under each window - would go a long more welcoming way. Annuals are great for this. True, you have to redo them each season, but they give you the opportunity to experiment and change from year to year.

  • frankielynnsie
    10 years ago

    I am not a reformed plant collector yet, and I think that will never happen. Because of the windows in the recessed area I would go with something low and looks like it would need to be a shade lover. I have hosta, ferns, Lenten roses, heuchera and impatiens and rocks in a similar area with a very short bird bath and copper mobile. It is low care and only needs a few impatiens popped in every spring. The ferns and Lenten roses are up during the winter. Hosta, ferns, heuchera and impatiens fill in during the summer. The area is totally filled with plants in the summer. (I have 40 different hostas in the bed.) So I am trying to make my collections work.

    The big blank wall on the right side would be good for a small tree. (Extend the bed out some)

    I am not a fan of box woods so I hope someone else will chime in.

  • emmarene9
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Duluth thank you for your input. I will use perennials for color, and annuals. I do have a lot to choose from in zone 9 and I am grateful.
    What I can't have are plants that require a cold time of year. I think we all get zone envy. If I plant tulips I know they will only bloom once.

  • emmarene9
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Frankielynn thank you for your suggestions. It would be nice if I could see a photograph of your similar area. It sounds like we choose the same plants. Sadly for me Hostas do not last long in the local soil. :)

  • PRO
    Yardvaark
    10 years ago

    Following my formula for basic landscaping, here's a few general suggestions in pictorial form. There is much that I can't see so adapt the ideas to make them suit the actual conditions. There's probably no less than a thousand ways to enhance with details to suit your liking. (Sorry the picture is a little scratchy.)

  • PRO
    Yardvaark
    10 years ago

    duplicate post deleted

    {{!gwi}}

    This post was edited by Yardvaark on Wed, Aug 7, 13 at 11:43

  • emmarene9
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Learning to delete

    This post was edited by emmarene on Wed, Aug 7, 13 at 14:41

  • emmarene9
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    triplicate posting deleted

    This post was edited by emmarene on Wed, Aug 7, 13 at 14:51

  • emmarene9
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Yardvark thank you, it looks good. I can't tell if your version leaves or removes Boxwood. Which is it?

  • PRO
    Yardvaark
    10 years ago

    You could use the boxwood below the windows.

  • emmarene9
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Would it look stupid to only do the ground cover on one side of the yard?

  • PRO
    Yardvaark
    10 years ago

    Groundcover would go where you NEED it. So if you NEEDED it at both sides, but neglected one side, it might look less than the best. A single picture does not (cannot) tell all the things you need so, you must apply any ideas (like what I might suggest) to the real conditions on the ground. my suggestions should not be interpreted as a full fledged plan.