There were some old boxwoods here that were dying so we tore them out last year. This wall faces northeast and gets no sun after about 10am because of trees behind the house and the height of our steep roof.
I would like some sort of evergreen and 4+ feet tall. Evergreen isn’t a hard requirement though.
by Big-Don-Kedic
3 Comments
For a Zone 7 wall that goes dark after 10 AM you need bulletproof shade lovers. Plum Yew or a classic dense Taxus will give you that evergreen four foot structure you want without getting leggy in the dark. If you want some early color throw in a few Pieris japonica or shade tolerant Rhododendrons. Just make sure you plant them at least three feet off that brick so air can circulate and the roots have room to breathe.
Before you put a single shovel in the dirt look at that downspout on the left corner. If that is just dumping water right at the foundation that soil stays soggy and will rot out the roots of whatever you put there. That is probably exactly what killed your old boxwoods. Pipe that water out and away under the mulch first.
Right now your front bed is suffering from severe polka dot syndrome. You have little clumps of bugleweed and hostas scattered everywhere like confetti. Dig those small pieces up and replant them in wide sweeping masses that flow together. You need a solid structural backdrop against the house and a unified carpet in the front to give the eye a place to rest.
How about some native shade loving shrubs?
Goats Beard
Aster (really beneficial pollinator shrub as it flowers in fall)
Ferns
Caladium. Bulbs with a wide variety of medium to large colorful leaves.