Hey all! My mom asked for some help choosing plants for her new house. Keep in mind that she's, well...let's just say she's a gardening newb, so she needs plants that are low maintenance. She lives in North Carolina, so zone 7b. She thinks the soil is red clay. Says it holds water a long time. There's some erosion because the house is built on a slope. She says the shrubs are holly with some rose bushes in front. Any ideas? :/
What direction does the house face and how much shade/sun is there where she wants plants. Does she want annuals or perennials, bulbs, foliage plants...how big of space are you working with? in the flowerbeds or not? being next to the holly is acidic or the holly's wont do well. so Ph might come into play also. Those poor bushes are really sheared. Is she going to maintain them that way or will she let them grow a little and prune them to a more natural shape? OR is this an HOA and she won't maintain the plants? an HOA dictates what she can plant most likely. cute house by the way.
Let the shrubs grow naturally, it really can harm the plants overall health if kept shaped like that. If there is an HOA, she will have to have her plant choices approved by them or they will fine her and make her take them out if they don't like them.....HOAs do not like individuality at all. If she gets to choose, the best thing would be to wander through a local garden center and ask questions to see what is best for her climate....and I don't mean a big box store where the people in the garden center worked in plumbing the week before....but someone who knows what plants are good and which are not so much...as in a locally grown garden center. She might even want to contact a local garden club or visit a local community garden and talk to gardeners who know what grows best in her area.
Too many plants, and too many all the same height! Someone even topped the rose bushes so they are flat on top! I'm appalled! Good suggestion of Toni's to go to a locally owned nursery run by people who know plants. Take along a picture of the house, which will help the nursery people make suggestions. You might also want to include the height between the ground and the windows, since you won't want the view obscured by a tall shrub. Since your mom is a new gardener, start her out slow with easily maintained plants, and add a few annuals for instant color (that usually makes new gardeners happy and confident). Try to mix in different heights, variations of green colors, and a few shrubs that bloom occasionally. The landscaper should be shot. That is a lovely home, and it is not well served by that mess in front!
Hmm, some good points, guys Ill ask her about house direction and all that. I did tell her I thought the shrubs were ugly and suggested she let them grow out a bit, if she didnt want to remove them. They havent moved in yet and Im not sure when they will. She just texted that the front of the house faces north. She'll send more pics later.
For color... go with sunpatiens, new guinea impatiens, begonias, or coleus, maybe. Begonias come in some fabulous sizes and colors now.. the anglewing, Big series, non stops.. all fabulous. The anglewing can grow to about 2' high and are covered in flowers. The Big series doesn't get so tall and had a different shape to its leaves, sunpatiens tolerate a lot more sun that regular impatiens, new guineas are more disease resistant, coleus is a vegetative plant that just has interesting color, there are many varieties available now. for texture.. ferns, sweet potato vines, herbs might do okay depending on how much shade is there. Those poor shrubs... it's like looking at a second grader that is never allowed to have any kind of hair cut but a buzz. encourage her to let them grow out and learn how to shape them and let them have some natural shape to them. this is done with hand pruners or loppers once the branches get larger.. or rip them out ( or offer them to someone to come dig out and rehome somewhere else.) and leave a bed of mulch to plant annuals in for every summer. That one on the corner of the yard next to the drive needs to go. in another year or two it will be in the way of using the driveway. constantly brushing up against it with your car or body...
I love the house! Is it slightly tilted, it looks like its sat on a hill maybe how the pic has been took. North facing here would not be that great. I can recommend Osteospermums; these lasted all summer, I just ordered some purple Anyway you have lots of choices from the members. K
