Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
jlynn77854

Need help with Shade & Sun Garden

Jlynn77854
9 years ago

I have been working on this garden for a few years. Right now it looks like a hot mess because I am frustrated and lost.

I think I finally like the design on the left of my porch.

The long garden on the right of my porch is split with some of the garden being shaded by the house.

The back row from left to right consists of Sky Pencil Holly (new), Encore Azalea Autumn Empress (new), Unknown Azalea (hacked by husband), Encore Azalea Autumn Empress (new), Yuletide Camellia (new), two Dwarf Alberta Spruce (about 1.5 years old not doing well), and behind them various David Phlox and Orange Asiatic Lillies.

The middle row consists of 2 Golden Euonymus centered in between the 3 Azaleas.

The front row consists of 1 hostas, 6 Kings Gold Chamaecyparis, and 3 Firepower Nandina (alternating between the kings gold in the shady side), orange Asiatic lilies, and 3 gerber daisies. (all 2-3 years old)

At the end of the garden are three double knockout roses (new).

I just bought 3 Autumn Joy Sedum to be planted somewhere in that garden.

I have to admit I am an impulse garderner and not very good at it.

I can move some plants out to a new small garden I am starting in a full sun spot next to a 3' raised deck.

I don't like the way the garden looks now. I need advice on how to arrange what I have or will it ever look good.

I dislike the Alberta Spruce it just doesn't look good and that may be my fault. I also wish I had a Holly in the design somewhere.

This post was edited by Jlynn77854 on Sat, Sep 27, 14 at 17:19

Comments (22)

  • Jlynn77854
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Additional Picture

    This post was edited by Jlynn77854 on Sat, Sep 27, 14 at 17:24

  • PRO
    Yardvaark
    9 years ago

    I think you are gardening exclusively and not landscaping. To begin landscaping, you'd need to address what I'm pointing out in in the five circles. (This would be in ADDITION to what happens directly at ground level; I presume all ground space would be planted.) These things must be addressed for the landscape to function visually. In general, it would be better to use larger masses of fewer species in order to keep the "busy" quotient down. Otherwise, it's hard to keep it from becoming a hodgepodge.

  • Jlynn77854
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I believe the Sky Pencil and Camelia will both reach approx. 8' tall The Azaleas will only get about 4'-5'.

    Yardvaark- I agree it is a hodgepodge and that I have been more gardening than design. Would you suggest some sort of a tree between the windows? I 100% agree about screening and separation from the backyard and driveway and am thinking about juniper or arborvitae.

    This post was edited by Jlynn77854 on Sat, Sep 27, 14 at 17:43

  • Jlynn77854
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Here it is up close. These are all fairly young.

  • PRO
    Yardvaark
    9 years ago

    Here is a possible solution. A low, mounding hedge across the facade that breaks for the windows and extends beyond the end of the house in order to help provide screening at the lower level. Tree forms fill in the upper level space in order to screen blank space at the house and vacant space beyond the end of the house. In addition to the hedge, seasonal color provides the transition from the porch floor level to the ground. A quarter circle bed is created at the intersection of walk and drive as a base for a tree which provides a sense of shelter and protection, as well as helping to minimize the vacant, exposed feeling the front yard now has. Groundcover fills in all the remaining bare space. The details of exactly how the plants would be placed depend on the plants you choose. If the hedge spreads wide, the tree forms would come up from within it. If the hedge is narrow, it might sit behind the tree forms.

    Whether any of the plants that you now have will work for these elements I can't say. An example of the tree might be Magnolia soulangeana or Redbud. The smaller tree forms would be made of something generally thought of as a large shrub: dwarf Burford holly, beauty bush, dwarf burning bush, etc. The Chamaecyparis might work as the hedge, but seems like it would require regular shearing to keep it in bounds. A groundcover could be anything that stays low and grows well where you live. An example would be something like blue rug juniper, ajuga, vinca minor, etc. Four different plants plus annuals do all this work while making a much stronger statement than 15 plants could.

    I notice that you have raised the grade level above the sidewalk and are retaining it with an unattractive plastic belt. In order to keep the mulch in place, the soil level should be lowered as it approaches the walk. Then the "belt" can be eliminated. Solid plantings -- especially a groundcover -- will keep the soil in place. See illustration.

  • Jlynn77854
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Yardvark - Your ideas make my house look so much nicer. Since I already spent a fortune on plants this year I am going to have to phase out the other plants and implement your plan.

    I went to a local nursery today with your picture. I am going to use the gold mop for a hedge for now. I can always change it later.

    I will start a groundcover next year and add the tree garden next year. For now I am going to move most of the plants around my deck in the backyard.

    I am adding three Fosteri Holly and will limb them up when they get bigger. Right now they are only 5' tall. I am going to keep the sky rocket holly next to the porch for now.

    So here is a picture of phase 1. Thank you!

  • PRO
    Yardvaark
    9 years ago

    Foster is a fairly tall & fast growing tree. Between the windows, be prepared to trim annually and ruthlessly to prevent escape from bounds and to keep the nice shape.

    "Your ideas make my house look so much nicer." The point I'm trying to make is not that I can do it better, but that one needs to address the architecture (window placement, etc.) and the space that is being created (limiting views, etc.) ... not just place plants because one likes those plants which, of course, is how the average person does it.

  • Jlynn77854
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I am ok with pruning the Fosters yearly. I put everything into the picture and reworked the left garden.

    In this picture I shaped the Yuletide Camellia into a tree and put the Encore Azaleas from the right garden in the back of the left garden. The dwarf encore azaleas were already in the left garden. I'll move the hostas around the side.

    I spent quite a bit of money on all my plants and I like them very much, so I am hoping to make them work. It feels like two completely different gardens and I think it looks off.

    I have been working on this for days so I may just be frustrated.

  • Jlynn77854
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Here it is spread out a little more. I will move the unused azalea shrub to the side of the house along with the hostas.

  • atmoscat
    9 years ago

    I think the framework Yardvaark suggested really works well, and you're making progress with your latest posts. I'm no expert, I just lurk here and occasionally post with questions about my own yard-in-progress, so take this with a grain of salt. I'm sure Yardvaark or the other pros will weigh in soon with more ideas.

    But anyway, here's my 2 cents on how you might use those plants and get better balance. Starting with your most recent plan, my main suggestion is to move the large pink azalea to the right front corner of the house, just at the end of the longest row of golden mop. Keep the sky pencil and a red azalea on either side of the front steps, where you have them now. Take out the one golden mop that's currently between the azalea and sky pencil on the right side of the steps. If you want to use that third red azalea, maybe move it to the very end of the row of golden mops right next to the driveway. You could maybe put another row of golden mops below the windows on the left side of the steps, but it would block those windows at least partially. Fill in the rest of the beds with low-growing perennials (daylilies? hosta?), evergreens (juniper?) or ground cover.

  • PRO
    Yardvaark
    9 years ago

    The camellia looks pinched tight. Would pull it farther from the house, let it grow larger and reconfigure the bed to fit. Look how big your house is. It's got to look like more than a cute wart. I think it is a mistake to place the large shrubs in front of the left windows. Would be better as groundcover, like other windows.

  • Jlynn77854
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Atmoscat - I tried the pink azalea on the right but it will max out at 4-5' and it will end up blocking the window.

    I tried the dwarf azalea there since it will max out at 3'.

    I have about 6 hostas that are in the left garden right now. I also have a White George Tabor Azalea in that garden.

    That side of my house is shaded most of the day so I will run the bed around the side and plant the unused azaleas there. Although that side is not visible from the street or house.

    Yardvark - I hope my house doesn't look like a wart. I moved the Camellia out like you suggested.

    I plan on growing a groundcover in the future, but for now I spent all I can on plants.

    I plan on doing the bed on the other side next year too with the larger tree. I have a French drain right there that I need to be very careful about since the property has a significant slope towards the house.

    Right now the camellia is under 2' so I believe I have a long time of that side looking odd.

  • PRO
    Yardvaark
    9 years ago

    I would tweak it a little and move the largest azalea around the corner, or somewhere else. If you learn how to propagate whatever you select as groundcover and get started on making it, you can reduce the cost substantially. Considering that the side bed is close to the wooded area, you might consider connecting the two and not having grass at the side of the house.

  • atmoscat
    9 years ago

    Jlynn, good point about the size. The dwarf works just as well there. I think the current version with the larger azalea around the side looks really good!

  • PRO
    Yardvaark
    9 years ago

    looking at the overall picture...

  • Jlynn77854
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    That is fantastic, Yardvaark! Thank you so much for your input. I started moving plants around this weekend. I think its going to start getting cold here in NC pretty soon.

    I am reading up on propagating a ground cover. Believe it or not there is creeping myrtle in the garden already. I may try to make that work or creeping phlox.

    For the tall tree I need to find something that can withstand our bad ice-storms here. Last year we lost a few trees and one fell on my husbands car.

    I like the planting around the Camellia. Is that a grass?

  • PRO
    Yardvaark
    9 years ago

    What's around the camellia could be anything that gets that height and spread and takes the conditions that that siting offers, which would be sun now and shade later ... so the plant might change over time. It could be low shrubs or perennials. The "tall" tree really isn't all that tall. Even a Japanese maple could be it.

  • Jlynn77854
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    In an effort to use what I have, I am going to do a circle of Hostas around the camellia.

  • atmoscat
    9 years ago

    Jlynn, I hope you post pictures when you are done the first phase!

  • Jlynn77854
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Ok the garden got put on hold due to rain and sickness. I hired someone to move around the plants.

    I am having concerns with the left garden.

    There will be a sky pencil next to the porch with a dwarf azalea in front of it and the Camelia tree will be just out from the corner of the house with mounding plants around it. That leaves the space in between open with nothing but a future ground cover.

    I drew lines of what I think the mature heights will be.

    I just want to be 100% before the person shows up tomorrow.

  • Gracie
    9 years ago

    I agree about bringing that bed way out. You have so much bed on the right that it looks like the yard will tip over.