Foundation Shrubs? (Dallas, Highland Park, Garrett: house, organic, live)

[LJBMom]

We just bought a 45 year old house on pier and beam in Far North Dallas. There are some foundation issues which we are taking care of. We are going to be ripping out the 45 year old holly shrubs from around the foundation. They are so leggy and seem to be a small part of what went on with the foundation. We also cut down 5 small ornamental trees that were so close to the house and whose roots were growing under the house.

Can anyone give us some advice on what type of shrubbery or plantings we can put around the foundation that are less invasive to foundations, yet still attractive? We still have 3 beautiful live oaks in the front, so we really dont need any more shade, just something to soften the front up a bit. I have been looking online but not finding anything north texas specific.

Thanks in advance!

[loves2read]

depending on your shade factor (since you mention trees)
you could consider azaleas or their hardier cousins rhododendrons--(I think they will grow in Dallas)--
some of the homes in Highland Park and other areas with older homes have azaleas around the foundation line but lot of newer homes don't because they take more work than something like a holly...and are a little more fragile
they grow bushy--up to about 3-4 ft or higher depending on their strain--don't think their roots are as invasive as a lot of other hedge plants
problem is blooms are not all spring-summer--

Daylilies can also be planted dense enough to make a hedge effect--they have to have bulbs taken up and replanted each year I think--I don't have any but they do well in the Dallas heat--may require more sun
Daylilies Online (http://nick.assumption.edu/Daylilies/about.html - broken link)

this site lets you kind of do a search for a variety of types...
Texas gardening tips-picture database of plants,flowers,trees,shrubs

and the gardenweb.com site http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/
has a garden section with lots of good info--can post your question there if you join...or just search if you don't want to

[LJBMom]

OH thank you for those website links! I think I can spend hours on those just searching and reading. I especially liked that Gardenstops.com site.

The front of the house faces due south and the oak trees canopy over. We trimmed up the trees so the light filters in a little more, but not too much.

Thanks for the suggestion about azaleas. Those will look so nice in the spring. I would need to find a dwarf variety because I dont want them much higher than 2-3 feet or so.

Thanks again for the links!

[Grainraiser]

Forget azaleas unless you are prepared to do alot of prep work to your beds. They require a mix of half mulch/half peat moss if you want them to bloom and last a long time. They take great effort to keep looking good.

[loves2read]

actually the bed prep is the big work and there are plenty of yard crews out there to do the digging up
I think azalias are beautiful --we had bed in Shreveport and I don't remember it being so much ongoing after I did the bed

and if this house is from the 50-60s the look of azaleas would be very period appropriate
more so than something like dwarf yupons...boxwoods get sick too easily
nandinas might look ok--
barberries are too thorny if they have to get under the house for foundation or plumbing work...

[LJBMom]

We have a lot of re-grading to do after the foundation work to ensure any water drains away from the house, not underneath it. We will have to build up all the beds surrounding the house by quite a bit. So, adding the right kind of soil/peat moss to the existing beds shouldnt be a problem. We will probably need at least a truckload, the house isnt huge, its just long, so we wont be personally doing the work. Im just hoping to be able to figure it out myself so we can save money.

From what I am hearing: nandinas, azaleas, rhodedendron, daylillies. Thanks alot everyone, now I can narrow down my search!

[ChristieP]

I HATE NANDINAS! They always look scraggly and they are ugly!

Azaleas would be gorgeous. Keep in mind that they are not very freeze-tolerant until they are well-established, so you'll have to cover them in the winter. But when they bloom in the spring, it's all worth it!

[Lakewooder]

Azaleas (and hydrangeas) usually do better on the north and east side unless you have a lot of shade. Some folks even recommend that you put gravel at the base of the bed to aid drainage. You also have to rework the beds after a couple of years because even watering them makes the soil more alkaline (rather than acidic, which is what they need).

[Grainraiser]

Originally Posted by LJBMom

We have a lot of re-grading to do after the foundation work to ensure any water drains away from the house, not underneath it. We will have to build up all the beds surrounding the house by quite a bit. So, adding the right kind of soil/peat moss to the existing beds shouldnt be a problem. We will probably need at least a truckload, the house isnt huge, its just long, so we wont be personally doing the work. Im just hoping to be able to figure it out myself so we can save money.

From what I am hearing: nandinas, azaleas, rhodedendron, daylillies. Thanks alot everyone, now I can narrow down my search!

Since you have to raise the beds anyway, Azaleas and Hydrangas would be outstanding. If the trees let in filtered sun it would be perfect. I recommend you listen to Neil Sperry on weekend mornings on KRLD 1080am radio (Neil Sperry's GARDENS - The Definitive Word in Texas Horticulture). The man really knows his stuff. Another plant I would add to the landscape if possible is a Japanese maple. You can't plant it right up next to the house but if you can get it 10ft or more away from the house it would look great.

[tycobb2522]

If you have filtered sunlight and are going to import organic material for the beds as well as raise them, you have the perfect blank canvas. Azaleas are nice, and will do just fine if you provide the requisite organic material. Love the idea of Japanese Maple.

PLEASE do yourself a favor, and don't plant a 'hedge'. Spend the money to have a landscape design done that takes advantage of your home's exterior features and views from the interior. It is amazing what a difference it makes when you have a composition. Landscapes that play on positive and negative space, texture, color and scale are much more interesting than 'hedges'.

Other plants that you might consider are: arelia, aucuba, cleyera, viburnum, gardenia (standard and dwarf), and of course hollies. By the way, I would be very surprised if your existing hollies actually contributed to your foundation problems.

Get Texas Gardening by Neil Sperry, and Plants of the Metroplex by Howard Garrett; both are very good books.