Topic: Landscape Design

[duh]

I thought I would start this topic so everyone could show off there flower beds.  Or talk about their plans.  I'll start lol.

As you all know I'm not much of a designer inside or outside of the house so this is a real challenge for me.  I thought beds should be really full to look nice.  What I'm realizing is that they need to be more sparse to really look good.  

So I've been working on 3 of the 8 beds I currently have.  

So far this is what I have come up with.  I'd love any input.

Sidewalk Flower Bed

At the back of the bed I would like a solid line of the orange triple blossom zinnia the next row or elevation would be a combination of plants.  Starting at the driveway, are the miniature red roses, then the bronze mums, followed by the bulb planting of tulips, daffodils and crocuses, then a naked lady followed by the cloth of gold, red and yellow celosia, then miniature straw flowers, chives, another naked lady, more red and yellow celosia, then another naked lady, followed by another planting of tulips, daffodils, and crocuses, and another naked lady then another group of the bronze mums and finally the golden yellow azalea.  The front row would be the orange and yellow portulacas to fill in.  I don't know if it will work but that is the plan at this point.  

Driveway Flower Bed

So far this is the plan.  As you know I already have the cypress in this bed plus some iris, a cluster of dark purple lilies, a miniature red crepe myrtle and some annuals.  But here is the plan.  Clear the rest of the trees if possible.  I may not be able to do anything about the big one overgrowing the street so I'll just ignore if for the moment.  The cypress is off-centered which doesn't please me but I'm going to have to live with it because it is way to big to move.  Around the iris I'm going to plant a circle of the purple iris.  I've already got about 1/3 of it surrounded.  Around that I'm going to do a circle of the single bloom bushy zinnia.  Along the fence line I want a row of purple crocuses.  Inside of that planting I want a row of the blue bachelor buttons.  Then in the corner between the zinnia and the bachlor buttons are I'm going to plant the balloon flowers.  At the back I want to intersperse california bluebells and blue columbine and whatever else I can come up with.  My computer is acting up so I'm going to try another post for the third bed.

[duh]

And for the last design challenge...

The Front Foundation Flower Bed

Ok, starting from the left side as I'm facing the house from the street.  I thought I would plant my bushy yellow sunflowers at the back of the bed between the end of the house and the first window, infront of them a nice group of red columbine.  Underneath the window I thought I would put the red mums I'm getting from Sharons daughters pta.  On the other side of the window between there and the stairs I thought I would continue with the bushy sunflowers with the peruvian daffodils in front since I can't move those.  lol. 

On the other side of the stairs I thought I would do a grouping of the red gladiolus, followed by a grouping of ditch lilies between them and the bay window.  Underneath the bay window I thought I would leave the bronze mums for now.  I would put another clump of the ditch lilies on the other side of the bay windows so they appear framed by the ditch lilies.  And I would follow that up with another clump of the red gladiolus.  Those would be followed by a clump of the blackberry lilies that would extend to the next window.  Underneath that window would be the yellow mums, and the other side of the window would have another clump of the blackberry lilies.  The front of the bed is full of clumps of daffodils and a few yellow tulips.   

So what do you think.  Do I have to much, not enough?  I make so many mistakes.  I really need your input.

[bestofour]

  So for the fall and into the winter a bit the only thing that will be blooming is the mums - right?

It sounds like it will be beautiful with everything coming and going.

If you're asking if you should mulch I'd say yes.  I always mulch.

[duh]

Those and the roses are still at it.  I guess they go with the first heavy frost? 

I mulch all but the foundation bed.  I may put a rock mulch down sometime in the future.  That's still in the thinking stage. 

[Jessica]

Tammy, have you ever had rock in your flower beds?  I know everybody is different but I do not like it.  Some of our beds here have it from the previous owners.  I wish I could dig it all out and start over.  It is hard to work around if you want to dig anything up or move anything.  It is harder to get the weeds out when they get in there too.  Just thought I would tell you what I have found so you can make a decision.

[Tina]

I am also not fond of rock mulch. For the same reasons as Jessica. It doesn't do nearly the job that other mulches do, including feeding your plants. Things like leaves and twigs are hard to get out of it without tedious hand picking. It does not keep moisture in your soil as well.

[sunsoaker]

Tammy, have you ever had rock in your flower beds?  I know everybody is different but I do not like it.  Some of our beds here have it from the previous owners.  I wish I could dig it all out and start over.  It is hard to work around if you want to dig anything up or move anything.  It is harder to get the weeds out when they get in there too.  Just thought I would tell you what I have found so you can make a decision.

I second this. My house is surrounded with crushed rock/concrete and I have a really hard time with it.

[bayou girl]

i agree.  if you have any intention of plants, no rocks.  or very few.

[Tina]

Larger rocks have a good home in my gardens. I use them for edging and things. But not rock mulch or gravel.

[Jessica]

Oh the leaves.  I forgot to mention that.  I get so frustrated every fall and spring with the leaves.

[Dianna]

I have a small area that is mulched with rock/gravel. I am glad it is a small area. I need to clean it out now and it is really a pain...

[duh]

ok now rock mulch lol.  Thanks for the input you saved me big time. 

[bestofour]

I put white rocks in the flower beds close to the house one time.  It was beautiful but when the leaves fell it was a nightmare.  The second year I sucked them up with the wet vac, ruined it, made my then husband mad so I divorced him.   (not really the reason but could have been)

[Tina]

Funny story, Sheri.
I am glad you are listening, Tammy. They really are a lot of work to keep up. A nightmare, like Sheri said.

[Tina]

Back to landscape design. I have designed for other people, Tammy. And made some tidy bits of money. It sounds like you have plans for yours that please you a lot and that is the main thing that matters.
Climate:
Studying the plants you use and their requirements within your climate is good.
Maintenance:
How much time do you want to invest in each plant?
Remember that as you get your vegetable garden going you are going to be focusing much seasonal time there. And dealing with the produce and harvest. Plan for your time and energy.
If you are trying to can and prep things for freezing, that is a lot of energy and time. The rest of your garden is going to be neglected for chunks of time. A lot of fussy plants are not going to be happy with you.

[duh]

You are absolutely right.  I know I'm biting off more than I can chew; but, it's like an addiction I can't seem to stop. 

I don't think I'm going to do much canning.  I do plan to share most of my produce with my neighbors just like they share with me. 

The driveway bed should be the last flower bed that I make.  And I really couldn't not clean out that area.  It already had a fence around it and everything so it needed to be cleaned up.  And how could I waste all of these seeds I've been collecting.

And with the preen and once the bed is cleared of weeds it's easier to keep it weed free so I have alittle more time.  I think I can do it.  At least I hope I can.

It just isn't spring unless I can plant a bunch of stuff so I need space for all of this.  I probaby need my head examined.

[Tina]

No, you are doing very well, Tammy. A garden is never finished. And planning is key. And you plan well.

[bestofour]

it doesn't seem that the flowers are fussy flowers.  Dead  heading and cutting back will be a little bit of a chore.

[duh]

I want to keep 18 inches between each plant or row so that I can maintain them.  Of course it's hard for me to remember that when I'm planting the little bitty seeds lol.

[bestofour]

I can never space them correctly duh. 

[duh]

Well I keep on taking notes on what the plants look like and I figure one of these years I'll get it right. 

I was given the idea that I might want to add some more everygreens to go with the cypress.  To give the driveway bed more architetural impact rather than depending on small flowers to fill that huge space. 

Now If I could just figure out how to do it.  I mean I could plant another cypress on the other side but it wouldn't catch up for decades.  They are slow growing.  So the question is what will make my OCD happy?  Any ideas?


I'm tempted to move the japanese maple into that bed but that would be shorter and it's not an everygreen.  Help?

[Tina]

Even something not evergreen can offer structure just with interesting branches, Tammy.

[duh]

Yesterday my friend and I went into Lynchburg.  While I was there I picked up a Birds Nest Spruce.  It's suppose to get to 6 feet tall and 8 feet wide.  Now that's architectural lol.  Right now it is a little bitty thing.  But I decided that I would put it on the other side in the driveway bed to sort of work with the cypress.  Then a little later in the year I'm going to transplant the Japanese Red Lacy Maple to the front of the driveway bed sort of between where the two evergreens will be when they are larger.  Then I'll work with the other plants that I have to fill in. 

[duh]

Well it's a nice overcast rain and we are suppose to get rain so I transplanted the birds nest spruce and cleaned out the front of the driveway bed.  I still have trees to cut down in the back of that bed. 

[Tina]

I am glad Mother Nature is helping you with your watering, Tammy.