You don't need any help picking plants and the grouping method you've used is far and away superior to the skinny lines of "edgings" and spotty arrangements of plants we typically see. Where I'm going to disagree with your planting scheme is how you've lined the base of the house with an assortment of hedges ... as though the lower portion of structure is somehow shameful and must be hidden. I'm not saying the scheme looks bad now. But generally, when all that stuff grows up it can, and often does, look like the house is positively smothered with vegetation. I would back off on that and limit shrubs to windows and columns. I don't think the lower portion of the house really is homely and needs to be hidden. The perennials you have will be sufficient to hide enough and give the house a nice base.

Jeez I wish that apple tree was moved over to off of the left or right house corners, but so be it. Being front and center like that I'd be sure to lift its canopy to expose the full first floor level of the house.

I would place another small/medium tree off of the right house corner and expand the bed below to accommodate it.

We can't see that area too well but the drive seems like it might be a little open/unprotected feeling. A line of pointy trees could help that without inflicting too visual competition in front of the house. If they were skinny enough, they could keep foliage all the way to ground. All trees near the house are incorporated into the "foundation" beds.

The hedge plants will serve an important function at the point they form an edge to the open porches or walkways. While not a true barrier to keep anyone from falling off, they will be a visual curb and also provide a cushion for the fall. The optimum height then will be a low curb above the porch line IMHO. Is there a reason that the foundation at the end of the porch was left open? It seems like the kind of thing one may notice only in a photograph, but notice I did, and wished it were covered. Nepeta would be fine.

I have used nepeta as a foundation plant for an entire side of my house and couldn't be happier with it. There is only one month out of my zone 6b year that it looks less than attractive and that would be now. Bulbs would solve that (note to self).

You have a lovely house and did a great job (from one of the non-professional gardeners here).

"...the assortment of hedges you are talking about are my peonies." Actually, the perennials you have in front of the peonies are going to grow high enough to do what you are intending with the peonies. You've used those perennials in handsome groupings, making the peonies seem out of place and contradictory to the primary planting scheme. Why can't you find a place to use the peonies in a mass grouping like you're doing the other plants? If you were going to use them at columns, it would be two in the back and one in the front, triangular fashion, in order to create a heftier "bush."

The purpose of cleaning up the apple tree is to to create maximum justification for keeping it in a less than perfect spot. "I don't think i can trim the bottom of the apple tree anymore than it is ..." I don't know why you would think that. It is a process of removing foliage and the minimum amount of wood. Some of the foliage will originate higher and hang down. There, you're just snipping branch tips that fall below a predetermined arbitrary line. Some of the foliage will originate from below that line, but will be small twiggy branches that are not part of the main canopy (above the predetermined line.) Some foliage may be on limbs and branches that extend well above the line and into the canopy. There, only the twiggy foliage is removed and the limb/branch remains, with the end result being that clean, clear trunks exist below the line and all foliage is above the line. If you're thinking that you don't WANT to clean up the bottom portion of the canopy because it will physically hurt the tree or destroy its look, then that's just a choice you're making that falls outside of making sure all plants in the scene contribute in a positive way as much as it is humanly possible to make them do that. In my picture, I've raised the canopy a little higher than I am suggesting you do, because I have done enough of these and my mindset about them is preemptive, not reactive. I know that as soon as foliage where it is not wanted is removed, it causes foliage elsewhere to grow (usually where it is wanted.) It's a small, beneficial trade. Another thing that happens is that where lower foliage is removed, the tree works over time to more or less put it back, usually at the outer reaches of the canopy. Branches are always growing longer, becoming heaver, and hanging lower. Knowing foliage will be hanging lower, usually by end of summer, I tend to trim the canopy bottom a little higher than where I really want it to be.

Planting a perennial all along the fence seems like it might be adding a lot of maintenance. I can envision the grass and weed invasion and it might be troublesome to keep the bed free of it. Seems like it would be easier to maintain climbing roses on the fence or something like that.

is there a way i can delete this post?

Not the original top post without contacting Houzz support. You can edit or delete any follow up posts that you made.

what could i replace the geranium 'rise and shine' with? i would like something a bit taller...this was it's first year ...it was very leggy. maybe another variety?

Paula, you might post a couple photos of the area on the GW perennials forum along with comments on sun and soil conditions. (You can just copy and paste from this thread.) Once you get down to the nitty gritty of specific plants, that group will have more specifics, I think. I agree that the height of your other perennials suits the bed better, so a taller plant would work better there.

Paula, I vote for encouraging all perennials and flower garden people, especially those who arrange them so well in nice big groups instead of polka dots.

Maybe you prefer looking out over the big expanse of lawn, but If this were my porch, I would get the height you want by adding one or two of some taller shrubs on the outside of your sweeping sidewalk in order to give a bit more enclosure to the porch. I'm in your zone & I might choose one of the bigger viburnums because of their flowers/berries/& good structure. Or the smaller lilacs? I might even put a low hedge on the outer side of that, creating an enclosure for even more big groups of perennials. Me, I would use the late season fragrant hosta massed inside box, probably, or even dwarf spirea, which is way cheaper & I think looks almost as good in winter.

I understand such isn't the current standard in landscape design, which I also like, and it wouldn't be appropriate for someone who doesn't like flowers or gardening, but I'm wholeheartedly in favor of those who have some garden personality flashing it !

Sam

I don't think you should replace the geranium so soon. Give it another year to fill in.

I am by no means a pro but i think you did an excellent job!! I love your choices and the only thing I can pick at is the apple tree (not your choice) and that you haven't hung a bench porch swing up on your front porch. You have a perfect spot for one right there on the end of your front porch. I'm jealous my porch isn't wide enough to hang one.

my porch isn't wide enough either for a swing. did you mean on the right side of the house that small porch area? that area is off of the bedroom and doesn't get used much. do you mean a swing hanging from the beam on the outer edge of the porch. i have kids and i don't need them swinging and jumping in my flowers lol

In this corner of main front porch. Looks like a perfect space from the pictures. I understand the kid thing though. Lol

it would have to hang off the beam because the porch is not wide enough to have a swing in it and have walking room around it. i thought of putting a hammock swing.