Front garden - Suggestions please!
By anujag
5 comments
My back garden is reasonably colourful but I am not happy about the front at all. I go to the back garden at every opportunity and weed and feed and trim and tie, but the front is not that easy.
Under the bay window:
This is how it looks this afternoon under the bay window, after I gave the Mexican orange blossom a proper, much needed prune. The rose needs a bit of tying up which will be done over the weekend. I have a double line of Muscari under the shrub which has now died down. I had planted the grass in between the muscari but after the pruning I see that only a few clumps are left.
The question now is, what can I grow under the shrub that is not an annual, does not grow too much too soon, is attractive, but drought resistent. Phew, not easy!
Can I grow a small ground cover rose under the climbing rose? I know you can’t grow a new rose in place of an old one, but two roses together? Is that ok?
Side of the driveway:
This is how this border looked a few years ago. The builder had planted a line of hebes, cystus and potentilla which had been allowed to grow wild for about six years. I cleared the front of the border and the ends, added a cotoneaster towards the garage end, a few conifers at the road end, a few lavenders in the front of the border. I also scattered a few tulips amongst the conifers
It looked good for a couple of years, but now the hebes and cystus are pushing the lavenders, killing one of them, the conifers are overgrown but still there are gaps in which weeds grow.
The cystus and potentilla are not doing too well either as this photo shows. But I have no idea what to do about it. If I remove them there will a major gap which will not fill easily.
What would you do????
Thanks in advance!
25 Jun, 2013
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Comments
I would plant euonymus [there are ones for every situation and size.]They are hardy and also evergreen, I have them dotted about in different colourways, variegated so always look pretty and low maintenance. Google them and see what you think.
25 Jun, 2013
Thank you Paul, I looked up Astrantia, it sounds wonderful, I should look for it in the nursery. I am seriously thinking about germaniums too, I have seen people plant them in rows and right now they are looking gorgeous.
I know what you mean, freeasabird, I am a great fan of eunymus too! I sometimes place them as temporary fillers in places before I decide on a permanent plant. Thanks for your input!
25 Jun, 2013
You've got a nice lot of shrubs. I like the one by the window.
Pachysandra is a little creeping shrub that will grow in shady places. It has shiny leaves and little white flowers in the spring.
26 Jun, 2013
Pachysandra sounds perfect, thank you Hywel! I looked it up and in fact, the rhs website specifically says, 'undeplanting of roses and shrubs"....
28 Jun, 2013
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I have found Astrantia (perennial) to grow well in dryish shade.I have the white ones but there are various reds/pinks Astrantia Major.And, some of the hardy geraniums would do well there too!
Not sure about the Roses but I suspect they'd be ok together as long as it got enough light!
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