Garden photos of '09.....#6

Raked the leaves off the Hyacinth bed. Strange colors revealed...

...

Wow - looks like you have a nice piece of property, Dyane. I never saw that color on bulb foliage.

Where should I post pictures if I would like suggestions on a new bed using mostly flowering shrubs and small trees? This entire back line of Forsythia will be replaced when I fix the retaining wall that's barely holding up underneath.

I would post it here first.

Thanks, Victor. I bought this place 2 years ago. I spent more time checking out the property than the house. There was a lot of thought that went into the planning of the landscaping on this property. You can tell that a gardener once lived here. Mature trees and shrubs and an irrigation system were a big plus. I knew I could build on what was here.
The back yard is on two levels. The back lot is a rectangle of grass with two large sheds on one end. The back line is about 7 feet above a road. I would need to add a low fence to stop the kids and balls from passing through but I would really like to use trees and shrubs to act as the fence. Ideally, I would love to add color from blooms, foliage, and bark for 4 seasons. There are mature Black Walnut, Oak, Sycamore and Dogwoods that shade the area when they leaf out so anything requiring full sun may suffer.

looks real nice Dyane!

Thanks, onewish. I'm looking for suggestions for this back line. These are the before pictures! Did you see there is a Begonia co-op in the works. I haven't had a chance to look at it yet but I remembered you had some lovely Begonia shots this past summer.

yes I did see that... and I already ordered some... but I am sure I will be sucked into more with the co-op can't help myself

RC love the dark hellebores
Those titmice are soooo cute
Nice size yard Dyane.
I've never seen that color on bulb foliage either.

Thanks Jen. They are definitely one of my favorites!

Dyane, your place looks great. I would have fun with your landscape since it has a little of everything: sun, part shade, shade, evergreens, deciduous things, flat ground, and some slope! I love those planters. I didn't know that there was such a thing as self watering planters. But i guess that it would be a really easy jump to go from planters with a drip system set up on top of them to planters with a system in them.

Dyane you have a beautiful lay out. I like the first pic with those two strident bare trees.

Dyane, are you getting rid of the forsythia? completely?

Looking for something that is more evergreen?

Something more along the lines of a hedgerow or using all different types of shrubs and trees?

Is color palette a consideration? Blues? Yellows? Reds? Green?

I always like the pairing of Forsythia and Barberry, as Maroon and Gold are the H.School colors here. But, with children Barberry might be too thorny, though kids tend to behave if they have to weed near thorny things, I know that, first hand!

Lately I have been partial to cedars, as they have a pretty diverse color palette to select from.

A friend gave me a start of pink flowering almond last year. I hope that it made it through the winter. Maybe a red weigelia would be non-thorny maroon.

So the area you are interested in is part sun, under the large trees? Is it dry due to the canopy? That changes things if so. Exactly how much sun does it get and when? Morning sun? What size trees / shrubs are you looking for? What color blooms and what bloom times are you into?

and she thought that it was a simple question.... lol.

Hee hee! Nice shot, Shelly.

Thanks, I think the bug was scared!






actually, I think that the bug is dead, but it sounds better the other way.

Thank you for your input. I am learning so much from everyone here in the Northeast Forum.
Willie, Maroon and Gold makes me think of Boston College Go Eagles!! The town colors here are Blue and White. I hadn't thought of keeping a color palette in mind. I think I was focusing on getting ANY color, getting the heights right, blocking sight and sound from the roadway below, and creating interest from texture and color from Spring through fall. Along the back line which runs 100 feet across i currently have Forsythia (the common yellow), Rose of Sharon (rose and white), 3 Flowering Almonds (pink). An Oak anchors one corner, a Sycamore shades the center (even though it's not on my property) and some small trees which I have yet to identify fill out the right side.

For the back line, I could salvage the Rose of Sharon, the Almonds and possibly a plant or two of the Forsythia. I think I could add one or two trees with a max height of say 30 feet. The rest of the shrubs, I would like to keep in the 6-8 ft. range. The sun comes in from the road side in the morning. When the large trees leaf out, it becomes partly shaded. The soil is somewhat sandy in that area and I only have one jet to irrigate that back line currently so it does dry out more than the rest of the yard.

Iris, I do like Weigelas. I've planted one in front.

My sloped bed is under deeper shade canopy in mid-summer. On the slope, I have 18 Evergreen Azaleas, 2 Barberries, A boxwood, Mophead Hydrangea, Rhodedendron, 2 Dogwoods, and a Sassafras Tree. Two large Black Walnuts frame that bed.

Do you trouble with the Black Walnut roots hurting other plants in the area? That is their reputation. The blue caryopteris shrub for partially shaded areas? They are late summer bloom instead of spring.

I have a list of plants that are tolerant of the Black Walnut toxicity that I have been planting underneath. So far, I've planted Calendula, Jacob's Ladder, Monarda, Daffodils, Hyacinth, Crocus. If I try to plant anything not on the list, it's a goner. I find that even some plants which tolerate the Black Walnut do seem to stay small. I'm lucky that most of the shrubs in this area were planted many moons ago.
Here it is in Winter.

Here are some Spring shots, I've added more plants since these pics were taken.

With the azaleas in bloom...

This is the back line in Spring. It's nice but I'd like to see more colors, textures, etc. rather than one type of shrub only blooming in Spring. The almond will be a keeper.

Approx how many hours of sun does that forsythia line see?

Finally!!

Another about to open.

Here's what's "holding up" that Forsythia. This is why I need to replant. The retaining wall has collapsing. This wall is in two tiers, total height in about 7 feet. Sorry, not the best picture. This is the view from the roadside. I don't see this part.
How does this affect what I can plant?

Blue spruce against a beautiful sky.

Did not realize Physocarpus Dart's Gold had such nice bark.

Wow, Victor. That Hellebore is gorgeous!

That line gets full sun in Spring and then I'd say just morning sun the rest of the year.

Okay - shrubs for morning sun that don't require a lot of water. A number of viburnum would do. They will give you white flowers in spring and, if you pick suitable partners, berries for the birds. Itea would definitely work. JM's should be fine. They (and almost anything) would require supplemental watering in dry spells until established. Fothergilla would do nicely. Kerria would give you bright green stems all winter and nice bright yellow, long-lasting spring flowers.Of course azaleas and rhodies. Mountain laurel would do nicely. As would leucothoe. Eleutherococcus would give you nice variegation. I'll think of more.

For the 30' trees - full sun?

Nice azleas Dyane!

Love the Hellebore pic. Victor!

Great ideas, Victor. I was already thinking of Viburnum. I ordered a few things from Bluestone but I will need to find a source locally for larger shrubs. Not full sun for the tree. How are Gingkos? Or what was that one...Forest Pansy?

Here are some things that are coming from Bluestone.

HYDRANGEA paniculata Pinky Winky, CLETHRA Sixteen Candles, DAPHNE Carol Mackie, FOTHERGILLA Major Mt. Airy, FOTHERGILLA Gardenii, HYDRANGEA quercifolia Little Honey, ITEA virginica Little Henry, WEIGELA My Monet, AZALEA Northern Hi-Lights, AZALEA Golden Lights, CALYCANTHUS Venus.

Glad I looked...I had forgotten what I ordered!

I picked up these Primroses yesterday since I was eager to see some bright color.

looks great Dyane!.... I had a retaining wall close to that here when we bought the place...

yeah for the hellebore!!!!

love those primroses!!!!

You have a great project, Dyane--lovely spaces! If you need to block out sound, evergreens will do that. The deodar cedars that Victor has are gorgeous----& that's a beauty of a hellebore, Victor! DavidP---you are so far ahead of us in Clinton! I have no crocus foliage up yet! A few daffs are showing their noses.

Gingkos are normally full sun, but might ne okay. Forest Pany is an understory tree so should be fine. Also consider various cornus, as well as stewartia.

Dyane--lovely azalias. If you get a ginko, get a male. Different shades of hosta? maybe one with bluish leaves. I'm not really good on shrubs.

Victor you caught a typo on another what about this one? Forest Pany - I had to google it.

Sometimes I like to move my 'S'.^_^

Dyane - nice list of plants. Clethra need moisture so I don't think I would use it in that location. In fact, they do well in any wet areas you have - from full sun to shade.