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| I have a pathway leading up to my front door and I have never been thrilled with the beds on either side of it. They mirror each other, and are filled with catmint, phlox and coneflower, a few caryopteris and pink primrose. They just haven't filled out as fully as I'd like and I can tell this year it wont be spectacular so I'm considering digging it up. I already widened the bed by about ten inches when I was trenching the edges. I wonder if I lined up (one on each side) the walk with different roses if I'd end up hating it or loving it. Does anyone have a bed like this they could share pics of? Or a rose that would make a great front yard path?
Here is the only images have that kinda shows the area. I must not have been very thrilled , cause i never took a pic of the whole walk. I'd probably keep the perrenials but move them out of the way of the roses. I guess my main concern is two identical bushes growing differently and looking bad. I'm not usually one for order and symmetry but the walk kinda requires it. Thanks!! I value any input you have.
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| Have you considered having a balanced but not symmetrical look. You might your planting to counterbalance the straigtness of the pathway? To break up the lines of the pathway and add layers/colors to your design, consider adding plants that "evade"/droop over the pathway or have a mounded/curved shape to make it more interesting. Consider adding lavendars (and give them a couple of years to fill out the space), tall ornamental grasses, one or two dwarf Japanese maples, and perhaps some creeping junipers or a few compact evergreen for winter interest. For the roses, take a look at these pictures at David Austin's website. I cannot tell whether the lawns on each side of the pathway is symmetrical from your picture or how expansive they are. Or for that matter, what kind of style is your house. Don't know how symmetrical design would work with everything. However, it is more fun, at least for me, to go for a more casual look. http://www.davidaustinroses.com/american/Advanced.asp?PageId=2134 http://readtodo.info/49266-how-to-design-a-mixed-border.html The rose is beautiful, but it looks fairly tall and it might work better to move it closer to the house so that it won't stick out. But it might just the picture. Also, I would recommend more compact roses as are more managable and less "unsightly" during the winter months. You did not mention the fence, but if this were my house, I would plant a climbing rose near the fence in a heartbeat. :) I don't have enough space to grow climbers as climbers, and am growing 6 of them now as bushes. |
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| Thanks for the quick response!! A few things that may help since the pic is pretty bad, the rose is at the end of the walkway. It is a knock out, one of the first roses I ever planted. I do grow about 35 other roses now but the knock outs require no attention and neighborhood walkers always comment on them. There's another on the other side of walkway. Our house is a boring but classic brick home, I'll post a pic from a long time ago, when I first moved in. A lot has changed since this pic tho! Also next to the gate is a tiny Felicia hybrid musk rose. Can't wait for it to grow up! I hope to someday replace the chain link but it may be a while! And there are no longer red edgers, or the hedge.The little bird bath is still there tho. I have always wanted to grow lavender here but I was afraid it wouldn't like my soil. It is a dryer soil up front , and now that I really think on it, it would probably love the soil. I do like the idea of balanced but not semytrical look. I don't want it to appear stuffy at all, just cottagy and welcoming!!
Here are the plants in the bed close to the door. I never got around to mulching for these pics! I don't know how wide the beds are along the walkway, I'll measure them tomorrow. They can be made larger of course.
Right side of sidewalk ....embarrassing palm! Lol I'm off to read the pages you suggest. Thanks!! :) |
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| I'm not too sure of your circumstances and preferences, but just going off experience and what I've seen in Z6 Ohio, some great candidates as Austins are: -Queen of Sweden: Medium tall, but narrow and upright which is good for a pathway...not super thorny either. |
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| I can't tell long that walkway to the house is, but since you already have some nice things growing there, I'd leave the phlox and catmint and stick in maybe 2 or 3 smaller roses spaced far enough apart that the phlox and catmint have room to grow in between. Two possibilities occur to me for the periodically spaced roses: a three-ft rose (contrast in size with the other plants there, plus would provide an rounder, more "solid" shape periodically)-- lets say Our Lady of Guadalupe or the floribunda Easter Basket. They are both good bloomers/rebloomers and both are quite good on disease-resistance. Pretty Jessica would be about the right size and has a lovely bloom--but mine doesn't bloom as continuously as Our Lady or Easter Basket does. I would not use Queen of Sweden for this purpose--mine grows 4-5 ft tall--too tall for the front walk, in my opinion. Since the two I recommend are lighter colored, the blue catmint and maybe something darker like you have along the front of the house would form a nice contrast. The other choice I'd consider would be several mini roses along the walkway. My yellow Sweet Diana is a heavy bloomer and frequent rebloomer (and disease resistant)--about 1.5 to 2 ft tall, good full bushy look for a little fellar. It would fit in nicely and the cheerful yellow would look very welcoming. Or a different style mini would be Green Ice--a very full but more sprawling mini that blooms white (with slight coral hue when it first opens and a slight greenish hue in cooler weather). It grows about 1.5 ft high and wide--maybe even a bit more on the width. With the white Green Ice, you would have to make sure that some of the perennials in between the roses formed some contrasting colors (and shapes). Or maybe a combination of Sweet Diana and Green Ice and another mini in bright pink or red--someone else would have to recommend one of those, especially if you want good bloom/rebloom and disease-resistance. Have fun plannning--lots of roses to dream over! Kate |
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- Posted by ilovemyroses 8 Dallas TX (My Page) on Thu, Apr 19, 12 at 9:09
| I am somewhat doing the same. I second GREEN ICE. It is a wonderful sprawler, and bloomer, stays low and manageable. Put a few 'anchor' roses of your liking making sure they stay within the bed area so you don't snag people, then plant fillers with things that won't compete. I grow Thyme, Oregano, Germander..."walker's Low" catnip is a beauty that looks like lavendar. Lavendar might need different watering than the roses, so be aware of that. Irises are always a nice different foliage, and, while they spread, are completely manageable and low (they vary so note the variety you select). I say GO FOR IT!! just keep in mind full blown sizes, which always creeps up on me. you can fill in those holes and yank the mini's once the biggies get too big. much easier to transplant them! BTW, I love your home. It is classic, and great brick color. the garden will be the anchor. I am always up for cllimbers, too. Perhaps on either side of the door with good supports? I think some height in some of those areas would be good to merge the beds with the home. It'll be awesome in a few years! |
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- Posted by floridarosez9 10 (My Page) on Thu, Apr 19, 12 at 9:45
| There's a church I pass going into town that has a long straight walkway to the front door. They have lined both sides with a little low-growing pink rose that seems to stay in constant bloom. It's absolutely breathtaking, and I slow down and gawk at it every time I pass by. I've never stopped and inquired about the name of it, but something like that would be spectacular with your house. |
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