I assume, from the looks of it, you don’t have a tree planted in it? I think I would just fill it in with grass, it doesn’t add anything, you have nice wide planting beds btw.

Yep. Lose it. It doesn't make sense, as you say.

I don't know your zone, so the actual plants will vary from the mockup. The gardens feel disjointed because none of the plants are repeated. You don't have to go crazy with matching, just have a few plants that repeat in both areas since they are so close to each other. You also need some varying height in the island.

I see bird feeders so you may want to add a bird bath although, the experts say both should be 30 feet or more from the house so the birds don't crash into your windows. Hard to tell the distance in the picture. If you haven't had that problem with their current placement, probably not an issue.

As someone once told me as they stared at the large number of items I was purchasing at a local plant sale, "Plant is a noun AND a verb." Keep it simple, Excellent soil prep goes a long way to a great garden.

Yes, I would certainly do away with it. Island beds rarely make sense to me unless the yard is very large; then the bed needs to also be very large. For instance, in a commercial setting like a bank or a college campus.

I'd move the perennials into your foundation bed, which looks like it could use denser planting and then I'd move one of your trees into the round spot. It looks like both your dogwood and the red maple will soon cover the window they are planted in front of. My Japanese maple is at its full height, topping out somewhere between the second and third story windows --- but I have a first floor well above grade.

You could swap the tree that you don't plan to transplant with the azalea by the black fence. That would probably fit easily under the window, although I don't know, some azaleas get pretty big.

I have complete sympathy with seeing a great tree in a nursery, buying it and then trying to find a spot for it, but I've learned the hard way that a little planning goes a long way.

You could make it bigger and give it an irregular shape. You'll save time mowing and you'll need to buy new plants. Win win.

"... and you'll need to buy new plants. Win win...."

Lol SeniorBalloon!

You could make it bigger and extend it, and make a nice wide, curved, meandering path between the two beds. I see a deck there I think - is there an entrance to the deck that you could make a path to? If not, how about making a little sitting area that the path leads to?

:)

Dee

the large shrub in the middle of the photo is viburnum, not dogwood. I'm not sure of the variety but I think I can probably prune to keep it in check. I like it under the window because I like seeing the flowers on it in the spring.

I'm having such a hard time filling the bed because it's sunny on one side and shady/dry on the other side so I can't have the same repeating plants throughout. I think I'm much better at planting front and back rows but I struggle with the "fill in" part.

I'm definitely seeding over the island bed.

It's a doublefile viburnum, and ideally, you don't prune them. They naturally develop a very nice shape which is ruined by pruning.

Moving it to the middle of the island bed, and letting it do its thing is worth thinking about.

ok, well in that case if it gets to be 8' tall I'm not concerned about the obstruction to the window, it's almost at that height now.

It's not the height that is going to be an issue. It's the width.

I have 10-12' width in this area with the plants I'm planning to move. My jap maple only gets 3' wide.