For context, we bought a house that previously had a serious overgrowth issue. We’ve done sooooo much work to the backyard. The front garden has all sorts of gorgeous plants that keep popping up. On the left facing the house, it was slightly more sparse, and I’ve actually planted a few things for more color. On the right, however, it gets verrrrry dense with ferns particularly. I don’t mind the look, I feel like it’s giving cottage in the countryside. My husband likes it. But I’m wondering if that’s just us. Is this ok, or does it look too wild??
by LibraryEquivalent850
44 Comments
I think it looks nice and full 👌🩷
No, it’s fine
I love it! Only thing I would maybe think of doing would be to add some taller plants with some color to them. Otherwise…. It looks healthy, lush and gorgeously green!
Looks beautiful. Nice work.
Master gardener here.. It looks fine — just not very dynamic. From the plant choices, it reads as a shade garden, esp with the bleeding hearts, hostas and ferns. To add visual interest, I’d look for something with vertical structure for varying height, because right now everything sits on the same visual plane and feels a bit flat. maybe some actea/black cohosh…. or astilbes… For fall..japanese anenomes..has height and blooms late august/sept.
Also, texture..everything is the same green…add some dark leaf coral bells, overall it looks lush.
There is no such thing in the garden 😉 it’s beautiful
Nope, all the little creatures are living their best Ferngully lives in there. Love it.
Beautiful don’t second guess you did great!!
It looks great. My only critique is I would like to see some color something blooming different colored leaves.
This is what I’m going for. Less I have to mulch, the better
It’s only too much if something is smothering something else. If everyone looks happy and cozy, it’s all good!
It looks good. But if you want to thin it out, don’t be afraid to divide plants and move the split offs to another part of your yard.
I think it looks lovely. I would suggest a spring flowering blue/lavendar part shade plant to add a little pop. Maybe blue moon phlox divaricata which would add some lovely pale lilac flowers in April/May and movement.
transplant the phlox thats getting smothered by the daylilies up to the front. it is too pretty to be hidden like that
edit: I am just being nitpicky at this point, but I would personally thin out some of these plants and add groups of heucheras for more color when things aren’t blooming. I might even get rid of the daylilies entirely from this bed and then divide the irises into smaller clumps so there are more of them. simply because I like iris’s foliage and form more than daylilies, and in a thin shady bed like this foliage is everything. imo daylilies work better in a big sunny bed with lots of flowers where you don’t notice the foliage. that’s just my personal opinion though!
It looks gorgeous!
I love it. I aspire to cottage garden.
Looks good. I like it full.
omg I love!!!
Personally not a fan of lillies. If anything is making things look crowded it’s those.
I have a similar area with Hosta, ferns, and Lilly. I have been digging up the ferns this year and transplanting them to other places but they keep multiplying. Eventually, you will probably have to thin them.
No looks great
No it’s not too much. It’s how plants live. In community with other plants. They aren’t meant to be little islands in copious amounts of mulch
Looks like you will have very few weeds. And I like that!
The bleeding hearts will decline after blooming and will disappear into the hostas, so they’re fine.
The creeping phlox should be moved to the front so it’s not hidden by the day lilies.
The lily of the valley should get yanked out; they’re invasive and will take over.
The spirea in the bottom left corner of the first picture should be moved now before it gets any bigger. It’s too close to the porch for its mature size.
I like the ferns, but they’ll eventually take over. I would move them to their own area where they can spread and act as a ground cover. *You can leave the ones in the back; they make a nice backdrop for the other plants. But they will continue to send out runners and it will be a nonstop battle to keep them under control.
It’s not too much imo, I just think it will eventually be too much if the ferns and lily of the valley continue to spread. It’s easier to deal with them now, before they take over the beds.
No way! Luscious and gorgeous. Congratulations! Love it
Never. Add more!
Nope. Gorgeous!
looks nice. could you also add some shorter flowers in front for a pop of color?
Not for me. 💚
I love it!
Love it
Looks great
Not too full, I can see the ground 😂
I don’t think it’s enough. I would put little Marigolds or Johnny Popups in the front for a little pop of color.
I love it. But if it was mine I would probably still want to play in that area. I’d vary the heights and color more.
I like a little chaos.
Never too much!
Not at all. It looks so green and lush!
It looks lush, which is highly desirable.
Do I see Lilly of the valley? Where I live that will take over and kill everything else at the root within like 2 years… nice fill for under a cedar or something though 🤷♀️
Looks great to me.
Looks really good
No, it’s not enough. Throw some tall plants that sprout flowers amongst the others. Gives you that whimsical fence line look.
I see dirt, room for flowers! 😜
If you feel like it’s too much, you could weed out the ferns that are growing inside the hostas.
It looks perfect