I am looking for thoughts on what to do with landscaping around the side and back of our house. Seems like everything I buy for plants are too small and just not the look I am going for. Any ideas? I am in Western Michigan, so must be able to handle Winters.
I think the problem you describe is with proportions. If the beds were made much wider, they would "fit" and compliment the upright expanse of the house much better, and integrate the house into the land around it. Think not of beds a couple or a few feet across (as they appear to be now), but, instead, at least 8 or 10 feet wide. These larger beds will also allow you to plant much larger, "architectural" perennials (and also shrubs and small trees) that will give the landscaping a much more planned look.
Edit: And, to clarify, I'm not meaning to suggest making a ten foot wide border all around the house... ;-). Please read Diana's excellent advice, and where flower beds fit into the overall plan for the yard, keep in mind a more appropriate scale. :-)
This message was edited Jun 16, 2015 11:08 PM
If you want some ideas for very large, cold-hardy perennials to make a bold statement, here are a few:
Telekia speciosa
Inula helenium, racemosa
Cephalaria gigantea
Persicaria polymorpha
Salvia glutinosa
Cimicifuga racemosa, cordifolia, ramosa
Verbascum nigrum
Eupatorium cannabinum and other species
... and many others. The suggested ones are 5-6+ feet, and when mature, will cover areas of 16+ square feet. People tend to be afraid of growing large perennials... who knows why.
You can achieve the same desired effect of "making a statement' with smaller perennials by planting in drifts - that is, groups of the same plant, with a suggested minimum of, say, 3 for medium-to-large plants, and more for smaller plants. The same type of plant filing a significant space in a large bed creates visual unity. For visual interest, plants can be chosen to create areas of different heights, textures, colours (foliage and/or bloom).
Also, since you're in an area with "real" winters, anchoring the landscaping with evergreen shrubs (among the other trees and shrubs) is advisable to add some year-round colour, especially given that the perennials will be dormant through the winter (although leaving them standing through the winter, and only cutting them down in spring, creates visual interest too).
alta is exactly right-
You have so much wall under the windows that the skinny little planter strip will never work.
Many plants grow roughly the same height as width. So if your windows start about 5' off the ground, you could plant things that grow to 5' high and still not block the windows. Make the planter strip a minimum of 5' wide, then the plants could reach the bottom of the windows.
Stand back a ways and try to place a tree near the wall. Not close enough to be a problem, but where it will look nice from inside, and offer shade to whatever is going on outside. Then make a large planter area around that tree. Lets say you plant a tree 10' from the house. Then the planter in that area flares out to 15' from the house, then can sweep back in closer to the house.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lets approach this from the other direction.
Start with hard scape.
Do you need patio, walkway, hot tub, children's play area, garden shed, outdoor kitchen/bbq or anything else out there? What size? How do you get to it? Does it need water, electricity or other utility?
If you want a patio out there, then take your table and chairs, and bar-b-que out there and start placing them where you think you want them to be. Practice moving the chairs like people are sitting down to eat, getting up to check the BBQ and so on.
Lay out a garden hose to show the area you are using.
Now add a walkway. Practice walking on it while carrying a tray of food or drinks. Carry an ice chest out to the patio. Do you want this to be a concrete or paver sort of useful surface? Or loose-set flagstones on the soil?
If you place a swing set over there.... and the patio between the door and the swing set....
the children will run right through the adult area to get to the play area. Better to offset the patio some.
After the major hard scape decisions are made think about plant concepts.
Lawn is great for a play area.
Raised planter boxes for vegetables, herbs or flowers.
Trees for shade or fruit (or both)
Continue thinking about how you want to use the space and how it lays out before you try to name plants.
You firstly have to take on board the amount of time you are able to DEVOTE to your garden, the more areas you place into your garden plans for beds / borders / planters / veg garden areas etc, etc, is all the more TIME you need for caring for all these areas. I would first of all start with a soil test, do a test in various areas as believe it or not, the PH in soil can vary from one area to the next, especially IF you have just moved to that home, you don't know what has been added to the soil by the previous owners. Some plants like a nice rich fertile soil enriched with humus, others prfere an acidic soil, you need to know what plants you can use for your environment and soil type or you waste a lot of money planting stuff that cant grow in your soil, been there and done that when I started out all those many years ago LOL.
There is nothing more off putting to any new garden, having wonderful plans, go out a spend a fortune on landscaping, then you need tools, and plants that for large planting areas, cost money that most are surprised at how much cost !!!!. but the owners time is non calculating as there are times when an hour per day is OK when the weather is good, when the garden is more established BUT for sure is never enough for a veg area, when winter sends down all the leaves, when snow, frost etc is hitting the plants hard but you have not had time previously to go into the garden and prepare ahead of these conditions.
Please don't think I'm putting you off, I'm first person to do all I can to encourage any gardeners seeking help, I am just trying to make you aware of what COULD be involved in any new fairly large landscaping plants for making a lovely garden.
If I were taking over a garden with your layout, I would certainly draw up a plan for the whole gardening project BUT, there after I would choose an area of the plan's to make the beds say in the front, or make the veg area as this needs a lot of soil prep by adding humus to the veg beds, prep for fruit or lay out path's between beds.
I would think in your area it is rather late in the season for a lot of the veg that families would want for consumption BUT salads can be ready to eat within 8-10 weeks. so concentrate on preparing for next springs planting time.
I would take myself along to the book store, Libray etc, there are very many books available for new gardeners, there are books on DIY landscaping, how to calculate the amount of materials required, how to measure, how to lever, how to mix concrete for building hard landscapes etc, they have pictures of the structures they are showing/ planning.
We can all give advice re plans for your home/garden etc BUT remember this is your garden, so think carefully what you really want, what is the most practical for your needs, and as mentioned, the time you have to keep the garden growing,
The books that refere to planting beds and borders have wonderful pictures, the plant lists normally give the spread and height of the plants demonstrated and how many to plant of the same type to get the effect in the picture.
Is there a local garden club in your area, go on line and try find out where the club meets, these people living in your local area know the environment, all plants growing in your local need by way of care. sun / shade etc. and don't forget the larger the area you plant up, will you require water to reach the plants, either hose pipe of sprinklers that cost more..
you need to decide all your hard landscaping to add to your plans as you dont want to dig up a pateo becase you forgot to mark out this area in the garden.
Hope you get the beautiful garden you long for and that I have managed to help you look out for pitfalls that can be avoided IF you take your time. Gardens are never good when built in a day or two, a garden needs to grow with the owner as you gain more experience, get more confident and get the hang of soil conditions, plant names, colour partners etc.
Most importantly, just try enjoy and make the garden to suit YOUR needs.
Happy gardening and Kindest Regards.
WeeNel.
