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cambition

Front Bed Garden Advice for New Gardener

cambition
13 years ago

Hi All,

I'm new to the forum- and to gardening! - but I've found many of your posts helpful! I'm hoping you can offer some advice specifically for me. I'm a new homeowner and will be attempting my first garden come spring (as soon as the snow melts)!

I want to garden the flower beds directly in front of my house. At first I thought I'd need a "foundation garden" but since the house is a split, there really isn't much foundation to hide, so the need for evergreens went from high to medium on my list. I live in MA, so not having all stalks in the winter would be nice. But my main objective when designing the garden was to not block the low windows to the house.

Right now I have a plan drawn up, but I'm having a lot of trouble finding the perfect fit for a shrub or flower to flank the doorway. I'd like a perennial, low maintenance, and it needs to fit in a 4" wide spot so it doesn't block the window. I've considered hydrangea, mountain laurel, an Emerald Gaiety.... but since it will be a focal point I'd like something that will look good the majority of the year.

The left side of the house is bigger than the right, and I am such a newbie at gardening that I don't know much, so I just tried to balance it out by just adding more of the same types that are on the right. I'm not dead set on the silver mound & brocade in the center- am open to putting in some flowers instead or even a blue star juniper.

So my major questions are:

1) what to plant on either side of the stairs?

2) how's the layout look over all? Too crowded? Too ambitious? Too ____? ;)

Here's a {{gwi:9483}}, which is drawn to scale (1 square = 1sqft). I am going to redefine the borders by putting in a brick edging, so I suppose the depth of the design could change if necessary. (In case you can't read the writing on the purple circle, it's a purple coneflower.)

and here's an (older) photo of the house. The yews (?) in front of the house have been pulled up, and the front door was replaced.

{{gwi:9485}}

Another option is to extend the right side of the garden to plant all in that patch of grass between the pavement... I only hesitate b/c I'm not sure if it would be too much to take on in my first year.

Thanks in advance for reading and replying!! (I'm also posting this in the Landscape Design forum, in case any of the design gurus can help.)

Comments (8)

  • defrost49
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I'm only an average gardener with only my own yard for experience. My chief criticism with your design is that it's too symmetrical on two different size plots. Since you have windows you don't want to cover, I would be tempted to use mostly grand cover on the left side of the front door. With, perhaps a shrub right next to that door.
    I think I would put the tallest shrub to the right of the door and competely plant/mulch that section making it the focal point of your landscaping. I would also choose colorful zinnias not white because your house is a pale color.

  • spedigrees z4VT
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I think that removing the yew bushes was a good idea, but then I'm not crazy about bushes planted next to the foundation of a home.

    I think Defrost's idea of bright colored flowers (zinnias) is a good one and would brighten up your place, although I would plant the same flowers on both sides of the door. It looks like you have a lot of direct sun in the area under consideration so most annual flowers and a lot of perennials would be happy there. There would be no unsightly stalks poking through the snow with annuals because you just pull them up in late fall. Of course if we have more winters like this one, any and all flower stalks will be buried anyways!

    Good luck with the landscaping and congratulations on your nice new home!

  • NHBabs z4b-5a NH
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Congratulations on your new home! Thanks for posting a photo - it makes it easier to visualize. Do you have a photo that shows the whole width of the property so we can see how this fits in?

    Like Defrost, I'm just an average homeowner who gardens in my own yard. I think a plan like yours with a combination of woody and herbaceous plants helps give year-round interest. (And I'm impressed that you have mapped out a plan!) With your house style, which isn't formal and balanced, I wouldn't worry about balancing your garden. You've done well in making the bed relatively deep so that your plants don't look like a line along the house. Be sure you are starting your bed outside of where the drip line would be if you didn't have gutters. Otherwise you will find it hard to keep plants happy within the dry zone as they have a roof over them. If it were my house, with the visual weight of the upper story, I would want some plants that reach up some to balance that and to break up the strong horizontal line where the upper story steps out. On the far side of the door and farther out from the house (not in your bed unless you extend it to reach out) I probably would put a small tree that has year-round interest, but can be limbed up so as to not block your lower story windows, perhaps a Japanese maple, Stewartia, or pagoda dogwood. I'd put three shrubs, one on each corner and one on the left of the front door, but not one on the right of the door, unless it's a quite small shrub that will stay small. It's not as big a space so there really isn't room for much of a shrub without blocking light to the window to some extent, and you want the front door to be visible. You might want to consider one of the more restrained clematis on a narrow obelisk to give some height and bulk to that small space. A large pot planted with taller annuals or tender perennials would also work there. I like hdrangeas, Mt. Laurels, and rhodies to fill the role of larger shrubs, if they work for your growing conditions. Hydrangeas in winter are pretty homely, however, so I might put that at the far corner of the house if you want one so that it isn't as prominent when it's unattractive. Consider getting one that blooms over the course of the summer, since many are only spring bloomers and if you have a late frost, you've lost all flowers for the year. In choosing your specific varieties of shrubs, be aware that sizes are often given at what they will be after 10 years, after which they will continue to grow. Then, as your plan shows, fill in the bed with herbaceous plants. I have assumed that you have checked out your soil, sun and moisture, and have chosen your plants to suit that. I haven't grown most of your smaller plants so won't comment on those. One thing to consider if you haven't already is plant foliage. Since most perennials and shrubs only bloom for part of the year, think about whether the foliage on your plants have interesting and varied color, texture, shape, and size so that even when your plants aren't blooming there is something of interest in the garden. A good resource is Mindy (AKA arbo_retum) here on the New England forum. Her website, which has lots of great photos, is
    http://www.cottonarboretum.com/

    As far as the overall layout, think about getting annuals for the first year or two to fill in some until your other plants get larger. I usually plant for that 10 year size or even a bit larger, and put in smaller fillers for the first few years. I probably would plant that grassy triangle as the walkway makes a natural ending/edging. From the photo, your front walk looks a bit narrow (could 2 people walk comfortably side by side?) so you may want to consider a plan to widen that in the long run if it's as narrow as it looks.
    Too ambitious? Really only you can answer that since you know your energy, finances, and time. It can be done in stages - prepare one bed, then plant it. Then start on the other bed. Or prepare both beds and plant your woody plants and then mulch well to prevent weeds and keep moisture even. (You'll want to do that regardless.) Plant your perennials in early fall when there are sales or even next year if you have run out of time, energy or finances this year. You will probably want to put an edger outside of your bricks to prevent to grass from growing in under them.

    Ultimately, if you decide you don't like the bed or something doesn't flourish there, you can always replant. Please keep us update with your progress.

  • WendyB 5A/MA
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    The Caryopteris and the Emerald Gaiety may be too similar. Depends which Caryopteris you get. Normally Emerald Gaiety is in front as the low groundcover type plant. It might look good in front of the rhododendrons.

    What hours of sun does this get? Did I miss that? You've got a mix of sun and shade plants.

    How about a small tree somewhere on the left to balance the picture window on the right?

    No matter what, you're off to a great start. Planning is good. You might want to do a bit more research on some of the selected plants' needs. For example, a peony and a mountain laurel are dissimilar in cultural needs.

    I have two Boxwoods 'Green Velvet' flanking my steps. Its a conventional choice, but it gives me a solid anchor to put more lively, colorful things around them. The entry way is always reasonably good looking no matter what else is in bloom or in season or not because of them (except for a winter like this when everything is totally covered!!!)

  • cambition
    Original Author
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thank you all SO MUCH for your thoughtful and in-depth responses! I have so much to think about and consider. I wasn't sure if I needed to "balance" both sides of the house, so thanks for advising that it would actually be better to not have identical on both sides in my case. I didn't even consider the drip from the gutters- oh boy, do we have that when it rains. :(

    I forgot to write that these beds will get full sun, as my house is SW facing. I haven't tested the soil yet- I plan on doing that today, since some of the snow has finally receded and I can get to it.

    Here's one more photo I have of the house in the summertime:

  • cambition
    Original Author
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I've been rereading all your great suggestions and realized I misunderstood nhbabs w/r/t the "dry zone." And thanks for the good suggestion about putting an edger outside the stones, I wouldn't have known to do that. :)

    I will definitely keep you guys updated- I can't wait to hit the "drawing boards" again! :)

  • runktrun
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Congratulations on the purchase of your new home and welcome to the New England forum. It is clear to me that you are very excited about your landscaping project which I think is half the battle. I have recently come across a drawer full of winter landscape plans of my own and I confess not a single garden ever looked exactly as I had planned but the essence of what I had put to paper is sprinkled throughout my landscape. You may find as I did that specific plants designated in my plans were not always available at my local nursery, cost much more than I had planned, were being sold too big/small, I fell in love with something else entirely when I was nursery shopping, ect . So you might want to consider being flexible in terms of plant choice.

    I don't want to squelch any of your enthusiasm for gardening but I just want to make certain you have focused on the big landscape picture as well.

    1. Ask yourself what is the function of your front yard. How do you see your family using this space? Is this the only area large enough in the yard for the kids soccer goals or with all that full sun do you see a couple of chaise lounges and a bottle of tanning oil, perhaps you view this space as rarely used by your family and more of a decorative statement for the passerby to enjoy and admire.

    2. After you have defined how you would like your front yard to function I would address the walk way I know it is not nearly as much fun to think about but it appears in the photo to be narrow, wavy and possibly cracked. The temptation here is to put thought of repairs/replacement off for another day but the walkway as it is now is limiting your design possibilities.

    3. I consider my front entry garden a year round demanding garden that is always in my face reminding me as I come and go every day from the house to the car of all of the never ending list of gardening chores that need to be done. That said I enjoy those (or most of them) gardening chores, try and be honest with yourself about how much free time/desire you will have for gardening. Having an invasion of weeds come up around a demanding group of perennials in August when you would rather be at the lake isn't as annoying if the bed is off in the distance in your back yard.

    4. Back to the function of this bed if all or part of this gardens purpose is a decorative statement for the passerby to enjoy and admire, I might suggest that you should consider distance impact. Smaller lower growing flowers may be lost the further away from the garden the viewer is. You may need larger perennial groupings or just larger flowers to be appreciated from the street.

    5. How is this garden viewed from inside your home? Will you be looking at shrub trunks rather than blossoms from the room with the smaller windows? What will you see standing and sitting in your living room? Is this garden so close to the house that you won't see it when you are inside?
    As others have mentioned relax and enjoy remember the act of gardening means you will be forever tweaking your initial garden. kt

  • pixie_lou
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    runktrun - what a great, well written post. When we bought our house 4 years ago, we redid the front yard/gardens. And I'm still correcting the "mistakes" I made - since I hadn't thought much about some of the points you make. I may have mentioned elsewhere that we don't use our front yard, and that the garden there exists for other to look at as they drive down the street. So now I spend time looking for plants that will have visual interest from a distance, and I've been moving my "favorites" to the backyard, where I can enjoy them. Too bad I hadn't read your post 4 years ago!