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I'd love some ideas. We just bought a home in an established suburban neighborhood of Houston. All of our neighbors have beautiful front landscaping. No one has "loved" this property in a long time. All of the bushes are old and we have decided to rip, regrade and start with fresh plantings rather than trying to save what is here. The house faces northeast and half of the home and gardens are shaded by a 40 foot pecan tree. (We are thinking of removing it for the sake of our foundation). I love color and was thinking about planting a foundation hedge line of some sort with scattered perennials in front accented by annuals. I was also thinking of making the beds smaller and replanting a grass line in front with a small coping or wall edge between the beds and the grass. The grade of the beds must come down due to termite concerns (its up well over the foundation and onto the bricks in some places).
Here are some pictures of what we are working with. We live just south of Houston and would love to hear some of your ideas. What would you do with this area?
I would start fresh. That way you have a clean plate and have it look the way you want. I was/am in the same boat as you. We just took out 11 year old shrubs and a few smaller trees that were scraggly, uneven, overgrown, etc. I am so glad we did because the roots were underneath the sidewalks and some of the foundation. The previous owners did absolutely nothing to their yard. The tree looks a little close to the house, I would take it out. Better safe than sorry. I think something like spiral junipers would look great in front of your columns. For our beds, we planted Indian Hawthorne, a few boxwoods and Nandina's for our perennials as well as some knock out roses and a few fountain grasses. I really wanted some low maintenance plants. In the front of them, we planted annual flowers that I would redo each year. I think your ideas are great. Good luck!
I also forgot to mention that we have monkey grass like you do and it was huge but was all over the place and not even in size. I took all of them out and propagated them to the same size and replanted them evenly along the border of the flower bed and sidewalk. I tried to "reuse" as many plants as I could.
Also, you get shade correct? I bet you could plant some elephant ears, hostas, hydrangeas, ferns, caladiums, etc. I wish I could plant those but we don't get much shade except in one little corner and I planted elephant ears and caladiums, which so far are doing well.
I also forgot to mention that we have monkey grass like you do and it was huge but was all over the place and not even in size. I took all of them out and propagated them to the same size and replanted them evenly along the border of the flower bed and sidewalk. I tried to "reuse" as many plants as I could.
Also, you get shade correct? I bet you could plant some elephant ears, hostas, hydrangeas, ferns, caladiums, etc. I wish I could plant those but we don't get much shade except in one little corner and I planted elephant ears and caladiums, which so far are doing well.
Thanks for the ideas! Personally, I HATE monkey grass! It gets out of control just too easily. I was thinking of anchoring with specimen Hydrangeas at both either end of the house with something tall in front of the columns. I thought maybe spirea would look good and add a focal point across the front rather than privet or box. In from I thought maybe scattered lillies. Hmmm its hard to decide!
Lol, yep, either you love it or hate them. They look great if they are healthy, same size, etc but if not, nope. I reused them to kind of "anchor" the dirt for the border of the flower bed and sidewalk since it slopes slightly. I love hydrangeas, we just cannot grow them. I had to google spireas, I didn't realize what it was until I saw the pictures. I have seen the gold flame variety but I don't think I have seen the snowmound type. I am all about something low maintenance and perennial. Lilies are beautiful too. It is hard, there are so many thing you can do.
I think a water feature (small layered rock pond) would look awesome in that grassy part in the first picture. Sort of a little sitting/bench area maybe? Those tend to kill budgets though....which is why I don't have one.
1) That tree has got to go. Its hiding the whole front of the house.
2) Redo concrete walk ways if you can afford it with stamped concrete.
3) Low two foot wall along front edge of planters on both sides of entry way extending to the sides of the house to create an internal planter.
4) Drainage from down spouts and planter area to carry away excess water to lawn/front street.
5) Standard clearance for termite/water damage control in 4 inches below the weep screed with native earth. Based on pictures the low wall would conceal the odd looking low area of planter after regrading. Also understand even with the 4inch clearance you still want fall away from your house. Drains help a great deal in a situation such as this.
6) Spiral junipers in decorative pots on each side of entry arch to highlight the Feature of the house.
7)I don't like any of the existing plants except the Sago Palm, save it.
8) Dwarf privets are a nice low hedge plant instead of the wall option space 12 inches apart for quick fill in or 24 inch if you don't care. All depends on cost.
9) I would select three 24inch box Japanese maples red lace leaf variety. Plant in center of small planter on left side of house. Two spaced out to look nice with Sago on large planter on right side of house. The maples, sago, junipers and privets are your anchor plants.
10) I might go with some Nandina varieties, azaleas, camellias, abelias, new zealand tea tree, roses, plants with lots of color at various times throughout the year to fill in planters.
11) If you go with a low hedge wall allow for a 1 for planter in front to plant with colorful annuals as the seasons change.
I would work on initially tidying the front up so that it looks cared for. I wouldn't remove anything (particularily near the foundation) until you have a comprehensive landscape plan to impliment (and approved by your HOA) if needed. The big concern is your foundation-would taking out the huge pecan tree and the stump cause damage you would have to contend with as much as if you left it in. I would definatly check with professionals on that situation before doing a thing with it. You need to decide what is it you want to your front yard to look like, formal, informal, how much maintenance, room for children playing, just a pass through area, anchore the house to the property...? Answering these questions first and figuring your needs vs. wants can save you a ton of money and heartache! Look around your neighberhood, what yards appeal to you and why? Check out the Huston area botanical gardens if there is one, any local based gardening or landscape books. The one thing I would do is to take the path that is already worn into the front yard and put down a permanent path matirial of your choice. It could be flagstone, rocks, pavers or anything you choose to suit the style of the landscaping you are going for. With that area being so worn I suspect that you would never be able to stop foot traffic from using it anyway-so work with what you have. If you have shade then focus on shade loving plants. There isn't a view from the street shot to get a long view-if your house is large with just a very small front space, replacing that Pecan tree with another variety of tree down further to the street sort of heading to the lower quadrent would make the home feel more in proportion to the lot and balance the soaring edifices of the front building. Similarily a garden area or planting along the front walkway area, perhaps a little shady sitting area under the new tree or small water feature would make the yard seem bigger. A lot of it is a matter of spacial perspective and creating optical illusions. When you do purchase more shrubs or foundation plants-DO NOT IGNORE space requirements at full sized growth. You can always fill in with plantings of perennials, annuals, or pots of plantings, before the more permanent plantings have reached there full size. Most of all have fun with the planning and then the planting! Your garden, landscape like your home should reflect your needs and choices as well as the local environment. How exciting for you!
Wow! you certainly will have a great garden once you plant and give it some tlc! I think your ideas are great, and as sad as it is, I would remove the tree.
It looks from the pics that the house is light gray, so I think the flower colors of blue, lavender or purple with white would be pretty. The Hydrangea would be perfect! Maybe some yellow annuals for contrast.
Thanks everyone for the encouragement and the additional ideas! I hate the thought of taking the Pecan tree down but it has already heaved the driveway, the walk and the porch and we are worried that if it doesn't go, our foundation will be comprimised too. Its also a squirrel magnet and there is evidence of past habitation by squirrels or rats in the attic. We have a very easy POA to work with regarding design. Free rein on bushes and plants for any that are planted within 10 ft of the house. Hardscape and trees have to be approved but after speaking with them, they aren't concerned as long as its not a crazy design or something that doesn't "fit" with the house or neighborhood. Grading is going to be a challenge but has to be done. What the pictures don't show is that when bushes died, they didn't remove them but just cut the stumps to ground level and planted next to them We have to hand dig everything so that we don't rip apart the irrigation system. I'll post some pictures as we move along with the project. The front yard is the next project. Right now, we are in the middle of removing an old wooden deck in the backyard that is riddled with rot and replacing it with sod. Thank heaven for recipricating saws and commercial dumpsters!
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What fun!
We have a very easy POA to work with regarding design. Free rein on bushes and plants for any that are planted within 10 ft of the house. Hardscape and trees have to be approved but after speaking with them, they aren't concerned as long as its not a crazy design or something that doesn't "fit" with the house or neighborhood. Grading is going to be a challenge but has to be done. What the pictures don't show is that when bushes died, they didn't remove them but just cut the stumps to ground level and planted next to them
We have to hand dig everything so that we don't rip apart the irrigation system. I'll post some pictures as we move along with the project. The front yard is the next project. Right now, we are in the middle of removing an old wooden deck in the backyard that is riddled with rot and replacing it with sod. Thank heaven for recipricating saws and commercial dumpsters!
