Michigan and north facing. I can’t think of what would make this look decent.
by Ok-Rutabaga2138
Michigan and north facing. I can’t think of what would make this look decent.
by Ok-Rutabaga2138
17 Comments
Wtf?…. How about a little more freaking information? What direction is the wall facing? Do you get snow,if so, how much? I’m from Los Angeles so I don’t have a clue. What are you trying to accomplish? Height, privacy, low-growing perennials, color, low maintenance, something simple, high maintenance? Where is your header/border to contain the grass? What about drainage? Have you done a PH test on your soil? What is your soil like, sandy loam? Clay? Go to your local nursery and get help. But, do some homework! Go take pics of what you do like and look them up. Learn what you can so you can get something that looks pretty, is long-term and you are not wasting money on plants that won’t work in the long run. Good luck
Shrubs, shade tolerant… maybe boxwood, holly, yew, pieris, hydrangea… and maybe some ferns, hellebores, heuchera, lungwort, lamium around the shrubs to anchor the look. Think in layers, and mix in evergreen and deciduous. Make sure whatever you choose would be appropriate to your planting zone and hours of sunlight.
That shape is really weird. Retrench the curves. Very slight swooping curves, not a massive zigzag with a small zigzag at the back.
And having plants that don’t look dead would probably help
https://preview.redd.it/l8yxd2qo9fzg1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=26947f633debdef8930700dae0cd8d94125c3a32
This is really messy sorry but basically: Re-edge this bed. (Blue line)
Move the shrubs out of the rain shadow into the empty space , do not replace with anything. (Blue stripes and red circles)
The perennials around the tree: move them into clumps that accentuate the bed shape, not the small area around the tree. (Green check marks)
You do those three things and you’ll be able to tell what else you want to do here. Also though? Those hostas are going to be everywhere in no time. Don’t over plant.
I actually love the shape, it’s not boring and is very interesting to see. Find images of gardens you like then start choosing plants from those images to see what you might be interested in adding.
Less grass please.
Check out tator tot arborvitaes some dwarf golden mops and some dwarf fire chief. They are all cold hardy and tolerant of many different conditions
Boxwoods are having a lot of blight lately so I would stay away from those
I actually really love this shape. Its unique, and your home should be the way you like it- not only to impress others. You put soem time and though into that shape- keep it. Im a chaotic gardener- I use native plants and throw seeds to see what happens. I can find a spot for any plant swap treasure I find. Does everyone love it? No. Do I? Yes- and so do the golden finches sitting in my cutleaf cone flowers.
On a plus side that looks like some healthy grass sir.
Pop this pic in Chat GPT to have it create a better garden
I also have a north facing house in the upper Midwest. You can do so much more than you think. Plant shade perennials and part shade shrubs. I’ve owned this home for two years and the things I’ve put in that are thriving are columbine, ferns, a serviceberry bush, coral bells, and a hydrangea tree. Hostas would be great too and they’re very low maintenance. Plant what will grow tallest at the back of the bed and smaller plants up front. You’re lucky you already have the flowerbed, it just needs some more soil and compost and you can plant to your heart’s content.
I don’t get all the hate of the shape. Looks unique and interesting. If it were my space, I’d look at putting some large shrubs (appropriate for your zone and how much sun the bed gets) along the house line and layering it down to smaller pollinating perennials towards the edges of the lines. Vary the species and colors to reflect the asymmetry of the lines
continue the bed edge from the front gutter so it’s a smooth line – it’s too tight around the hydrangea tree. compost the boxwoods in the back and replace them with evergreens planted a bit further from the house (euonymus or sea juniper ) Keep the hydrangea tree in its current spot. Spread the hostas along the front edge of the bed near the grass line. add another hydrangea tree, dappled willow or ms kim lilac at the bottom
I’m a big rectangle-box-garden type of guy, but I like what you did. Especially the at the corner, the thin curve works for me.
I think you should start by placing 2×2 pavers here and there as a way to service each part of the plot and get closer to the wall.
Taller plants at the rear, some coral bells, some and low-to-the-ground flowers at the front like petunias. The middle do bulbs like tulips, etc.
Here is a rough guide [https://www.almanac.com/front-yard-flower-garden-plan](https://www.almanac.com/front-yard-flower-garden-plan)
Do know that those plants and flowers take time to fill the space, so just enjoy and plan your attacks.
I would start with a garden gnome & work out from there, he may need a friend or 5, then they need foliage that shows them to advantage. Just an FYI- they have garden gnomes that look like tiny dinosaurs, which could be fun with ferns.
Ask ChatGPT! It can give you some mock up options and you can get as creative as you want!
Hostas are my favorite plant for shady areas. They’re beautiful and lush and they love shade.