Help on landscape and designing | Garden Design Discussion

Help on landscape and designing

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mjbecnel Joined: 8/06/2009 Location: Metairie, LA Posts: 9	Posted: Aug/06/2009 12:35 PM PST Looking for ideas on how to reshape and landscape the front of my house. Me and my wife will do the labor. I need help on what to plant and how to shape the garden in front of my new house. My wife would like to keep the wrought gate with a white flower vine in its original place. This would help me plan my budget to go and buy the correct plant and trees for our new landscape. Any information would help Attachments: Quote \| Reply \| Report

sassmuffin Joined: 2/16/2004 Location: west allis wisconsin Posts: 891	Posted: Aug/06/2009 3:58 PM PST There are several good web sites to help (Better homes and gardens has one). But the picture you posted with the hose reminded me of a tip on one of my books. Use your garden hose as a "guide" in reshaping your gardens. You can lay out curved lines or circles. Seeing as your yard and house and existing gardens all have straight hard lines, adding curvy beds in front would help soften the look. I know we have several Louisiana gardeners here, they could help you with plant selection, as I live in a much colder climate. Hope this helps some, Also introduce yourself in the welcome section so all the LA gardeners can find you. Sass Quote \| Reply \| Report

mjbecnel Joined: 8/06/2009 Location: Metairie, LA Posts: 9	Posted: Aug/06/2009 6:56 PM PST Thanks for the update. I will use my garden hose to give us a new shape with curves. I will pull everything out of the garden and use my tiller to mix in the fresh soil i will add. I hope someone from Louisiana can tell me what to plant and it location in the front of my house. Designing a beautiful landscape is hard to do if you are green at it. Quote \| Reply \| Report

witt Joined: 3/28/2008 Location: The Bucolic Bungalow Lancaster, SC Posts: 6946 Moderator	Posted: Aug/07/2009 1:57 AM PST Love the caladiums. They will have to stay!! Yes, do go to the Introductions in the Forums. Let those LA folks know that you're here. They all have lovely gardens and will be happy to help you design your beds. Oh, and WELCOME to Garden Guides. Quote \| Reply \| Report

karslinky Joined: 8/28/2004 Location: Upstate New York Posts: 1113	Posted: Aug/07/2009 5:34 AM PST Quote: Originally posted by mjbecnel Designing a beautiful landscape is hard to do if you are green at it. Ah, but starting a new garden is like starting to paint on an empty page - daunting at first to get started, but then you just experiment and change as you go. I have moved more plants from one place to another, it literally takes me years before I am happy with one of my gardens! So don't get frustrated if you don't like something at first. Your yard looks like it is mostly shade - does it get sun during parts of the day? I have wanted to take pictures of a yard I drove past in town that I just love - curvy lines from the house to a tree in the front yard, astilbe and hostas of all varieties - not a lot of different plants but wow, it just looks great. Maybe your post will prompt me to get my camera over there and I can post it here.... Quote \| Reply \| Report

mjbecnel Joined: 8/06/2009 Location: Metairie, LA Posts: 9	Posted: Aug/07/2009 9:01 AM PST Yes My garden is in shade half of the day. I will post on the introduction Quote \| Reply \| Report

joysh Joined: 8/05/2009 Location: Central Ohio Posts: 4	Posted: Aug/07/2009 11:54 AM PST Hubby and I started our major landscape design the beginning of July. I found Showoff Home Design to be a help when it came to selecting the types of plants and how many to see how it would look. It is a landscaping software you can download for no charge and insert your picture and any plants you want. But we belong to a garden club and plan on getting starts from anyone who is dividing up plants this fall or spring. My mom has plenty she can give me. So any neighbors that have large plants that may need dividing would be an option for plants instead of buying from nursery. Quote \| Reply \| Report

carolyncat353 Joined: 4/29/2008 Location: Westlake, La Posts: 4390	Posted: Aug/07/2009 12:22 PM PST I agree with Witt-If you're in shade half a day-caladiums are a good choice-Are you going to be taking any of those plants out, are you leaving something? Do you want flowers or foilage-shrubs or ground cover? Lots of questions to ask. If you do not already, subscribe to Louisiana Gardener magazine. It is published 10 months out of the year, and covers all of Louisiana and deaLs with our weather and native plants. Very informative magazine. Quote \| Reply \| Report

mjbecnel Joined: 8/06/2009 Location: Metairie, LA Posts: 9	Posted: Aug/07/2009 12:39 PM PST I would like the garden to be mostly green or color plants that can handle the winter months, but at the same time i would like the garden to stick out and be a showoff that people would see and say "what a beautiful garden" Quote \| Reply \| Report

mjbecnel Joined: 8/06/2009 Location: Metairie, LA Posts: 9	Posted: Aug/07/2009 12:55 PM PST Taking everything out but we would like to keep the wrought iron gate with the white flower vine in its place Quote: Originally posted by carolyncat353 I agree with Witt-If you're in shade half a day-caladiums are a good choice-Are you going to be taking any of those plants out, are you leaving something? Do you want flowers or foilage-shrubs or ground cover? Lots of questions to ask. If you do not already, subscribe to Louisiana Gardener magazine. It is published 10 months out of the year, and covers all of Louisiana and deaLs with our weather and native plants. Very informative magazine. Quote \| Reply \| Report

Member

Message

mjbecnel
Joined: 8/06/2009
Location: Metairie, LA
Posts: 9

Posted: Aug/06/2009 12:35 PM PST

Looking for ideas on how to reshape and landscape the front of my house. Me and my wife will do the labor. I need help on what to plant and how to shape the garden in front of my new house. My wife would like to keep the wrought gate with a white flower vine in its original place. This would help me plan my budget to go and buy the correct plant and trees for our new landscape. Any information would help

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Quote | Reply | Report

sassmuffin

Joined: 2/16/2004
Location: west allis wisconsin
Posts: 891

Posted: Aug/06/2009 3:58 PM PST

There are several good web sites to help (Better homes and gardens has one). But the picture you posted with the hose reminded me of a tip on one of my books. Use your garden hose as a "guide" in reshaping your gardens. You can lay out curved lines or circles. Seeing as your yard and house and existing gardens all have straight hard lines, adding curvy beds in front would help soften the look. I know we have several Louisiana gardeners here, they could help you with plant selection, as I live in a much colder climate.

Hope this helps some, Also introduce yourself in the welcome section so all the LA gardeners can find you.

Sass

Quote | Reply | Report

mjbecnel
Joined: 8/06/2009
Location: Metairie, LA
Posts: 9

Posted: Aug/06/2009 6:56 PM PST

Thanks for the update. I will use my garden hose to give us a new shape with curves. I will pull everything out of the garden and use my tiller to mix in the fresh soil i will add. I hope someone from Louisiana can tell me what to plant and it location in the front of my house. Designing a beautiful landscape is hard to do if you are green at it.

Quote | Reply | Report

witt

Joined: 3/28/2008
Location: The Bucolic Bungalow Lancaster, SC
Posts: 6946
Moderator

Posted: Aug/07/2009 1:57 AM PST

Love the caladiums. They will have to stay!! Yes, do go to the Introductions in the Forums. Let those LA folks know that you're here. They all have lovely gardens and will be happy to help you design your beds.

Oh, and WELCOME to Garden Guides.

Quote | Reply | Report

karslinky

Joined: 8/28/2004
Location: Upstate New York
Posts: 1113

Posted: Aug/07/2009 5:34 AM PST

Quote:

Originally posted by mjbecnel

Designing a beautiful landscape is hard to do if you are green at it.

Ah, but starting a new garden is like starting to paint on an empty page - daunting at first to get started, but then you just experiment and change as you go. I have moved more plants from one place to another, it literally takes me years before I am happy with one of my gardens! So don't get frustrated if you don't like something at first.

Your yard looks like it is mostly shade - does it get sun during parts of the day? I have wanted to take pictures of a yard I drove past in town that I just love - curvy lines from the house to a tree in the front yard, astilbe and hostas of all varieties - not a lot of different plants but wow, it just looks great. Maybe your post will prompt me to get my camera over there and I can post it here....

Quote | Reply | Report

mjbecnel
Joined: 8/06/2009
Location: Metairie, LA
Posts: 9

Posted: Aug/07/2009 9:01 AM PST

Yes
My garden is in shade half of the day. I will post on the introduction

Quote | Reply | Report

joysh
Joined: 8/05/2009
Location: Central Ohio
Posts: 4

Posted: Aug/07/2009 11:54 AM PST

Hubby and I started our major landscape design the beginning of July. I found Showoff Home Design to be a help when it came to selecting the types of plants and how many to see how it would look. It is a landscaping software you can download for no charge and insert your picture and any plants you want.

But we belong to a garden club and plan on getting starts from anyone who is dividing up plants this fall or spring. My mom has plenty she can give me. So any neighbors that have large plants that may need dividing would be an option for plants instead of buying from nursery.

Quote | Reply | Report

carolyncat353

Joined: 4/29/2008
Location: Westlake, La
Posts: 4390

Posted: Aug/07/2009 12:22 PM PST

I agree with Witt-If you're in shade half a day-caladiums are a good choice-Are you going to be taking any of those plants out, are you leaving something? Do you want flowers or foilage-shrubs or ground cover? Lots of questions to ask. If you do not already, subscribe to Louisiana Gardener magazine. It is published 10 months out of the year, and covers all of Louisiana and deaLs with our weather and native plants. Very informative magazine.

Quote | Reply | Report

mjbecnel
Joined: 8/06/2009
Location: Metairie, LA
Posts: 9

Posted: Aug/07/2009 12:39 PM PST

I would like the garden to be mostly green or color plants that can handle the winter months, but at the same time i would like the garden to stick out and be a showoff that people would see and say "what a beautiful garden"

Quote | Reply | Report

mjbecnel
Joined: 8/06/2009
Location: Metairie, LA
Posts: 9

Posted: Aug/07/2009 12:55 PM PST

Taking everything out but we would like to keep the wrought iron gate with the white flower vine in its place

Quote:

Originally posted by carolyncat353

I agree with Witt-If you're in shade half a day-caladiums are a good choice-Are you going to be taking any of those plants out, are you leaving something? Do you want flowers or foilage-shrubs or ground cover? Lots of questions to ask. If you do not already, subscribe to Louisiana Gardener magazine. It is published 10 months out of the year, and covers all of Louisiana and deaLs with our weather and native plants. Very informative magazine.

Quote | Reply | Report

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