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Hide the Foundation
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Posted by chezmoose z4/5 MI (My Page) on Wed, May 27, 09 at 12:01
| I am putting in a new foundation bed along the north side of my house (front) which will wrap around the east end also. The area is mostly shady although does get some reflective light from the white siding and open sky to the north.
I am looking for something to plant in the back of the bed to help hide our poured concrete foundation. Ideally something around 18-24" high that grows fairly thick.
This pic is not a great shot of the area, but kinda shows what I'm trying to cover:
I have plenty of primrose, pulmonaria,hostas, brunerra, bleeding heart, etc. that I plant to move to the front of the new bed, but would like something taller and thicker in the back. I do have tradescantia planted along the east end of the house that does well even though it doesn't get much sunlight. It grows in nice thick clumps and I'm pleased with the way it looks.
The soil is quite sandy but I do plan to mulch and keep it watered. Any suggestions?
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Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Hide the Foundation
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| Almost anything you plant there will hide or take away the look of your solid foundation even if it doesn't cover it completely. I would put a couple of shrubs in there maybe one at the corner and one between your windows. Try Hydranga or doogwood. You could also use yews, most of them tolerate shade. I have a large hosta that grows about 2 feet high that could be used between the shrubs and then scatter what you do have around and you will have a lovely flower bed. |
RE: Hide the Foundation
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I am in the process of planting shrubs along the north side of my house also (the front). We had yews, which I hate and a very sick rhody and a very sick azalea.
I have replaced with a new azalea (pleasent white - evergreen), Leucothue - brodleaf evergreen, Shamrock inkberry holly - not prickly, evergreen, and a hino crimson azalea - evergreen. I will also add a compact weigela (decidious) in a spot that will get about 4 hours of direct sun in the morning and it's a light shade out there rest of the day. the hollies and the azaleas will also tolerate light shade I'm told. They are all acid loving plants so I mixed in a lot of peat moss to amend the soil and will fertilize with holly tone in the spring. I haven't mulched yet but I wan to try to find pine bark mulch as that will also had acidity. anyway, I know you're looking for shorter shrubs, but I would consider adding one or 2 slightly taller shrubs on the corners or between the windows, perhaps a conifer of some sort. The hollies I'm using will be about 3'-4' tall and as wide. The hino crimson azalea will about 2.5' tall/wide, the pleasant white will get a bit larger. Oh I also planted a fern between the young shrubs that I will move out as the shurbs fill in. I also plan to underplant with hosta and I have many of the same shade filler plants you mentioned in your original post that I will divide as they grow to fill in the gaps as well.
hope that helps! |
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