Gardening

[inthekitty]

trtlcrzy, we have a small backyard that is basically a blank slate and want to work on it this summer. The main area is going to stay grass, but we're going to put in a paver boarder all the way around the fence to leave space for some small ground cover/shrubs to give some color and height variation. I am putting a hydrangea in one corner and want a small flowering tree in the other. Any recommendations for the tree or for ground cover or shrubs that would work well?

[trtlcrzy]

May 2, 2019 8:49:10 GMT -6 inthekitty said:

trtlcrzy, we have a small backyard that is basically a blank slate and want to work on it this summer. The main area is going to stay grass, but we're going to put in a paver boarder all the way around the fence to leave space for some small ground cover/shrubs to give some color and height variation. I am putting a hydrangea in one corner and want a small flowering tree in the other. Any recommendations for the tree or for ground cover or shrubs that would work well?

Can you check your zone for me, please. Once you tell me that I can be a little more specific.

Off the top of my head, for flowering trees I’d either do a crabapple (find one that says the fruit is determinate), eastern redbud, cherry or purple leaf plum. The purple leaf plum is pretty because it has purple leaves all summer.

I’m going to assume the area is full sun. Some pretty options for shrubs would be wigela, sem false spirea, barberry and spirea.

Groundcover for full sun would be creeping phlox, lambs ear, silver mound artemisia, and sedum.

I think it would be pretty (and beneficial to bees) to work in some easy care perennials like black eye Susan, purple coneflower, daylily, Russian sage and catmint.

If you give me your dimensions and what you’re preferring then I can sketch something up for you.

[inthekitty]

My zone is 8A (10-15°F).

It's a rectangular space around 20x40'.

I'm probably going to do a wavy edge with the pavers and have large rounded corners.


rigged randomizer



We'll take out whatever that plant is that's there now as well as the boxes in the corners.

[trtlcrzy]

Ugh, so jealous of your zone. You can plant so much more than I can! I have a couple more questions before I make my plan. Do you want flowering shrubs (and within that do you want only spring flowering or things that flower all summer), evergreen shrubs, a mix of both? What colors do you like (I’m a cool color girl)? How many plants do you want? Do you want space between or to have a very lush border? Is there a particular hydrangea you’re leaning towards?

[inthekitty]

May 2, 2019 12:51:48 GMT -6 trtlcrzy said:

Ugh, so jealous of your zone. You can plant so much more than I can! I have a couple more questions before I make my plan. Do you want flowering shrubs (and within that do you want only spring flowering or things that flower all summer), evergreen shrubs, a mix of both? What colors do you like (I’m a cool color girl)? How many plants do you want? Do you want space between or to have a very lush border? Is there a particular hydrangea you’re leaning towards?

I would like a few evergreens and some things that flower throughout the summer. I'm going for lush. I like cool colors too--blues, purples, fuchsia. Overall I'm going for a low maintenance. I'm a black thumb. We have sprinklers in the back.

[trtlcrzy]

May 2, 2019 13:04:30 GMT -6 inthekitty said:

May 2, 2019 12:51:48 GMT -6 trtlcrzy said:

Ugh, so jealous of your zone. You can plant so much more than I can! I have a couple more questions before I make my plan. Do you want flowering shrubs (and within that do you want only spring flowering or things that flower all summer), evergreen shrubs, a mix of both? What colors do you like (I’m a cool color girl)? How many plants do you want? Do you want space between or to have a very lush border? Is there a particular hydrangea you’re leaning towards?

I would like a few evergreens and some things that flower throughout the summer. I'm going for lush. I like cool colors too--blues, purples, fuchsia. Overall I'm going for a low maintenance. I'm a black thumb. We have sprinklers in the back.

Ok, here is a very rough drawing that is very not to scale.



If you want something more informal, with more variety let me know and I can think up something like that.

Eta: just realized the arbs won’t work in your zone. I’d choose either a skyrocket juniper in their place.

[inthekitty]

Thanks so much trtlcrzy!

[trtlcrzy]

May 2, 2019 13:42:54 GMT -6 inthekitty said:

Thanks so much trtlcrzy!

Anytime!

[trtlcrzy]

Some of my tulips have started blooming!

[tgrimes]

So pretty trtlcrzy!