Lol. The house has vinyl "cedar" shakes. Unfortunately we bought the house AFTER the siding went up, but before they did anything to the inside. So we were able to customize the interior by tearing down walls and raising ceilings etc.... But we were stuck with the light grey siding. Not my 1st choice. I do like the vinyl cedar shakes but would have went with a different color scheme. The house was condemned and purchased by a local contractor, complete gut job down to the studs.

I recall somebody on the clematis forum having a very similar setup to what you're wanting. They created a lot of vertical space, privacy and interest with vines, then did another little island in the middle. You could do something similar with a combination of trees, vinery and grasses. I would lean towards interspersing Fagus syvatica 'Red Obelisk' with Picea glauca 'Pendula' as some narrow choices giving a bit of privacy and architectural interest, while not overwhelming your ranch, as a big tree will eventually do.

Thank you for the feedback. I googled both of those and they seem like they would each be a good fit for what i am looking for. Im going to look into them a little more. Do you know what the growth rate is? Thank you

the siding issue.. was whether we needed to leave space for painting .... etc ...

so now i suggest nothing planted.. tree/conifers i mean.. closer than 6 feet .... presuming the right stuff is selected to not fill more than 3 feet for a decade or two ... leaving 3 feet at the house.. window washing.. xmas lights.. hiding hoses.. getting to the spigot.. etc ... BTW.. is there a spigot out there???? NOW MIGHT BE THE TIME TO PUT ONE IN .... hubby at all plumbing inclined...??? .. and i might favor around that short corner ... into the basement ????

i agree on the verticals ....

now.. step two... any need for a bigger front porch.. in terms of a small deck ... personally.. i cant see sitting out there .... but we may as well conceptualize that if its in the plan ....

you could come a few feet toward the street from the front door ..... and over towards the driveway.. over the existing sidewalk .... perhaps designing is something to cover the right window.. NOT being a plant.. a pergola of some kind ???

again.. you are thinking about a box.. out at the curb ..... i am working my way inside the box.. and solving other issues/dreams.. perhaps negating the necessity out at the curb ...

once we get past this stuff.. we will design a bed .. i will teach how to kill all that grass with roundup.. you will order 5 million yards of mulch.. bury all the dead grass.. and THEN start worrying about buying some plants..

FRANKLY .... i would plan on planting trees/conifers in the fall planting season.. unless this is going to be a checkbook job.. and you can get this all done before the end of april ... you can play around with annuals/perennials this summer.. but there are VERY SPECIFIC tree/conifer planting times.... and unless we can plan far enough ahead ... as to where the conifers can go.. and get them in on time.. and work around them ... i would delay such ...

also.. even if a deck is in the cards.. but not the budget.. we need to plan that.. so we can landscape around such ....

ken

Ok, so we have talked about extending the porch across the front of the house with steps coming down into the driveway. We were thinking of not having the roof come down over it but doing something like a pergola style over it. I dont think that will ever come to fruition. My husband says is the absolute last thing we would do to the house, and if we did...it wouldnt come out much further than the current walkway. I attached a pic of a house in our neighborhood- same style house as ours...exactly...but with front porch. With that being said, I just dont see it ever happening. Unless we come into some money, and cant think of any other way to spend it. lol

ANYWAYS.... we do have a hose spout over by the drivway.

This is something that I am struggling with...trying to envision HOW to give this house curb appeal and give us the "view" we are hoping for from inside the house.

As far as any conifers going in, we can do that as soon as time and weather allow. I would rather get those in now and then get to work on everything else.

And...THANK YOU!

This post was edited by lindsroc on Thu, Apr 4, 13 at 16:27

The best way after you get a plan you like on paper is to use a hose (or I like to buy a couple rolls of cheap rope at Home Depot for $5) and lay out the design on the ground. What looks good on paper may not look good in person and vise versa.

Always think bigger and add a smooth curved edge to your beds. When I create my new beds, I always try to have grassy pathways and some open areas so the kids can play or for sitting. This is just a 2 minute job I did in photochop... I'm not feelin the best so I couldn't put together something spectacular.... but it should give you a nudge in the right direction. Then fill the beds with unusual conifers, add some red trees, maybe some bright colored shrubs... fill in the spots with perennials, then sit back and enjoy.

{{gwi:680011}}

By the way, the green is your mulch bed I used the wrong color lol

Oh thats good!!!! I like how you have 2 seperate beds over on the left. Im gonna save this in my "landscaping" folder.

i will photoshop tomorrow.. but draw a 45 degree angle ... wait.. on ricks .. connect the two yellow blobs with a red line.. street to street.. and ...NOTHING THERE OVER TWO .. YOU CAN GARDEN..... CARP .. garden over there.. but NO HEIGHT for the drivers...

now.. imagine trying to drag a hose ... from the right.. to the furthest left.. see the beauty of the second spigot .... best hundred bucks you ever spent ..... of course.. in MA.. probably 300 .. lol ...

ken

Ken...
"in front of the GG is a gold cone juniper.. which got destroyed by a winter storm this winter .... "

I told you several times that this one isn't a 'Gold Cone', it's a 'Suecica Aurea', please remember this for a next time...

but joy.. if she wants to go buy it .. in the states.. she is more likely to find it mis-labeled as gold cone.. long before she would find it sold under it proper name ...

anyway.. get in car.. park like this.. and really study traffic ... i think you need a clear sight line ...
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next.. park here ... study traffic while backing up ... the neighbors dont take kindly to running over their kids while you are trying to get in and out of your drive
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moving past safety.. lets get to the crux.. go sit at the other intersection.. perhaps after dark.. and find out the 'line' of the lights ... or the laser idea
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combining all of the above.. let pretend this might be a bright idea
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then lets add your two big plants.. to block the windows. ... and note the 3 feet of walkway at the house and fence.. that i would mulch.. but not plant in ....
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and that would be MY THOUGHT PROCESS .... on how to define the beds ...

and here is my hoopsi.. from a 12 inch .... one gallon pot.. at planting ... i would NOT go much bigger than a 4 foot transplant ..... and dont forget.. you could raise the bed a foot or two.. to get a smaller plant to height faster ... the larger the conifer.. the more stressed it will be at planting.. presuming you are a novice.. rather than hire out the job of a larger tree ... and of course.. in 40 years.. it will swallow everything on the front lawn.. lol ...
{{gwi:205545}}

what do you think .. and i am not leaving those pix there forever.. but at least a month ...

are we getting your there?????

ken

Ok so you are not planting anything in front of the walkway... but mulching? so just mulch and what? oh wait, are you planting on the pink and walking on the yellow? for watering/pruning etc BEHIND whatever is planted? see i may be catching up. lol

I like the ideas of parking and sitting and looking to see where the line of sight is, etc... thats a good idea.

Now planting that hoopsi, you dont think that in 20yrs it will have swallowed my house? What about the emerald greens? or too narrow?

In 20 years that Hoopsii would have swallowed your house and already digested it lol... but with that being said, you can still plant it, then remove it if it gets to big to fast. I'm one for planting what looks good (in reason)... then if it gets to large remove it. I say in reason because you don't want to plant that Hoopsii 2' from your house. Personally, I think a 10 year old spruce looks much better than a 40 year old one. Which is why I space all of my plants so they will be ok width wise up to 20-25 years. That spruce is one of the bluest.... but there are also other blue ones that grow slower such as Picea pungens 'Sester's Dwarf'. This spruce grows about 5-6" a year where as the other one grows around 12"+ a year. The good thing about going with a faster growing spruce is that you can have that privacy faster, but it will need to be cut down sooner.

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hoopsi is just an example of how outrageous you can go.. beyond a plain ugly green thing.. me being a blue freak.. its sublime..

are you missing the point??? ..... you asked ONLY one main question... re": SIGHT BLOCKS ... i am .. in the pix.. showing where those have to go [and how i got there] ... besides just sticking them in the middle of the grass .... but you can do that too.. if thats all you want .... with a foot wide band of mulch around the perimeter of the whatever is planted ... you are the one who is getting us carried away with bed design ...

what you fill the rest of the mulch beds with.. is up to you.. annuals.. perennials.. mini conifers.. whatever.. I DONT CARE ... its a garden.. its an extension of you.. not me ... in my world.. you have an extra $20.. you stop at the nursery.. buy whatever strikes your fancy.. dig a hole.. water it.. and walk away.. it either will please you.. or you can kill it .... its not all that mysterious .... and i NEVER really plan that stuff ahead ... i jsut dig holes ....

garden design.. is like painting.. 95% of the job.. is prep.. i am trying to get you thru prep.. what you do with it later.. is all up to you ...

yes.. i would have all kinds of things along the walkway.. but not a 20 foot conifer ... shorter stuff closer.. taller stuff away from the walkway ....

and lets be honest.. in 20 years.. the kids will be gone.. and you will go find a better.. cheaper house.. and who cares what the schools are.. and if you plant this right.. you can sell a 500K house ...

so.. again.. whats the goal.. block the car lights.. or worry about 20 years from now????? ***

eh??

i am enjoying trying to teach you.. dont read any snarky-ness into the reply .... thats the coffee ...

ken

ps: *** thats what the guy who left the maple said.. lol ....

oh.. emerald green..

if i go thru all this.. and you plant a COMMON ARB.. i might be tempted to track you down.. and ask hubby permission to slap you ... [and no.. i am not a violent person.. its a joke] ....

will you please forget about arbs.. besides the fact that it snows.. and it snows heavy in MA ... and they collapse by the thousands every winter ... usually just when they look perfect .... and just after you said to yourself.. those look just perfect ....

do you just want to replace them in 5 or 10 years ...

thats i why i am trying to enable you with the hoopsi.. because you are fixated on a bigboxstore arb.. crikey woman.. focus.. lol ... not that specific plant.. but the potential for something truly unique ....

this is the front of your castle.. not the back fence line... if you peruse the neighborhood.. i bet you wont see too many arbs planted in front of the house.. in any well tended garden.. maybe off to the side.. but not center stage .... and that is what those two X's are.. center stage ... spend money on them ... the rest you can fill with bargains ....

oh.. and odds are.. in my world.. one of those X's will be right where you cant dig a hole for the old maple... and that is when you would add a berm .... or move the location slightly.. subject to all the variables ....

time for lunch.. and to get outside.. mull it over ...

and dont think this all has to be done immediately.. if budget is an issue.. you do need a plan.. and you do need to get the big ones in ... but the rest.. can be done in stages.. as time goes by ... and whether you have the interest to play in the dirt ... and nurture things other than kids ...

ken

I am LOVING all the advice. Honestly.... i have whatever the opposite of a green thumb is. I dont know why, I have decorated the inside of the house and painted and its beautiful...the outside scares me. lol

I see what you are saying about planting now and not worrying about 20 yrs, and truly I am hoping I am living on a beach in Florida somewhere in 20 yrs so I guess 10-15 yrs will be my max time in this house. Kids will be gone, and by then who knows with the trees.
So I get what you are saying. And I also like the look of the spruce trees, i was just worried about how big they would get. I called a local xmas tree farm, they sell planted full size trees but you need to dig them out and get them home. How?!?!? So I guess I will start browsing the local nurseries this weekend to see what they carry and what heights.
Ive actually been googling conifers like crazy and i think I have found a new obsession. I like how there are so many options. I was actually thinking a weeping white spruce may have to fit into this plan somewhere.

Rick, thank you....privacy faster is the ULTIMATE goal here.

Definitely try to find a local place to get these, but around here nurseries only sell the generic blue spruces. The type you can buy at Home Depot that aren't real "blue".

If you want hoopsii.... see the link below for a reliable source. We don't have specialty nurseries around here that sell grafted conifers, I order everything via mail order

Some trusted conifer sources are: ConiferKingdom, Songsparrow, Iconic Gardens, Carterscoolplants. Google them and go have a look around. If you want a weeper, check out Pinus strobus 'Angel Falls'

Here is a link that might be useful: Hoopsii

We have one or 2 specialty places that I know of.

What can i plant that will provide some immediate relief, so about 4 ft tall..not break the bank...and not eat my house by year 10? lol.

This post was edited by lindsroc on Fri, Apr 5, 13 at 12:08

These look interesting, what are thoughts on:

Cephalotaxus harringtonia 'Fastigiata' - Columnar Japanese Plum Yew

Or would it look better to do 2 hoopsi and then mix it up with other stuff?

I don't plant Yew's, someone else may be able to answer that question

To be honest, I wouldn't even do 2 hoopsii's... definitely 1, then select another spruce or pine... mix in a few ground hugging conifers, then add the perennials.

Some some off the top of my head:

Picea pungens 'Hoopsii'
Pinus contorta 'Taylor's Sunburst'
Picea pungens 'Spring Blast' or another yellow flushing spruce
Picea glauca 'Pendula'

Some ground conifers:
Juniperus horizontalis 'Mother Lode'

Add in a few small ones:
Pinus mugo 'Carstens' comes to mind - Green in the summer, yellow in the winter
Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Melody'- Would look good next to the blue spruce.

These are just some of the more common ones discussed on the forums, that you would have to mail order.

Thank you Rick, going to do some googling.

I really do appreciate all the advice.

I called a local xmas tree farm, they sell planted full size trees but you need to dig them out and get them home.

==>> its like you want to shop for a mercedes.. at the corner used car lot.. i will yell.. YOU ARE NOT LOOKING FOR XMAS TREES ... and you are NOT looking for farm plants ...

and God help you.. you dont want to dig one out.. its not the digging.. its the LIFTING THAT WILL KILL most of us ...

right now.. do a new post.. BEST CONIFER SELLER WITHIN 100 MILES OF BOSTON.. or wherever you are.. i cant keep track of all those small states on the east coast ...

and i am sure.. there are local conifer collections around ... is arnold arboretum the harvard collection??? .. sounds like a great Sunday drive.. to see what grows in your area.. and what has the size you might want .... seeing really is believing.. pack a picnic.. and find a labeled collection ... put the swampers on the kids.. ROAD TRIP!!!!! ...

how about a PINE thats gold all winter.. Pinus sylvestrus gold coin .. nice dichotomy to the blue of hoopsi ....
{{gwi:656394}}

do NOT plant two hoopsi.. that lacks imagination ... nor another picea pungens ....

and most of us mail order conifers.. delivered to our front door ... it costs more.. but you get selection ....

and if you did put in the deck.. this could be your view:
{{gwi:211254}}

lol.. that an an extra acre.. lol.. but look at all the mini's around the cement ... those are for later ....

i just got an order from the link [and did a post, if you were following] .... which BTW.. the owner lives in boston .... call the 800 number and ask for brent.. maybe wake him up .. lol .... refer him to this post .... see what he might suggest ...

and i have problems with JMaples in my z5 ...... [though i have been threatened with some.. to prove my bias wrong.. lol] .... dont get distracted by those.. while we deal with the sight block ..... maybe later.. when you have those nice beds to fill ... and need something to fill other space ...

focus.. you will save a lot of money.. developing your own plan.. killing grass.. and moving mulch.. do spend the savings on the two main plants .. they will be the backbones of the rest ... [and you keep going back to the HOW TO BUILD A BED link i gave you.. and have it all committed to memory ????]

Ricks come up with some good ones to look at.. of course.. for most of us.. they are all good .. lol .. once you move away from bigboxstore arbs ....

its 40's outside.. but the north wind is cutting thru my jeans and WINTER coat.. i lack the will to do anything.. and i am p.o.'d ... so all that is left.. is enabling you.. and maybe a nap ... crikey.. will the wind ever shift from the south.. so i can get a spring breeze ... i ought to be out there in 40's in a T shirst ... with the warm wind ... and the soil wont thaw.. i am really on the verge of gratuitous cussing ... beware .. lol... which i different that planned or paid for cussing ... God am i bored ....

oh .....WHAT IS YOUR BASE SOIL TYPE .???? please dont tell me bad clay ... its a planting and aftercare issue ....

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: link

Oh see i like that gold one, thats nice. that would look good with the blue.
And we do have a plan to take a trip to the Arnold Arboretorem one of these wknds when its not FREEZING outside.
I have the "how to build a bed" link saved in my favorites...as well as all the links to reputable sellers. And have saved all the images of landscaping plans to my desktop.
So this weekend I am going to try to plan it out on the grass with either spraypaint or hose/rope etc, where to have everything go. From there....what? Start shaping the beds, removing grass? I dont mean immediately... but i am wondering WHEN i should consider ordering the plants? Can I plant them before the end of the month?

Edited to add... i loooove japanese maples, my husband would love to have one. His mother has one in her front yard that she planted when he was a baby.

This post was edited by lindsroc on Fri, Apr 5, 13 at 13:49

Lots of great idea.. your lot is a bit of a challenge, but I understand...because I live just south of Boston and spent a lot of money...for a small home and property...great schools though!! I like photoshop, since I have a hard time visualizing... I will try to put something together later..

Weston Nurseries http://www.westonnurseries.com/ in Hopkinton, MA is a good place to go look and get ideas, but they are wayyy too expensive for me. You might want to check out http://www.katsuragardens.com/ in Plymouth, MA as well. I haven't been there yet, but the availability list is available online and is very extensive. In fact, its the only place online or not that I have found selling Tsuga diversifolia (non-cultivar)...

go to the hardware store.. and get what is at the link .. cheapest you can buy..

as the grass grows.. you mow it away.. and try another version ... didnt i use it at the bed link??? .. maybe not ... start with just dots ... in case you change your mind .... and if you dont use up the can.. spray it upright for a second.. to clean the tip for storage ....

its like photoshop in real time.. lol ...

we suggest... for most bulletproof.. planting trees and conifers when dormant... no new leaves.. to try to 'save' all hot summer long ... we would like to get the roots settled in and pumping.. before all the new growth ....

in my z5.. which is very similar to you.. i would like to be done planting conifers by 5/1 .. this year.. maybe july.. lol ...

i like to say.. 6 to 8 weeks BEFORE they bud out.. in late may ...

and if not then.. in fall.. around 10/1 .. when the trees are turning colors ... because they are going dormant by then

its all about the stress of planting .. if you were to plant a larger tree.. again.. i am talking 3 or 4 feet .. in june.. just after it budded out.. and july turned into the heatwave from hell.. it would be much harder to perfect PERFECT aftercare.. it can be done.. we are just talking about making it easier ... more bulletproof ....

the link above gave you two local places.. so add them to the roadtrip.. and get it done SOON!!! ... with 3 stops.. you have time to warm up in the car.. before being outdoors ... the shear beauty of GW ... go figure ....

take lots of pix.. the trick there .. is to take a pic of the tag/label.. then the plant.. and then run home and label your pix with the plant name ....

and then.. try to narrow it down to just the two ... that will be the hard part ...

and let me be frank.. if it were a normal april.. i would be outside planting conifers.. rather than taking the time with you .... so you better get this all straightened out fast.. lol ...

whats your soil type???

and BTW.. how old are the kids??? maybe you can do this in the backyard ... later.. ken

ps: and while you are there.. start looking at hoses.. and buy 2 good 50 footers .... i recommend flexogen ... mine are 2 years old.. and still usable.. cheap out ..... and you will replace them every other year or two ... and dont buy one 100 footer.. trust me on that ....
{{gwi:250981}}

hey.. look a those GG back there.. what.. 2 foot tall ... lol ...

Here is a link that might be useful: link

I just came across this tree... Cryptomeria japonica 'Yoshino'

http://www.katsuragardens.com/yoshino-japanese-cedar

Has anyone had luck with these? I like the coloring.

Thank you for the 2 nursery links...Im window shopping now :)

Ken, how do i find out my soil type???

And my kids are now 8 and 9. Ugh! Where does the time go, so crazy.

I think the idea of putting a huge conifer in the middle of your yard to block lights is the wrong approach...After looking at the image, I decided the biggest problem is that your yard has no visual boundary...it just sort of flows into the street.. I think a white split post fence would solve that problem... even though it does not provide visual privacy, it makes your yard feel less exposed and more secure.

Anyways, here is how I would do it. The only thing I didn't include was how to block the window because that would hide the rest of the landscape in this image.. It it were me, I would put something like a dogwood or serviceberry in the yard between the Picea pungens 'Glauca Globosa' and the house...and I would spluge to get a decent size tree, maybe 5 or 6ft...

Good Luck!

Shawn

I tell ya, there are a lot of great ideas floating about.

I used to live on a corner, city lot, and I built a fence and where your stop sign is (just as Ken drew a sharp line) I made my fence on that diagonal. My house faces exactly as your house does...

I used Clematis on the fence and planted conifers and perennials with the intent of removing the perennials when the conifers grew to a fuller-size. The use of clematis was an instant screen. I also built my own flower boxes that I placed every eight feet on top of my fence and I would fill those with trailing petunia's and other annuals.

Here are some photos I could dig up:

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HERE'S IT IS NINE YEARS LATER:
(some of my own changes and others from the current homeowner) + you can see the fence lines better.

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More ideas.

Dax

Shawn I really like that, and I agree- we need something to make the yard/house FEEL more private even though we are off the main road. Thats why I keep referring to the view from inside looking out. I think the fence would really be nice. We are tossing around the idea of removing the stone "wall" and using ivy/evergreen groundcover to fill in that space. i think the fence would like really nice.
I really like your illustration. Looks low maintenance and fairly easy to do. The main reason we were considering a conifer or 2 as the focalpoint is to provide year round screening.

Dax, thank you for the pics! That looks great, and what a good idea with the vines! I like how the corner bed is in front of the fence. Hmmmm....that gives me something to think about. I wonder if I could incorporate all the ideas. So that corner bed with maybe a blue spruce or similar, a few low shrubs and then a white picket or similar fence on a diagonal behind it...and maybe a dogwood or maple towards the center of the yard???
Thoughts?

first off... whats a fence have to do with this sight block problem??? .. you are changing my job description ... whats that all about ... ???? great idea though.. but i figured with no deck budget.. vinyl fence might not be in the budget ..... OK.. i admit it.. i never thought of it.. lol ...

do they dump salt on your roads ??? or plow snow .????

that will define what can be planted near the road ... as well as how close a fence can go.. never minding whatever code is ... ..

back from the sidewalk is probably OK [8 or 10 feet from the road] .. but the mockup above.. has it within a foot or two of the street in front ..... and i doubt that will be allowed ... i am going to guess there is an easement there.. at least equivalent to the sidewalk side ... which MIGHT put the fence right thru the middle of the lawn in front ... only your code guy will know ...

my boy is 11.. and the girl soon to be 15 ... yikes.. time flies..

ken

As Ken said, you would have to check the code...but right up to the sidewalk would work based on the existing fence...stone wall in the front maybe not within code...in which case maybe 4ft back?

Tall trees and single story house don't compliment each other...makes your house look even smaller...but, if obstruction of the road is #1 then I saygo for it

Yes we can have the fence right up to where the stone wall currently is. We had thrown around the idea of putting a fence a few feet back and planting perennials in front of it.

I agree, i dont want something overpowering. Our main goal is from inside the house...to not be staring at the street. We need to break up the view. I would like something eye level and placed correctly so that we are looking at nice landscaping and not cars. If I bought say a 4 or 5 ft spruce tree, in 10 or 15 years it would be???? That was one of my 1st questions...would a spruce for example- swallow my house and yard.
In front of the stone wall, theres about 3 or 4 feet where we sometimes park, its not part of the road- its just dirt.

Ken, no salt but yes plowing. And actually, they plowed a giant snow bank this year right up to where the stop sign is. Hadnt thought of that.

Look at the picture of Ken's Hoopsi above. From 2003 - 2008 it went from like 1ft. to 12ft? 10-15 years, that tree would be like 30ft and 10+ft wide... It looks best on an Estate, huge property... I'd feel pretty bad having to cut down such an awesome tree, but if you decide to do it...I think you should have a succession plan... Plant the Hoopsi now and also get a dwarf variety such as Picea pungens 'Sester's Dwarf'... then in 10 years when the Hoopsi has to go the 'Sester's Dwarf' will be the right height for the spot maybe 6ft by 4ft...and that will never have to be moved. You can enjoy if for the next 30 years

If you're looking for blue and I agree with SC77, Hoopsii will eventually swallow that whole yard. Sorry to disagree with others. You need a narrow blue such as Picea engelmannii 'Bush's Lace'.

Keep your thoughts simple. Add some color from vines and dwarf conifers and flowering shrubs. The best clematis bloomers are the "viticella" species. They cannot be outdone by other clematis.

For a dogwood I would whole-heartily recommend (my favorite) Cornus officinalis. The bark is the most ornamental and the fruit will bring lots of birds to your property. Next in line I would go for Cornus mas. What fits your yard best is going to be officinalis, though.

Maybe a last thought: I really like Rick's bed-drawing above. Do something like that or exactly like that inside a fenced yard. Perfect!

Also, don't limit yourself to flowers vines and shrubs. Fun gardens include beans and tomatoes and cukes growing along side your other vines. Totally random plantings. Add bulbs to your lawn. Just have fun overall.

Best of luck!

Dax

I like the ideas!! I had been messing around on the show off landscaping sight and what a few are suggesting is pretty much along the lines of what I was thinking originally.
Do you think a bed by the corner with mixed evergreens (dwarf and shrubs) would be good with a flowering tree in the center of the yard? I like the pagoda dogwoods but not sure if that would be a good fit. I also love maples for their fall color and they are classic New England.
If I do a bed with dwarf evergreens, can someone recommend any that I could buy now and would give some height? This is why my thoughts originally went to the emerald greens because they seem like something I could buy now at 4 or 5 feet and wouldn't outgrow the space. I would like to incorporate yellow and or red twig dogwood somewhere.
I guess to start I would need to decide on the main tree in front. Something large enough to provide the view we are looking for from inside (within the next year or 2) but will not become huge.

I had asked about the upright japanese plum yew earlier, any thoughts on this for the corner bed? I'm thinking if I raised it a little in the center of the bed, that would give me a little more height.
Columnar Japanese Plum Yew
Scientific name: Cephalotaxus harringtonia 'Fastigiata'

Ok I am trying, and I feel like I am making progress. How does this look? I am trying to incorporate all ideas. The bed on the front left corrner, i would like to include 3 narrow upright conifers. Any suggestions? Something that i can purchase at 4 or 5 feet tall and it wont be more than 12-15 feet in 10 years or so. I like the red twig dogwood in the winter, our neighbor has some and they are really cool looking in the snow. The front right bed, im thinking a small tree such as a crabapple or similar. One that wont be much taller than 15 feet with a similar spread. Everything else would be a mix. Maybe a trellis by the front railing with some clematis, definitely lilacs, etc. The bed by the fence, i will need to edge it with something as it will be right up to the sidewalk so I just was thinking some large rocks.
Hoping I am on the right path. I am really trying to take everyones advice and make it work for what we want.

you are back to having .. what i presume will be a tallish 'evergreen'.. at one o'clock... to the stop sign ...

the hoopsi.. AGAIN!!! .... was an example of outrageous color .. vs bigboxstore green ... and at 8 years old [i counted the dates] .. would be 2 or 3 feet higher at 10 years.. NOT 30 as suggested .. it was only about 8 feet tall in the pic ... it would have been nice to have a scale in that pic ...

and in the pic... there is no path right at the foundation ...

you are on the right track with your latest rendering.. but for that stop sign plant ...

BTW ... i moved to get away from my redtwig/yellowtip dogwoods.. when they got past 10 feet, in all directions ... you MUST prune them out every second or third year.. once they get going ...

i am very surprised.. there is no easement for a future sidewalk out front.. and think long and hard about that plowing of snow .... it can crush and ruin things too close tot he street ...

good luck

ken

ps: i dont know why i have it in my head that all of MA is z5.. i note you wrote z6 .... that might change some of my comments above.. was it a crypto????

I know I forgot the path behind the bushes. You didn't notice my little arrows depicting that I need to move them forward from the foundation? Lol

No plans for sidewalks here. We are in a rural town, only certain streets have sidewalks.

I will have to look again, but I some form of a dwarf blue spruce last night, I bookmarked the page... I will find it in a bit. Are dwarf species just slower growing?

Oh and I looked up my zone using my zip code, maybe the site I was looking at was wrong?

Oh and the red twig dogwoods, are they difficult to keep under control? Is it just every other year pruning or do they need more maintenance?

Thanks ken!!

Sester's Dwarf Blue Spruce
Scientific name: Picea pungens 'Sester's Dwarf'
It wasn't this one but similar. If I could find something around 4feet, and build up the plant bed I think this would help.

We got the fluorescent spray paint but no time yesterday so hoping we can mark out the yard this week. I know the tree near the stop sign will need to be moved over a little.

This post was edited by lindsroc on Mon, Apr 8, 13 at 8:11

It's Picea pungens 'Sester Dwarf' instead of 'Sester's Dwarf'...

Oh I think this is the one I was thinking of, Abies lasiocarpa var. arizonica 'Glauca Nana'

Abies lasiocarpa var. arizonica 'Glauca Nana' is a good one but it may become larger given time than say Abies concolor 'Archer's Dwarf' which makes a pyramidal shape sort of similar to Picea pungens 'Sester Dwarf'.

About the red and yellow twig dogwoods. They form colonies with their roots and are better used for projects such as erosion control or on large properties where they are beneficial to nature. They are a burden, otherwise... and often do they succumb to leaf diseases. Substitutes for consideration might be hollies with persistent red-berries; Acer circinatum ‘Pacific Fire’; Hydrangea quercifolia;

Regarding a smaller flowering tree, the problem with crabapples, again, are leaf diseases. I'd probably stay clear of those and use Stewartia pseudocamillia or another species. I won't mention it again, but Cornus officinalis is a great candidate.

Dax

Thanks Dax! Well, hmmmm.... I was hoping for those dogwood shrubs to offer some winter interest but holly sounds like a good idea too. I know you need a male and female planted in close proximity correct? How do you know which one you are buying?
Our neighbor across the street has a korean dogwood in her yard and it is beautiful!!! Its big though, but I bet it has been there about 30 years or so.

Abies lasiocarpa var. arizonica 'Glauca Nana' is also wrong, it must be written as Abies lasiocarpa 'Compacta' or Abies lasiocarpa var. arizonica 'Compacta'.
What a big mess...

Hey Im just copy and pasting! I would rather just write the common names, but then people say to write the proper names.

Abies lasiocarpa var. arizonica 'Glauca Nana' doesn't exist.
Abies lasiocarpa 'Compacta' is the proper name for this one...

so what is the fall update on this project ???

ken