As the title implies, I'm planning on converting part of my front yard into a native garden and I'd like some feedback on design and plant choice before I commit to ordering any plants. I'm located in SE Wisconsin near the border between zones 5b and 6a. My soil is a mixture of clay and loam, but I plan on supplementing with some topsoil when I rip up the grass. The yard is full sun, with the front of my house facing east.
The first image lists out all the plants I'm planning on ordering. Being our front yard, I didn't want to go overboard on variety and create a look that was too messy for our city lot. I chose these mostly for color spread through the year and height.
The second image shows the current state of my front yard. I planted a serviceberry tree 2 years ago, replaced our lifeless rock border with the rest last year. There's a short retaining wall bordering our property on the north side. Each pixel is about 6" for scale.
The third and fourth images show the two layout options that my wife and I landed on as our favorites out of about ten other iterations. The first option includes a low, decorative fence that would help keep plants from flopping out into the sidewalk. The second option is going for a slightly more natural flow.
We're leaning towards the first option because it will help set a more defined yard space for our kid to play in but are a little concerned about our native garden looking a little too "blocky" because of the fence. If anybody has any feedback on plant selection, or how we might be able to tweak the layout, I'd love to hear your suggestions!
by Banjo2EE
1 Comment
Grasses? I would also see about filling in spaces with low ground covers. I do see clover, are there any violets or creeping ground covers that can work? One thing I also like to have on hand are things like old logs or large rocks to break up space and provide shelter.