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tia_mia3

Help with landscaping, please!

10 days ago
last modified: 10 days ago

Would like to incorporate a small upright tree on the right side of my brick entry walkway. Would like to keep the existing red rose bushes and foundation planting. I live in Roanoke, Va (Zone 7b) and front of house faces east. Small half round planting area adjacent to font brick walkway includes alliums, Blazing star and daylilies.I am limited by the small size of the front yard and the fact that it adjoins my neighbors yard. (There is also an overhead utlility line above the front yard.)Have been looking at Sarah's Favorite white flowering crape myrtle or emerald green arborvitae at corner of house, dee runk boxwoods (possibly flanking both sides of front door),

(Photo #4 shows the house "as is.")

Am including a dimensioned plan of the front yard with property line. Have also done some sketches with ideas. Would really appreciate any tree or landscape suggestions!












Comments (6)

  • 10 days ago

    I would start by repainting the front door. a color in the blue or green family.

    East facing, you could plant some azaleas for great color. Looks like you have alot going, lovely, I wouldn't add anything else, but do love a Crepe Myrtle in July.


    Tia Mia thanked Lyn Nielson
  • 10 days ago

    I also don't think the red of the door matches the brick. I think the arborvitaes you've shown flanking the door are too big for the spot. You've put 2 in a 3' x 5' space and their mature diameter is 8-15 feet. The single arborvitae may fit, or may be a bit big when mature, but it's going to be bigger than it is in your design. A grown arborvitae may be taller than your roof, depending on the tree or the house. You might find a narrow one, that fits there, you just aren't going to find much that will fit where you show them in pic #3.


    Sarah's favorite is a huge crepe myrtle and will be 25 feet tall at maturity (above the roof), with a 20 foot canopy, but it will fit the spot you've placed it, shading out everything.


    Arborvitaes are deer candy and will get eaten if you have deer.


    You have a nice, detailed plan with measurements. I'd go back and look at your options and then look up the mature size before placing them anywhere. Update your sketches to account for that. It's very easy to photoshop a tulip bigger than an oak tree and, frankly, many of the free garden suggestions you get on this forum have serious scale problems. If someone does a rendering for you, check the measurements carefully unless you're paying them for a lot more than a quickie photoshop from far away.

  • 10 days ago

    Having the deep curves will make it hard to mow. You can have the same effect by using a low ground cover in that area rather than grass. I don't like green pyramids flanking the front door like soldiers standing there. The plants used that way usually get too large and end up crowding the door.

  • 10 days ago

    I think the red door is OK. I'd paint the hinges on the door black so they stand out. Door hardware in black too. Is that a bird bath on the left? I'd move that out a bit. I like a house front landscape to look more formal. I'd place the dayllies, Allium (maybe the roses) etc in the backyard. In bare areas in the front, I'd add more azalea and lots of pachysandra. The large decorative rock is interesting, but I'd place in back too. The semi-circle area can be planted with azalea and pahysandra too. I do not think I'd add a tree.

    Tia Mia thanked TanCalGal
  • 10 days ago
    last modified: 10 days ago

    Adorable house. I would paint the door black for a classic, sophisticated look that will tie in the roof, railing, and lanterns.

    All the plant material you are proposing will only detract from the house. I would not add tall evergreens flanking the entryway as the entryway needs nothing to dress it up. It's great as is! You do need to add a shrub to fill in the gaps next to the porch. I don't care for all the squiggly lawn area that the proposed beds are creating.

    Is your goal to incorporate more plants? If so, I wonder if you could create an island bed between your home and the neighbor's. This gives you plants to enjoy but saves the house from all the distractions. The tree would be planted in the island and it would be filled with shrubs and perennials. You'd then keep the foundation on the right-facing side of the house neat and manicured with evergreen shrubs. Sometimes neighbors share a planting bed at the property lines.

    I wanted to show you photos of smaller, narrower beds that may fit on your property. Picture a small tree or conifer in place of the lamppost and more evergreen shrubs too.


    Here's a bed with tree. The plant selection is too uniform though.


    Tia Mia thanked Eileen
  • 10 days ago

    Arborvitae are the cubic zirconia of the plant world. You have utility lines to worry about apparently, so you need something that will not grow very tall.

    Tia Mia thanked HU-910663146