Gardening

folsom_lives said:
Aight. Here it goes. We bought this house three years ago and inherited absolutely zero decent looking landscaping in the process. The front bed has been an eyesore for all those years and all I’ve managed to do was pull all the edging wall stones and relay only one layer just to keep the grass at bay. This past week I nuked the three bushes and put down a fresh bed of mulch. And well, that’s about all I got.

I have no real experience shopping for, planting, and maintaining a proper garden. That said, being outside and caring for living things is a simple pleasure and something I enjoy.

Long story short. Here’s what I’m working with. At least in the front. View attachment 44778View attachment 44779

I’d like to keep things below the windows since we get great evening light (front is south facing). I’d like to keep thing perennial and simple. Nothing showy or finicky. Not my style. I’m thinking phlox along the front rocks with maybe some lavender or other low fragrant flowering bush in the back. Maybe a dogwood or magnolia tree on the left “lobe”.

Let me know if anybody has other ideas or suggestions for filler or other additions. I’m really out of my depth at this point.
Click to expand...

So...there are a lot of variables when planting. It seems the only requirement you have is size. It’s important to find out the mature size of the plant you will put there. Window height is about 3-4 ft. So you want a plant that when it gets full size it be around that size. This will keep you from having to do a lot of pruning.

Shrubs should be evergreen, so the provide year round structure. Then you pick some smaller accent plants And then you have your annual flowers. You can do them from seed or buy them small.

the other thing you have to do is pay attention to how much light each area gets. With the lockdowns this is easier to do. Just poke you head out every once in a while to see if the area is getting full/partial light or shade. You need to pick plants that will thrive in that light.

This may be less important where you are, but soil type and drainage are important as well. Are sure you plant matches these conditions.

You are in Ohio right? I don’t know if you are near Dayton, but here is a nursery that sells ohio native plants. I always suggest native plants. Low maintenance because they are adapted to that specific environment.

Ohio Native Plants | Dayton Nursery

www.daytonnursery.com www.daytonnursery.com
 
Usually The FB algorithm sucks, but the something like this pops up.

Grow your own!

nearbynaturalsfl.com

LivingThings

Thoughtfully curated boxes of healthy snacks, beverages, and herbal supplements.
nearbynaturalsfl.com nearbynaturalsfl.com
 
This looks like it could be fun
www.apartmenttherapy.com

Netflix’s ‘The Big Flower Fight’ Will Bring Out The Inner Gardener In You

Netflix has provided a sneak peek at its new unscripted competition format, called “The Big Flower Fight. The eight-part series sees 10 teams of florists, sculptors, and garden designers, competing against one another to make the best and most flamboyant large-scale flower installations.Similar...
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folsom_lives said:
Aight. Here it goes. We bought this house three years ago and inherited absolutely zero decent looking landscaping in the process. The front bed has been an eyesore for all those years and all I’ve managed to do was pull all the edging wall stones and relay only one layer just to keep the grass at bay. This past week I nuked the three bushes and put down a fresh bed of mulch. And well, that’s about all I got.

I have no real experience shopping for, planting, and maintaining a proper garden. That said, being outside and caring for living things is a simple pleasure and something I enjoy.

Long story short. Here’s what I’m working with. At least in the front. View attachment 44778View attachment 44779

I’d like to keep things below the windows since we get great evening light (front is south facing). I’d like to keep thing perennial and simple. Nothing showy or finicky. Not my style. I’m thinking phlox along the front rocks with maybe some lavender or other low fragrant flowering bush in the back. Maybe a dogwood or magnolia tree on the left “lobe”.

Let me know if anybody has other ideas or suggestions for filler or other additions. I’m really out of my depth at this point.
Click to expand...

thoughts / opinions:

Dunno what your budget is but I think a little bit of height and some color throughout the seasons would be helpful.

Consider transplanting the berberri shrub. It looks like it's in good shape but is nicer as a complementary piece.

I see this as three sections: The round bit by the drive way. The equal but opposite round bit. and the window area.
Each area needs some height and some things below.

I would plant something like a japanese maple or maybe a small and controlled magnolia near the driveway.

A kousa dogwood as the centerpiece of the opposite round bed. Also some dogwoods have nice red bark for year round interest.
A river or purple birch might be nice there as well and again the bark provides year round interest. I'd move barberry from the driveway to this area too, maybe nearest the corner of the house to soften that edge.

Something like a weeping norway spruce (something evergreen for year round interest) could go in between the windows and would stay controlled without growing in front of the windows. Beneath the windows I might put a dwarf rhododendron. There's one called PJB that will stay small, provide nice flowers, and won't block the view.

Mix in some ground covers, maybe an evergreen variety or two, plant some tulip bulbs in the fall, and you'll have a really nice flower show before the shrubs and trees get going next spring. None of the stuff I mentioned requires much maintenance once they're planted and established.

It's a nice big bed to work with. Have fun and enjoy.
 
I've been working on my houseplants (renter) but I also have some flowers going outside. Just got some cuttings through the mail that I hope work out. I have a bunch of things going. Cactus, Hoyas, Ferns, Fuzzy purple thing. It's really been helping having plants to take care of.
 
I'd like to be able to go to the garden centre again, i want more pots for my balcony!

I quite fancy a dwarf cherry blossom (i can have a Japanese corner with it and my acer) and an olive tree this time.
 
Joe Mac said:
I'd like to be able to go to the garden centre again, i want more pots for my balcony!

I quite fancy a dwarf cherry blossom (i can have a Japanese corner with it and my acer) and an olive tree this time.
Click to expand...

I'm big on the japanese acer varieties. I don't see them where I live now because they're not hardy enough for the winter. Can you fit a big enough pot for olive tree?

Do you watch Gardener's World on BBC2? (I know not Ireland)
Monty Don has been getting me through.
 
jaycee said:
I'm big on the japanese acer varieties. I don't see them where I live now because they're not hardy enough for the winter. Can you fit a big enough pot for olive tree?

Do you watch Gardener's World on BBC2? (I know not Ireland)
Monty Don has been getting me through.
Click to expand...

Yeah we get the BBC channels broadcast live here. its a hangover of the analogue days when the signal could be picked up from the north or across the water from wales. in the digital age all our tv platforms offer it as part of their package because we are used to having it.

I haven't watched gardeners world since i was a child, I have not turned my tele on in a fortnight, but you're the second person who has recommended it to me in two days, i might have to have a look!

I think so. I have a bay tree in a pot on my balcony and i figured if a got a similar sized olive tree in a similar sized pot that it might work!

Acers are great here, they are probably just about right for our climate, i do like mine, this is its second year and its looking much better than last year, loads more foliage in various shades of green and red.
 
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jaycee said:
thoughts / opinions:

Dunno what your budget is but I think a little bit of height and some color throughout the seasons would be helpful.

Consider transplanting the berberri shrub. It looks like it's in good shape but is nicer as a complementary piece.

I see this as three sections: The round bit by the drive way. The equal but opposite round bit. and the window area.
Each area needs some height and some things below.

I would plant something like a japanese maple or maybe a small and controlled magnolia near the driveway.

A kousa dogwood as the centerpiece of the opposite round bed. Also some dogwoods have nice red bark for year round interest.
A river or purple birch might be nice there as well and again the bark provides year round interest. I'd move barberry from the driveway to this area too, maybe nearest the corner of the house to soften that edge.

Something like a weeping norway spruce (something evergreen for year round interest) could go in between the windows and would stay controlled without growing in front of the windows. Beneath the windows I might put a dwarf rhododendron. There's one called PJB that will stay small, provide nice flowers, and won't block the view.

Mix in some ground covers, maybe an evergreen variety or two, plant some tulip bulbs in the fall, and you'll have a really nice flower show before the shrubs and trees get going next spring. None of the stuff I mentioned requires much maintenance once they're planted and established.

It's a nice big bed to work with. Have fun and enjoy.
Click to expand...
I’m gonna dig through this and see what all this would look like! Thanks!
 
When you are thinking about making a 1/2 day trip to pick up a plant that was discounted from $8.00 to $6.50.
 
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So in case you guys need mulch and by mulch I mean a truckload. There’s a free service where arborists will dump it on your property. It save them fees and time. Google it.

I went and picked some up that someone was sharing over a local FB gardening group. It started a minor disagreement with my wife. She didn’t like that there were leaves in it 🤨. She called it ghetto mulch!!😂

I said a tree is a tree weither it’s grew in the South Central or the Westside. She was like...”have you seen those trees in the ghetto?”
 
The roses bloomed, geraniums are happy and the stone retaining wall I built is holding up pretty well so far.
20200613_095035.jpg

Our little driveway garden is doing well. Parsley, rosemary, peppers, basil and green onions with begonias to keep them company. I used some rosemary a couple nights ago for lamb chops.

20200613_100048.jpg

I started a wildflower garden 10 days ago and they are starting to come up, I'll post a pic when they
are thriving. (Hopefully)

Also, I might try potatoes in an old porch planter we have.

Next year I want to build a raised bed, pretty much the design you used @Djxfactor511 Yours looks great.
Just couldn't get into it this year.
 
ranbalam said:
The roses bloomed, geraniums are happy and the stone retaining wall I built is holding up pretty well so far.
View attachment 51770

Our little driveway garden is doing well. Parsley, rosemary, peppers, basil and green onions with begonias to keep them company. I used some rosemary a couple nights ago for lamb chops.

View attachment 51771

I started a wildflower garden 10 days ago and they are starting to come up, I'll post a pic when they
are thriving. (Hopefully)

Also, I might try potatoes in an old porch planter we have.

Next year I want to build a raised bed, pretty much the design you used @Djxfactor511 Yours looks great.
Just couldn't get into it this year.
Click to expand...
Hey! Did you use concrete behind the stones. I wanna make some retaining walls with river rock I gather in the area where I live.

I need to work on my herb garden a bit.
 
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