Need help with border

10 years ago

What do I do with this north facing border? It gets some sun protection from the locust tree. The weigela and rhododendron were already there when we bought the house two years ago. I added a mariessi viburnum on the end and planted a climbing hydrangea to go up the locust (kind of goes with the viburnum). I feel like it needs a couple more foundation plants but I don't know what. Won't it look disjointed if all the foundation plants are different? How do I get some harmony? If I follow the rule of odd numbers something has to go, or can different plants count? Eventually I want to add ferns, astilbe, coral bells, and maybe some forest grass as filler to go with the brunnera and lamium. Looking forward to some guidance :)

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User

10 years ago

I like what you have done, what zone are you in, and how much work do you want to put into this?

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Comments (16)

Natalie B
Original Author
10 years ago
We're in zone 6a. I enjoy tending to plants but probably don't want an enormous amount of work.
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Natalie B
Original Author
10 years ago
Here's a quick drawing of the dimensions
emmarene9
10 years ago
Placing shrubs that will block windows is not a good look.
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Patricia Colwell Consulting
10 years ago
How about some hostas
Natalie B
Original Author
10 years ago
I love hostas, unfortunately they get demolished by the deer in the area... So far they've left everything else alone. The two lower windows are to the laundry/utility room. Does it look bad from the outside with shrubs in front? Those two were already there when we bought the house.
RubyRoses
10 years ago
with a 6' bed depth..you can bounce 2 more weigelas to the right of the one there. Don't do a straight line..more of 3 triangle points.
RubyRoses
10 years ago
also you could bring the bed edge to a corner of the deck instead of part way on a side.
RubyRoses
10 years ago
when ever I used fine wine, it only grew to around 2' but obviously it varies by location.
arvilla_trag
10 years ago
We have fought deer eating our plants for years, finally admitted we cannot have hostas or day lilies. There are lots of deer resistant plants for shade, such as hellebore, bleeding heart, brunnera, and toad lilies. All of these are good for planting under weigela or other shrubs.
Natalie B thanked arvilla_trag
Natalie B
Original Author
10 years ago
So what about this...

Moving the weigela (after pruning and in the fall) behind the viburnum in front of the AC unit to go in front of a few peonies that are already there. (I'm putting a gatsby star oakleaf hydrangea under the window on the other side of the AC.)
Maybe moving the rhododendron (this gets larger) to in between the windows... Or do I put a tall evergreen here?
In front of each window put a group of three small plants like azaleas (other suggestions?)
I did buy a shiny leaf wintergreen boxwood to put in the area closest to the deck before I posted on here (yes, no?).

I am going for an informal look.
Natalie B
Original Author
10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
The bottom of the windows are 2 ft from the ground if that helps. And I miss typed, the house is south facing not north.
emmarene9
10 years ago
I suggest more repetition in your choices. A "one of each" landscape can look chaotic. If you look at professionally

designed landscapes you will see that they repeat some of the same plants, usually in groups of three or five.
d7e001
10 years ago
For years we have fought the deer and voles when it comes to hosta, etc. I now use milorganite to keep the deer at bay and plant using a wire mesh around the roots to outsmart the voles. So far, so good. Now on to the battle of a woodchuck that likes to share our veggie garden!
User
10 years ago
Have the suggestions helped?
Natalie B
Original Author
10 years ago
The suggestions have helped some. I have lots of ideas for smaller perennials to put in groupings of 3 or 5 (hellebore, ferns, astilbe, heuchera, brunnera (already have), dwarf forest grass).

The part I'm struggling with is the foundation plants and working with what I have. I do like wintergreen boxwoods because they grow less compact and more airy than other boxwoods, but I would need three of them and I'm not sure where they would go. I've already decided on moving the weigela behind the viburnum to go with some peonies. What to do with the rhododendron though? It can get up to six feet (I could always prune it). Should I move it to the middle of the windows or closer to the viburnum on the right of the window. Or move it to the east side of the house (by the AC unit) to go with a Gatsby Star hydrangea (yet to plant).

I like the idea of some dwarf plants in groupings of three under the window like azaleas or hydrangeas to go under the windows. I'm nervous about adding more hydrangeas since they can be deer food. Any other dwarf plants that would work for under the windows?

I'm going for an informal woodland theme.

Thank you all for your help!