Landscape design help....

7 years ago

Hopefully you guys can give me some ideas for this space. I have the three trees in the center well spaced, should I leave it like that or add more plantings between? I wanted to leave room for growth, they will get very big but I know it'll take years....
I guess the left side is most concerning. I have a tiny rose of sharon starting a new. I cut it to the ground. And to the left of that a lilac that never blooms because it's too shady. This is clay soil, the further left you go, the shadier. Otherwise, full to part sun. I want some large items to add structure... or quick growers. Your opinions??

Featured Answer

NHBabs z4b-5a NH

7 years ago

To make useful suggestions, we need more information.

What are your goals for this space? Privacy year round or during the growing season? Visual appeal? Do you enjoy gardening or are you looking for something that takes less work? Is the fence yours so you can grow climbing vines directly on it, or is it the neighbor’s? Do you know the particular kind of trees and which cultivars you have there now since that will influence how large they will get as well as placement of them and surrounding plants.? For instance, aa regular blue spruce can get 20’ wide and so should be 10’ from the fence.

As it currently stands there is a collection of mostly single plants with no rhythm or repetition or anything to tie them together, and if they are species plants, they will vary in size considerably. So it looks somewhat random and will likely continue to look unplanned unless changes are made. If you can give us more info on goals and specifically what is there now and how it is spaced from the fence, you may get more suggestions.

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Comments (7)

Lauren W. (z5b - CNY)
Original Author
7 years ago
Lauren W. (z5b - CNY)
Original Author
7 years ago
Oh... in between the leftmost spruce and tiny rose of sharon are 3 variegated dogwood... they need rehabilitation and will be removed.
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yeonassky
7 years ago
These are trees between your neighbors and yourself? What are you trying to achieve with them? If they are a barrier between a less that desirable view and your home then I would keep the trees as they are. If they are going to get quite large at some point they will offer quite a bit of shade so down the line you would have to accept that.

The only other thing I would say regarding the trees is hopefully they're not too close to the fence line so that when they get large they hang over the fence into the neighbours yard. At some point the neighbours may want to cut back the branches and that is not good for evergreens. I just can't tell the placement from your pictures. If they are going to overhang your neighbours now would be the time to move them farther away from the fence line. They will cause shade over there as well and some people resent that.

In the meantime some tall perennials and annuals would fit the bill. It depends on your zone, type of soil and how much sun you get in the spot you plant. There are so many choices and the best option to my mind is to hire a landscaper with local plant knowledge or go to a good garden shop and discuss what local plants to your zone work best. Good luck!
Uptown Gal
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
That spruce will grow faster and taller that you might be thinking. In fact, as

small as it is right now, it is already too close to the fence. (I learned the hard

way on the fast growing of Spruce trees) ;) Also, the Dogwood are prone to

some diseases, so good you are moving them. Good luck!
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
7 years ago
you have more than enough BIG stuff in there ... in tree time .. it will all fill in ...

if you want to hide the mulch.. make it more interesting ..... start adding annuals or perennials ... which you can move out.. as the big stuff.. gets bigger ...

i dont know if its too late.. but some sunflowers .. or some annual that gets tall in one season.. could be used to get a site block going .... it might be too late to start seed now ... im not sure for your locale ... maybe not.. care to waste a few seed and find out ... [babe seedlings need to be big enough.. before the heat of summer hits.. to get roots down.. to survive .... but that can be offset by watering...]

now go get that lawn mowed ... before you cant get the mower thru it .. lol ...

ken
Lauren W. (z5b - CNY) thanked ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
Lauren W. (z5b - CNY)
Original Author
7 years ago
I believe the arbor vitae is 'spring grove', the spruce is 'baby blue eyes'... the distance from the center of the tree to the back of the fence is probably around 6'-7'. To answer the other question about the neighbor's yard, my yard extends beyond the fence by a few feet. They are gardeners themselves and have zero issues with my planting. Most important to me is visual appeal, I know the trees will get large enough to eventually cover much of the view into the neighbor's yard, but that really isn't of utmost concern. Fence is mine, I can grow vines on it. I have a clematis growing on the opposite side of the fence, on a small trellis (you can see it in the first picture).

I have waited to plant anything else because I don't want to make the wrong choices. I want it filled in and to look natural, and make sense.