Zone 5B Landscaping/Flower Gardening PICS #9

[ReedleBeetle]

I have never done this. :shifty I have a new house! And I need flowers! Help! Ask me questions that will help you help me. :giggle

[Macky]

Your zone is only important with regards to perennials (plants that survive winters to come back every year). You can grow any annual (replanted every year) flower you like. :)

When you say "new" house, do you mean a new build or new to you? Are there existing trees and shrubs that you want to work with and compliment?

What is your style with regards to appearance? What is your style with regards to gardening (ie. how much time and effort can you dedicate to your plants?

Do you live in an area with water restrictions (meaning can you plant whatever you want or do you need to consider xeriscaping)?

What sort of sun exposure do you get in the areas you want to plant? What is your soil like?

In other words... your question is far too broad. ;)

[ReedleBeetle]

Your zone is only important with regards to perennials (plants that survive winters to come back every year). You can grow any annual (replanted every year) flower you like. :)

I don't even know what is "easier" or "better" as far as which to plant. Easier=Better to me. ;) I am COMPLETE novice. :lol

When you say "new" house, do you mean a new build or new to you? Are there existing trees and shrubs that you want to work with and compliment?

It is an old house without any landscaping at all. Nothing to work with, tiny yard. Here is a picture of the area around the porch that I am wanting to landscape. http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s304/nurse_reedle/DSC06657.jpg To the left of the porch, we need something that won't have a deep and intricate rooting pattern, according to DH because our sump pump drainage pipes come out there. None of those plants are there now, because they got ripped up during the putting in of the basement system and sump pump.

What is your style with regards to appearance? What is your style with regards to gardening (ie. how much time and effort can you dedicate to your plants? My style is kind of....free and um...shabby chic with a more simplisticly modern flair? :shifty I want pretty easy, and I want beautiful. :yes I am homeschooling, running my kiddo to therapy appt and such....we are still hoping a new baby comes very soon....so there is all of that busy-ness to consider. I do have some time to work in it though. It isn't something that I have to be completely hands off about...just don't want to spend hours every week tending it.

Do you live in an area with water restrictions (meaning can you plant whatever you want or do you need to consider xeriscaping)? Nope, nothing special like that. :)

What sort of sun exposure do you get in the areas you want to plant? What is your soil like? Our house faces NNE I think? I know it hits the left front side of our house first. I have no idea what the soil is like...how would I know?

In other words... your question is far too broad. ;)
I knew that, but had no idea what info I needed to pass out. :P~

[Macky]

So now that you've thought through some answers ;) print out that photo and take it down to your local greenhouse and ask them to guide you to the plants that will best suit your needs. I would suggest doing mostly flowering shrubs that only need pruning once a year and that don't grow too big. For example (and I'm not saying this is suitable to your climate, go with what YOUR greenhouse suggests), we have four lilac shrubs as our main front foundation planting – DWARF varieties that have a max. height of 5-6' and only needs pruning once a year. Under that, we have some daylilies that die down to the ground each winter and sprout again in the spring. The fact that they die down makes it easy each spring to clear out all the dead stuff just once in the spring. They bloom after the lilacs are done, which is good because the colours clash (I didn't choose the daylily colour, there were orange ones in other parts of the yard that had to be moved somewhere). :giggle So, just two types of plants and they only need attention for an hour or so twice a year. I've never had to fertilize them except the lilacs while they were getting established.

I like mass plantings, though, and shabby chic would tend more toward feature plants, roses especially (imho, especially something climbing). Roses can be easy or hard. If you grow something hardy to your zone, all they need is once-a-year pruning and regular attention to fertilizing, which doesn't take much time at all. The most time you'll spend with a hardy rose is prepping the planting hole in the first place. If you want to grow hybrid teas, on the other hand, you're going to have to pay more attention to winter protection and disease control in cooler zones like ours.

I've got this book, Garden, Landscape and Project Plans (http://www.amazon.com/Garden-Landscape-Project-Plans-Do/dp/1881955966) (make sure to click on the Look Inside option), which is an AWESOME sort of tool to have if you're starting from scratch. Starting with nothing is sometimes harder than working around existing "bones" with a garden. This particular book has a section on foundation plantings, if I recall. You can just take the page you like to the greenhouse and find plants that suit the design. There are tonnes of books like this out there if you check your local bookstore and they're totally worth the price. Putting in the wrong plants can cost way more!

We can give you specific plant recommendations that we like, but if they aren't suitable to your area, that does you no good. Someone living in the same zone (obviously not me) can suggest a plant which might be fine for the zone, but not do well in your soil. Your local greenhouse will know the area and soil (pH, composition, etc.) and direct you to the best plants. Snag a staff person at the door and they'll be more than happy to help you. :)

[wisdomjourney]

With a NNE facing house you could ask at the gardening center (not Wal-Mart, but an actual gardening center/greenhouse) about some really nice shade-lovers. A north-facing garden can be especially nice with foliage plants like hosta (a basic btdt plant, but with over 1500 varieties, you could pick something that suits your style and home), and ferns, as well as blooming lovelies like bleeding heart, annabelle hydrangea (she's a huge, showy one), and one of my personal favorites: sweet woodruff.

I have been gardening in zone 5a-6a for about 17 years now, but I'm in the midwest (not sure if WV is considered midwest). For what it's worth, my very favorite landscape idea books are by Ezra Haggard and are called Trees, Shrubs, and Roses for Midwest Gardens and Perennials for the Lower Midwest. He is most familiar with Indiana, but I have followed his suggestions from Nebraska to Texas, Colorado and New Mexico and always had really good results.

I fit were me, I would choose a little flowering tree like a serviceberry or a dogwood, and then underplant it with pretty bloomers and foliage plants. I lean toward perennials, since I'd rather not spend my money every year. You could purchase the tree, and plant with annuals this year, then add something each year.

Are you interested in making gardening your hobby, or are you wanting to fill in the space with something attractive that you don't really have to mess with all that often? It makes a difference in what you plant, I think.

Just my two cents.:)
Jenn

[ReedleBeetle]

I went to Lowe's and Home Depot (have to find a "real" greenhouse around here :giggle) and looked around. Some of what I saw that I liked there was:

Columbine especially in pinks, purples, mauves, and muted blues
Bell Flower
Primrose (especially a yellow Virginia Primrose or the Carolina Primrose!)
Orchids, especially certain ones
Sweet Peas (I :heart them, but I don't really want anything climbing.)
Penstemon
Phlox


On the list in the above post I liked the Bleeding Heart and the Sweet Woodruff. I am sorry, but I do not like the Annabelle Hydrangea. I don't think Hydrangeas are my style. :shifty

I really like wildflowers and such (my wedding bouquet was wildflowers! :heart) I don't know if that will look right though. :shrug3

I think a tree is out. There is only *maybe* 8-10 feet from the edge of the porch to the public sidewalk. I think it would look horribly crowded in. If we could though, I would love to have a dogwood or weeping cherry tree or something.

So....what can I do with this? Any more suggestions? I want flowers I think. I want blooming spring to fall. I can do some work at least weekly. I like perennials, but annuals would be ok as well. I would say my flower bed is 2 feet deep? or so?

Do I need that black ground cloth? I am reading mixed reviews on using it vs. not using it.

So....is this more helpful or no? :shifty

---------- Post added at 11:48 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:47 PM ----------

Oh, and hobby. :yes

[ReedleBeetle]

Ok, I talked to a couple of places today and came home with stuff for the 4'x6' area on the right hand side of the steps. I also got all of the weed cloth pulled up, dirt loosened, and got my edging. I am hoping I don't have too much for that area. The one guy wanted to me to buy even MORE for that area. I came home with:

2 Girard Azaleas (Crimson or Rose and White)
3 Columbine Winky Double I think? 2 different colors of those
2 pale yellow Royal? yarrow

Does this all sound like it will fit ok with the Azaleas in the back, Columbine spaced in between and in front of the Azaleas, and the Yarrow in front of and between the Columbine? The "plowed" area is 4x6, but there is nothing but dirt under the porch and on 2 of the other 3 sides. The steps are the only thing that would get in the way of roots underground....so can you help me space them? I have a couple of good pictures of the area if you want to see them. :yes

I still need a LOT more plants. :shifty For the stone edgers, 3 bags of fertilizing dirt, and these plants I spent about $175. :shifty So...I need a LOT more. :-/

---------- Post added at 08:30 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:27 PM ----------

I'm especially wondering about the yarrow with everything else over there....going to get some pics of this stuff too.

[Macky]

I'm not familiar with zone 5 perennials, so I'll let others answer there. If you can get things that tend to spread and multiply, that helps keep costs down. It'll look sparse the first two years, but by the third, you'll be going great. :)

I also second the hosta idea... loooove hostas over here!

[ReedleBeetle]

Ok, so this is where I am today....PICS!

I removed the old weed cloth, weeds, a lot of the old wood mulch, some rocks, glass, trash, etc. Aerated the soil well and have it read to mix in fertilizer/soil booster stuff.
http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s304/nurse_reedle/IMAG0147.jpg
http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s304/nurse_reedle/IMAG0148.jpg

This area has a section that was a mess. Some of it will be seeded back to grass and some of it will be flower bed, as you can see in the second picture.
http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s304/nurse_reedle/IMAG0149.jpg
http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s304/nurse_reedle/IMAG0151.jpg

And the flowers I purchased today!!
http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s304/nurse_reedle/IMAG0155.jpg

I need more flowers and I am trying to figure out how to arrange them. Any input is appreciated :)

[Macky]

The only thing I've grown from what you have there are the columbines. They'll seed themselves everywhere, so you won't need to buy any more of those! :)

[ReedleBeetle]

So, for this year....for that space....who many plants should I do? Here are the measurements:

Left of the porch: 9.5'x1.5'
Front of porch left of the stairs: 13.5'x2'
Right of the stairs: 6'x4'

I am still so confused on spacing them since they will grow and having everything look balanced.