JOIN NOW LOG IN
iVillage GardenWeb iVillage GardenWeb THE INTERNET'S GARDEN & HOME COMMUNITY ADVERTISEMENT
Blogs Forums Photo Galleries Ask The Experts Tools & Directories        
Return to the Northern Gardening Forum | Post a Follow-Up

 o
I need help

Posted by deblyne Central New Jersey (My Page) on
Sat, Sep 30, 06 at 14:41

I just recently moved into a new house with no landscaping. I have a very large wall (with boring white siding) facing west. There is only about five feet between the house and the sidewalk and two windows on both ends of this wall, about 12 feet a part. So, in other words, I have a spot 12 feet by 5 feet to fill in. Can someone please give me an idea of what to plant here? We're only going to be here 4 years, so I would like something fast growing. I had a landscaper suggest pyracantha, but I'm not sure I want something with thorns that close to the sidewalk. Any suggestions would be most appreciated. I believe I'm in Zone 6 here. And we do get a lot of wind, since there is nothing to break it.


Follow-Up Postings:

 o
RE: I need help

How many hours of sunshine/day does it get? K.


 o
RE: I need help

Hi Karen,
Good question. It faces directly west with no trees to shade it so I would guess by noon it would start to get sun from the side and be in full sun certainly by 1:00 (if not before) through sundown.


 o
RE: I need help

Have you looked into clematis? On a white wall the darker colors would stand out well. Rai


 o
RE: I need help

It would look nice, but I think the area is too large (wide) for a clematis. I was thinking more of a shrub or maybe even a small tree. Plus, I would have to build something for the clematis to climb on.


 o
RE: I need help

Well, I was going to suggest hydrangeas, but they don't generally want/need full sun. Limelight is one that likes full sun in our zone. It gets about 4-5 feet high. It has large, cone-shaped blooms in late summer. They're greeny-white and they blush pink when the nights get cool. Like now.
I love mine! At its base, I've got chocolate Joe Pye weed and barberry (reddish foliage). Nice combo IMHO. Then under THAT, you could plant nasturtiums (they're bulletproof) or annuals (marigolds, petunias, geraniums).
Full sun is ideal. Most plants like it. K.


 o
RE: I need help

Thank you for the suggestions. I will definitely use your suggestions somewhere, if not in this particular spot. I have lots of ground to cover. In this particular spot, however, I really think I need something that's going to get very tall, since it's a very tall wall - at least one and a half story. I would like a small tree, but I'm afraid 5 feet won't be enough depth.


 o
RE: I need help

  • Posted by deblyne Central New Jersey (My Page) on
    Mon, Oct 2, 06 at 10:10

I know I'm responding to my own post, but does anyone know if a crape myrtle would work here? I've never had one and not sure I've even seen one. I always thought they were only grown in the south but after doing some internet research they can also be grown in the northeast. We can get very cold winters and it's windy.


 
 

 

 


Click here to learn more about in-text links on this page.



iVillage GardenWeb: The Internet's Garden & Home Community  
  iVillage Home & Garden Network