We had to cut down a giant pine in the left corner and dead boxwoods under the window. I have a very small (I think) red-twig dogwood just to the left of the portico.
Need suggestions for a tree to plant in the same left corner and some foundation bushes under the window. The bushes need to be deer-resistant, preferably evergreen.
So far, I was looking at inkberry under the window, and maybe Redbud tree (The Rising Sun or Bloomables® Flame Thrower), or Serviceberry or Witch Hazel?
(We are putting a new roof on soon – black)
by Beautiful_Drawing_37
4 Comments
Skip the tree and place a 50’ flagpole there. Paver stones to build a circular flower bed at the base of the pole. For the shrubs/bushes, I think boxwood would do well. Good luck OP!
You are right on the money with Inkberry for under that window. Boxwoods are a headache right now with blight anyway so skip them forever. Grab a compact variety like Strongbox or Gem Box so they do not get bare ankles in a few years. Plant them in a continuous sweep right across that bed to ground the house visually. Do not space them out like little lonely meatballs. You want them to grow together into one solid textured mass that anchors the foundation and handles the local deer traffic.
For the left corner skip those flashy Redbud cultivars. Rising Sun and Flame Thrower look like a carnival act and will clash hard with your classic exterior. Go with the Serviceberry. Get a multi trunk form specifically. That vase shape will pull the eye up and soften that sharp architectural corner of your siding perfectly. It gives you raw structure in the dead of winter and feeds the birds in summer. Just make sure to plant it out from the wall so the canopy has room to stretch without scraping the siding.
Pull your planting beds out further from the house than you think you need. Your front yard slopes away and houses with tight narrow beds on a slope always look like they are tipping forward. Sweep the dirt line wide around that left corner to give the Serviceberry a proper stage then curve it smoothly toward the door. Stuff some low native sedges around the base of the tree to bridge the visual gap between your heavy evergreens and the taller woody branches. It makes the whole front look like one intentional ecosystem instead of a random trip to the garden center.
A deck in front of the house.
You’ve got a great setup to work with, and the black roof will make everything look really crisp. For the tree, I’d go with a Serviceberry over a Redbud since it has a nicer shape long term and gives you flowers, berries, and fall color. For the foundation, Inkberry is a solid pick and one of the best boxwood alternatives that deer tend to leave alone. A simple row under the window will look clean and low maintenance. I’d wait until after the roof is done before planting though, saves you from potential damage.