After two years, I hope to landscape the front of my house within the next month. Attached is photos, please offer any suggestions please. the photo is during construction, we now have sidewalks and steps, I will try to post a pic later of the way it looks this week. I am mostly interested in perennials and low maintaneance plants.
Any help or suggestions would be great.
Just an idea--look into your native Kentucky plants--they will be the lowest maintanence for you.
Debbie
Looks like fun!
Start with your favorite plants. Make sure they are the hardiest for your zone. Otherwise your hard work will end when winter hits.
An easy way to layout beds is with a garden hose. Just lay it out on the ground & move it around until you like the shape. Use soft cruves on corners so you can get close with a lawn mower. Sharp corners make miserable mowing.
If you have a Sam's Club close by, they have a nice big roll of landscape fabric for around $35.00. After your soil is ready for plants, lay the fabric over the soil. Overlap the seams at least 4". Now carefully cut holes & put your plants in, a "X" works good because the fabric will close around the plant. Cover the fabric with small rock of your choice, just enough so you can't see the black fabric. Water can get to your plants, they will grow nicely. Any weeds that show up usually don't have much of a root system & pull easily.
You can put annuals in also, but does not work as well since they are usually planted closer.
For annuals it is better to leave the ground bare & plant thick, & then Hand weed!
We will need photos of your masterpiece!
Bernie
Thank you for your wonderful ideas. I love the garden hose idea. I will post a pic this weekend with the sidewalks in place for more idea.
I have to jump in here and suggest you post on the Curb Appeal forum as well it is a great place for landscaping ideas. There are some landscape pros there as well as several of we amateurs.
Bernie not to be too harsh, but I would not recommend landscape fabric it can be a real pain in the future.
snboyken, If you want to put down something to keep the weeds out put layers of newspaper and then soil or farmpost and finally mulch. You can then cut through the news paper when you plant and the newspaper will decompose so you won't have it there forever. I have used newspaper whenever I plant and I don't get anymore or maybe less weeds then people that use landscape fabric. With either method you will get some weeds because the seeds blow in. You will find yourself wanting to move some of those perennials and the fabric is gets in the way. Frequently you will see posts from people wanting to know how to get rid of the landscape fabric.
It is best if you get a basic plan on paper, use a computer program or hire someone to help with this before you do any planting. Do you want a patio? Will you have any paths? Where will trees, bushes and shrubs go? From there what shape beds do you want/like?
Going for walks to see what others have done is a good place to start make sure to go to the library there are wonderful books on landscaping. Once the bones are in you start with the perennials and annuals.
Have fun.
When I think of a cute house on a hill in Kentucky, I see a gently curving front pathway with beds along both sides.
I've used both the newspaper and the landscape fabrics - both have benefits, but I generally go with the newspaper because I'm cheap lol
Stacy
I am off to lay down newspaper and some farmpost to start a new garden bed. I will take photos as we go.
I will be posting a updated pic later tonight of the way our sidewalks are laid out for your suggestions. I will also post in Curb Appeal. Thanks for all the help so far.
Here is the side of my house I am starting with. I plan to post later in curb appeal.
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/596165/
Heres the link to curb appeal for ideas as well. Please help.
