Help!

[gina2000]

We took down two trees in the yard last fall. I now have HUGE spaces to fill.

Looks like they will be sunny spaces. Or sunny for a decent portion of the day. One is up against the fence (ugly, ugly fence). Do I plant foundation plants against the fenceline or do I do an English garden look? Or both? It's a pretty big area...and I'm looking for it to be relatively maitenance free. Unfortunately, the way summers go around here, watering restrictions seem to come into play.

Also, I have a ton of frost damage this year. I've lost quite a few plants.

And my other sunny area....where the second tree was taken down.....maybe a rose garden?

So many decisions....so many thoughts....SO MUCH WORK!!!

 

[marlasmom]

I like my gardens backed up with green. I loved my so-called "cottage garden" which meant I could get whatever plant struck my fancy and just plunk it in. I keep buying roses but they are a pain in the neck. I strongly recommend David Austin roses (see Wayside's catalog) for being relatively maintenance-free, beautiful and fragrant. Nothing I would like better along your fence than a row of lilacs. I had 200 feet of them and the fragrance ------. I miss them so much. Also lots and lots of peonies - Gilbert H Wild (website gilberthwild) and buy them when they are on sale. Make sure you get ones that are labeled fragrant and strong stems. His peonies and daylilies are huge and very healthy. I guess what I am saying is that along the fence I would have something tall and green and then flowers in front. I wish I could come and plant your garden - all the things I can't have and NO FIRE ANTS.

 

[Snowwark]

Wow!! You have a lot of work to do, Gina!

Let's see....do you need the fence? Is it yours? Are you planning on replacing it? Is it a "good fences make good neighbours", kind of fence? Okay, that was 4 fence questions....

If you're going to keep it, how about planting a new tree (just one), maybe something a little smaller scale than what you had before? A Magnolia tree would be beautiful for the spring, also an Ivory Silk lilac tree, one of my favs.

Syringa reticulata "Ivory Silk" (Japanese tree), height 25-30', spread 20-25'.

How about a Smoke bush, or some butterfly bushes, to hide the fence?

Ornamental grasses might be a good idea too, especially the larger scale one.

Roses would be lovely too.... Do you have much luck with them?

 

[Mamu]

Hi Gina congrats on all the sun. We also had 3 massives pines removed from our front yard last summer too. Lots of sunshine now. Done some thinking about what I may do but my heart just isn't in gardening. Hopefully I'll feel like it soon. I tried to one day this past week, lots of winter kill too, I started to cry uncontrollably, guess I'm not ready.

A few suggestions, if the fence is so ugly why not try and cover it with some vine plants, something that will also cover its ugliness in the winter months too. I think the English Garden is an awesome idea. They are one of my favorite garden plans.

As far as rose garden go after years of having one, I dug mine up 2 years, love them but found them to be too much work. Plus too many bugs, too many diseases, too many funguses and too much winter kill. Our severe winters took their toll on all my favorites. After a severe winter I would end up with only the red base plants. Got tired of replacing them year after year.

Good luck whatever your choices are I'm sure they will be beautiful.

Again Congrats on all the

 

[gina2000]

A little more background...

The fence is red, ugly and MINE! But it's there for a reason. The next door neighbors do absolutely NOTHING in that part of their yard....it's pathetic. And a bit scary because ivy has totally overrun it. I have to pull it out of my fence constantly. And I'm terribly, terribly allergic to ivy (and it's all over my fence all over the place....the previous owners used it to cover the fence). So I don't dare pull down the fence unless I'm replacing it with something bigger. And unfortunately, that's not in the budget at the moment.

I think the area is too small for a tree, Kim. We removed a monster tree from there...and I'm not eager to repeat the mistake. My husband suggested it....and I guess I'm thinking I'd like to have some color....and no tree roots....for the moment.

Next problem....our son is asthmatic and has allergies. Springs are tough. I love lilac....and carlissi viburnum...all the wonderful, sweet-smelling bushes of spring. But the rectangular area is directly below his windows on the second floor. I don't dare put something in that may cause more problems for him.

I tend to agree with Marlasmom....back up the flowers with some green. I absolutely hate seeing the fence all winter when the flowers die back.

I am thinking of putting in azalea bushes as my backup greenery. While they won't completely cover the fence (it's about 4 feet tall), they will still give some relief from the barnyard redness of this poor, dilapidated fence. In front I would put flowers....but since azalea are shallow rooted, I'm afraid I may be short changing my area for color.

See, it's a never ending discussion.

Mamu, I'd love to put clematis in to grow over the fence. It's still a thought. I'd have to really be vigilant about getting rid of the ivy, though.....it would choke a newbie planting.

I'm still thinking.....out loud....as you can see.

If I were to do just flowers.....probably daylillies....they are so hearty and so prolific.....even if it's just for a few weeks in the year. That and black eyed susans. I just love them.

I also love roses (and I love Wayside Gardens, MM), but I don't know if I want a tempermental area of my garden. At this time of my life, I need low maintenance. I'm out and about early every day with Matt (swimming) and by the time I'm home it's very, very hot out....not a fun time to do gardening.

So....these are my thoughts.....feel free to add more.....

 

[marlasmom]

At least in my house in NH rhodendrens got bigger than azaelas and were much less tempermental. The David Austin roses need much less maintenance than hybrid teas and are beautiful and fragrant. I love daylilies and you can get a range of blooming season from gilberthwild for $2.00 to $3.50 each. He sends huge plants - usually at least 2 fans unlike the big catalog stores. I always get rebloomers, open evenings (imperative when I was working and wanted to see them) and preferably fragrant. Coreopsis gives season-long color. I like coral bells, columbine, delphinium (although tempermental for me), foxglove, phlox - one of my favorites and great for late season color, iris, liatris, mallow, poppies (oriental), coneflower, scabiosa, sedum and so much more. Wisteria is usually very vigorous I think and will take over the fence. Don't forget my all-time favorite - peonies. They are nice plants when they are not blooming and are trouble-free. Don't forget iris, - order from Cooleys or Schriners (sp?). Do not get them from Park or any of those places. They just get them from Cooleys and mark them up. Wild also has iris.


Oh how I would love to come and plant your garden with all my favorites I can't have here.