Popsicle stick wide front yard

Discussion in 'Garden Design and Plant Suggestions' started by seesee, Mar 30, 2009.

  1. seesee

    seesee Member

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    Vancouver, Canada
    I am wondering if anyone has some planting suggestions for our (very thin) front yard.
    There is currently nothing planted except a clemantis which climbs the fence on the right (in the picture) side of our door. To the right of the door there is a bed approx 2 feet deep and four feet along the fence. To the left of the door the bed is only approx 1 1/2 feet wide in front of the window and then for approx another 3 feet where it is approx 4 feet wide and then approx 4 feet where it is open to the side of the house.
    I would like to choose plants that will look good now as well as in the future as we are not planning to stay in the house more than a few more years. The front of our house faces north west. The right bed and the first few feet of the left bed do get quite a few hours of hot afternoon sun in the summer. Our walkway is approx 3 ft wide. We have small children and pets so I don't want any poisonous plants. I love the english cottage look, but I don't have tons of time for upkeep, so I am not sure if this is practical and I would like something evergreen in there so we look good in the winter as well. Note- we did not choose the purple trim colour on the house, but it will probably have to stay for another year.
    Thank you in advance for any suggestions or comments you have for us!
     

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  2. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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    I'm not really picking up on the layout as shown and described here but I don't need to in order to say a good general practice is to select shrubs with mature heights 1 1/2 times the width of the bed at the point at which each kind is planted.

    A very cold tolerant, popular fine-textured broad-leaved evergreen for this area is Japanese holly. Floriferous cultivars such as 'Convexa' may swarm with bees at flowering time, perhaps this would be a cause for concern.

    Narrowish clipped hedges have been produced at the Center for Urban Horticulture, Seattle using Delavay's osmanthus. (If not clipped this would spread much wider than the width of your beds). This bears small blackish-green leaves which become smothered in early spring with quantities of small creamy white trumpets that emit a powerful, sweet tropicalesque fragrance. Have not noticed so much bee activity with this. It is not subzero (F) hardy unlike the holly and may be burnt even by some local winters where not near salt water.

    Another possibility is one or more of the hundreds of kinds of evergreen azaleas. Selections at local outlets tend to be heavily dominated by strong, even garish flower colors but apparently these are what sell - and may be to your taste as well (although your comment about the trim may indicate otherwise). With some looking less strident offerings can be found, including those with white flowers - these last are much more common than those in soft pink or other pastel shades.

    Like other rhododendrons evergreen azaleas require cooler, more porous soil than you can get by with when planting many other kinds of shrubs. They are also quite brittle and easily spoiled by errant basketballs or wandering feet.
     

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