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NBR: Landscaping Help Please
I think it's about time we started paying attention to our front yard b/c it just looks pitiful right now. The previous owners had it so nice and we haven't really done much to it but try to keep it maintained, however we've taken out a tree and a couple of our shubs had to be removed as well so now it looks terrible. I think we're going to take everything out right in front of our house and start over.
Even though I can grow vegetables, I'm not so good with regular yard stuff. Any ideas on EASY CARE plants, shrubs, etc or any good resources would be really appreciated. Thanks!
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Re: NBR: Landscaping Help Please
Well, I'm not good at growing anything. And we were clueless about what to try and plant here. I tried a few things I used to plant in south GA and they all died. So I finally decided to just take a few pics and go to a nursery and get help. The lady that owned the place has been so very helpful! We're starting with one area that needed the most help and we have spent the last few days working on it (we had a lot of work to do before we could plant anything). It's really looking nice! I just hope I don't kill it.
Right now we're planting this stuff called Vilox (I think) because it's supposed to spread and help fill this large bed we have. Then we're going back to get something to add height to the area. Then when it warms up I'm going to plant petunias in planters I moved to the area. As far as shrubs go, we have Yellow Belles (I guess that's how you spell it) and they are just beautiful and seem to really thrive on neglect.
Baby J is here! Born on her mama's birthday.
11 pounds, 7 ounces and 23" long at birth!
My Bio
What kind of grass do you have?
This is totally how I feel! Doesn't help that our across the street neighbors pay a FORTUNE to have their professionally landscaped. That company is out there at least 2x/week!
After thinking, perusing the garden portion of SouthernLiving.com, and checking out what plants are doing well at my neighbors houses, I think what we're going to do is plant 3 Boxwoods on each side of our (very symmetrical colonial style) house, then a hydrangea bush flanking each side of the steps down from the front porch (I use the term "porch" very loosely here). Then we have a retaining wall on the right side of our yard where our driveway goes down to our basement, so I think I'm going to plant a Crepe Myrtle over there (we need some height) and fill the rest in grass (thank God my FIL is good at growing grass). A truckload of mulch and we should be set. I'm also pretty sure all of that will be low-maintenance...yay!!!
I'll plant some flowers, bulbs, or hang some baskets to bring a bit more color around our house, but at least this will get me started with some of the more sturdy stuff. We already have a dogwood tree & a small bed that I haven't managed to kill at the top of our yard, so at least it doesn't look too bad near the road.
Just an FYI, but I had a bad experience with Boxwoods in our previous house. I thought they were kind of high maintenance with all the pruning that was needed to keep them looking boxy (at least twice a season). We had about 6 of them lining the front of our house that the builders put in, then 1 of them died and just ruined the whole symmetry of the front of the house. Now I opt for more stand alone bushes that look good natural and don't require a whole lot of pruning, like an azalea.
Crepe myrtles are super easy to grow. Someone gave me one off freecycle when it was just a baby and it's still going strong.
One thing to keep in mind with hydrangeas is that they need some shade and lots of water.
Here's a helpful website that our friend put together. He lists all kinds of trees, plants and shrubs and has growing info on each. Really great resource. https://www.trees2go.com/TreesAndShrubs.html
Good luck and post pics when you finish!