Last year I showed you my newly planted garden in the front of my house. I planted several herbs, a lilac bush, a butterfly bush and various other plants and flowers. It did well and some of the herbs even survived the winter.
They couldn’t survive my dh, though. Early this spring weeds encroached on the plants, so I asked the dh to put some weed killer on them. He did a fantastic job of it, except he put weed killer on ALL the plants! The weeds died, but so did some of the herbs. A few of the bushes struggled and turned shabby-looking, but luckily the butterfly bush and the lilac were not too damaged.
It gave me an excuse to to replace some of the bushes, which was something I wanted to do anyway. The ones I’d chosen before just were not as pretty as I’d hoped, and now they were half their former selves. I moved them to the side of the house, which desperately needed plants.
The new bushes I selected were two green velvet boxwoods, two japanese willows, two crimson barberries, and one gardenia.
Here is the result!
It is a little hard to see, but each side of the house has the same configuration.
I am not a gardener, so I have no idea how these bushes will look when they grow bigger, but I’m hopeful that they will bring some color to the front of the house.
In the next few weeks I plan to plant some annuals all along the border and in the pots on the stoop. The front of the house gets afternoon sun. I’d love to get your recommendations. I want something colorful and not too labor intensive.
What would you plant? Advise me!
After years of Florida gardening frustration, I am being rewarded this year by my vincas which, unbeknownst to me, reseed themselves like crazy. Originally had them in pots, seeds must have been carried off and now I have white and pink vincas growing by themselves in both my front and back beds. Hardy, colorful, low maintenance and free!
I have been thinking of vincas, Kristine. They are so pretty. If they reseed, more the better!!!
I would go with Moss rose or Portulaca they are super colorful but need sun, very little moisture, are hearty and self-seed.
Oh, thank you, Kathleen. I don’t know those flowers, but I’m going to look them up!
For annuals, I like vinca (not the vinca vine, it will take over). They have a lovely variety of colors, grow and fill out nicely, and will reseed themselves, so free plants next year. That is if your DH doesn’t weed them all out.
That’s two votes for Vincas!!
Hi, Diane,
I would suggest some hydrangea, which do well in partial sun, as well as aucuba, which would give you that yellow-green look all year. Maybe some Nandina, which is an evergreen and will look good all year, too.
Helen!!! Seeing as to how lovely YOUR garden is, I shall listen to you!
I love hydrangea.
I think the aucuba might look good on the left side of the house, which is also in need of some landscaping.
Hey, it will give me more to blog about!!!