Hi, This website is just what I have been looking for! We ripped out all the bushes in front of our house and want to start new. We live in Ohio, near Dayton. The front of our house gets early morning and late afternoon/evening sun, shady during the day. My husband wants low maintenance if possible! I would like a little color also. I am posting a picture so you can see what the yard looks like. Thanks so much for any suggestions.
Hey mabaud, I hope you get some answers. I am not an expert, but I think with your two story house you might want a little height next to the window closest to the driveway. I hate having anything blocking my windows, but I think something tall would look nice against the brick and help hide the pipe. If it were me I wouldn't put anything tall in front of the porch railing either.
Do hydrangeas grow in your zone there near Dayton? They like the shade and have beautiful color in the summer.
Hi mabaud, I can think of things that would look good but they would all die back in the winter in Ohio. In the winter your beds would look like they do now. I wish I knew what things would still give you interest in the winter. JulieQ is right you could plant hydrangeas and they will grow in your zone. Then in the winter all you have are stems.Some hostas can take some sun but they die in winter. I love Sedum 'Autumn Joy' but again it will die in the winter. Mine dies in Oct. but starts growing again in Jan. I doubt it would do that for you. Dianthus is one of my favorites but I don't know if it is hardy in your zone. Mine does not even die in the winter. Don't give up. I hope someone will come along and help you. Smokey
Thanks for your input. Hopefully someone in the same area of the country will have some ideas for me. Previously all we had were shrubs and they were very boring, mostly green. Would like a little color, we may plant some burning bush type shrubs. I'll keep looking! Thanks again.
Besides shrubs you may want to try the heucheras and hostas. Heuchera link below:
http://www.theprimrosepath.com/Featured_Plants/Heuchera/heuchera.htm
Try a golden foliage evergreen shrub to hide the downspout. Can't suggest a kind however.
You have the trellis that would be perfect for something that smells great all summer long. Ask for that at a local garden center so that you get something that is reliably perennial for your area of Ohio. For the tall accent shrub/tree to mask the hose & downspout make sure that you get something that grows narrow and tall. Narrow is "findable" in some evergreens, and that is what you'd need there or else you will be fighting it for space to walk as well as it will not have the right proportions for your house. The variegated kinds, especially yellow would look great. I'd put some colors in the bed that enhance the colors of the brick along with some miniature evergreens like boxwood or juniper to have "winter interest". Keep the scale small on these, there are plenty of dwarf varieties out there- you don't want them to take over, and you don't want to be pruning them 3 times a year. ( don't ask me how I learned that one!) I sure wish the builders had a clue what to plant! It is depressing to see the varieties of HUGE growing shrubs that they plunk into the ground in right front of houses.
Thanks for all your suggestions!!
