Browse Forums Landscape & Garden Design 1 Dec 16, 2009 9:43 pm Ive been reading this site for three months or so, and am astounded at how insightful you all are. So here I am, hoping you might be able to send some of that insight my way. We've recently ripped out everything from our front yard and need to start from scratch. Our front yard is north facing so it gets sun all day. The flower beds are one metre wide with good drainage Here are some pictures of my front yard - excuse the fence - its about to be fixed We're also going to run soil improver through it this weekend. http://s821.photobucket.com/albums/zz133/elinitha_au/Front%20Garden/?action=view¤t=DSCF1187.jpg http://s821.photobucket.com/albums/zz133/elinitha_au/Front%20Garden/?action=view¤t=DSCF1186.jpg http://s821.photobucket.com/albums/zz133/elinitha_au/Front%20Garden/?action=view¤t=DSCF1185.jpg http://s821.photobucket.com/albums/zz133/elinitha_au/Front%20Garden/?action=view¤t=DSCF1184.jpg http://s821.photobucket.com/albums/zz133/elinitha_au/Front%20Garden/?action=view¤t=DSCF1183.jpg I'm not real keen on having a structured formal hedge, as i dont think it will suit the house. What i was thinking of having along the fence line was a row of Pittosporum to screen, with maybe some cuphea little hatter (purple) and sheena's gold mixed in. Along the front and the bed that is next to the drive way, i was thinking again a mix of cuphea, sheena's gold and liriope evergreen giants - with the liriopes put in a zig zag formation and the sheena with the cuphea mixed in? I love the look of the hebe emerald green, but have noticed on the tags they too only grow to 20cm, and thought the sheena's gold would be better for a little height if i keep it shrub like, low and pruned. As for the bed under the window - i'm open to your expertise. What do you think? Too busy? not enough? I'm here for help, so please if you have some different ideas, i'm all for it. Re: Front yard help - are my ideas too busy? 3Dec 17, 2009 1:19 am I get what you are trying to do with the colours but it will end up a mess in a few years. If you really have your heart set on those plants, look at using them in different places rather than together. the only way that will come off is if it were clipped as formal hedges. I would suggest more water wise alternatives and also a tree but I do notice the lines across the yard are on an awkward angle. Where do you live? That will make a difference Re: Front yard help - are my ideas too busy? 4Dec 17, 2009 7:37 am Clipped hedges can have a modern look - there are quite a few gardens near me that use them well. I'm talking more about low borders - box has been done to death, but hardy flowering plants like westringia, correa, hebe etc look great in a knee-high hedge as a border with taller plants behind them. You don't have to use square lines either, although if you're looking for minimal work, it would be easier to stick with what you have, rather than dig up concrete edging and re-do the whole layout. There are also lots of screening shrubs available apart from Pittosporum. I like those, but again, they're in every second yard now. Lucky Fu didn't jump through your screen and kill you for even saying the P-word. Just for a start, there are these to consider: http://www.warners.com.au/?p=PG&cri=16&ScreeningLarge_Shrubs= A blank cavas is a great opportunity to do something fabulous and a bit different. Fu will have some good suggestions if you tell him where you're located. Re: Front yard help - are my ideas too busy? 5Dec 17, 2009 10:05 am Thanks guys - I'm located in Sydney - Canturbury council area if that helps. Maybe i havnt been reading the post long enough - i didnt realise th 'P' word was a dirty one Re: Front yard help - are my ideas too busy? 6Dec 17, 2009 10:15 am When you say "ripped out everything" ... you mean "everything, except for the grass".... right ? Are you particularly attached to those cement garden edges ? I'd remove them and widen the garden beds - i.e. with the aim of reducing the amount of grass. I would also agree with Fu that a suitable tree should be the starting point. Ideally you would want to plant something deciduous for that north-facing aspect (that would provide shade in summer and allow the sun in during winter) - but that all depends on how keen you are to have a deciduous tree and the associated clean up etc... Consider callistamons or lillypillies instead of pittosporums. Consider native grasses (dianellas) instead of lyriopes. Re: Front yard help - are my ideas too busy? 7Dec 17, 2009 11:52 am The other thing that makes go mental is Lily pilies So hard to keep disease free and the treatments for the diseases are some of the most toxic sprays still allowed to be sold retail. I have heard many garden centre people recomend less toxic sprays but they are unfortunately, absolutely useless Have a search in here using the search tool in the top right for hedges, shrubs and trees using my username and you will get so many ideas Grab a pen and paper and take some notes I often suggest it but being an eastern States native, correas are an under rated plant. Check them out Agreed on the liriopes, a bit weedy and only look good in the first year. Dianellas will look sensational nearly all year for years to come. lomandra seascape is a good one too Re: Front yard help - are my ideas too busy? 8Dec 17, 2009 7:46 pm Fu Manchu Agreed on the liriopes, a bit weedy and only look good in the first year. I have heaps of liriopes in the front garden. Hope they still look good next year. there should be ss cable so you can pull up bore pump for service 1 1318 can someone with more experience give me their insight? land is pretty much flat its pretty much at the top of a hill. left and right neighbours are flat in line with my… 0 5714 2 2909 |