help with front yard please!

[karen03]

Hi everyone!

I need help with our front yard, i have no clue what to do with it. I'm tired of pulling weeds so we've decided to create a garden. The annabelle hydrangeas has been there since last year & they're staying, i just love them!

Suggestions are greatly appreciated!

Thanks!!!

[Eeyore]

It looks like quite a narrow space. I'd dig it all up and put in a garden from the fence to the sidewalk.
What direction do you face? It would be good to know how much sun that space gets and whether the tree will shade it when it gets bigger.

[karen03]

Hi Lyn- We're facing east so it gets the afternoon sun by the fence, but half of the lawn gets sun almost the whole day (for now til the tree grows).

[Elena Zimmerman]

When you clear the snow, do you pile it on that lawn? Do you use salt? This is an important consideration to setting a bed on a narrow space like that. If you have a really high snow bank, and the lawn gets soggy and salty, and even grass has a tough time growing, you might be better off with gravelling the space and setting up the annuals in containers on it.

If it's not the case, I am with Lynn, just turn it over, build retaining border around it so the soil doesn't spill on the sidewalk, raise with soil and plant it over in a style that appeals to you!

[Smitty]

It looks like quite a narrow space. I'd dig it all up and put in a garden from the fence to the sidewalk.

Ditto that!!!

[karen03]

Thanks for pointing that out. We do shovel most of our snow there in the winter.

How about a yew border and hostas around the tree, do you think that'll work?

[Elena Zimmerman]

I really don't know, but I could only tell you that what survived under this conditions on my front bed are:

-fluffy conifers looking like small pine-trees
-pulmonarias
-sediums
-miniature daffodils

Other stuff didn't fare well, so I am doing groundcovers at the edges and leaving the rest of the space to be filled by the annuals.

I have also seen a front lawn replaced by mother of thyme and similar low covering groundcovers (like miniature victoria).

I also have ancedotal account that Golden Alyssum can't take salt.

Heh, I don't know much else.

[Eeyore]

I don't think Hostas will tolerate salt. Do a google search for salt tolerant plants and base your garden on that list. There are even salt tolerant roses you could plant in that space. This area would be classified as full sun so base your choices on that. Yew may not handle the snow load but junipers should do well there. If you intend to keep piling snow there even after putting in a garden pick plants that can handle a wide variety of soil conditions or plan to put in well draining soil with lots of pea gravel mixed in. Otherwise I like Elena's suggestion of gravel with annual planters on it.
There is a deicer that is not harmful to pets or grass. It's more expensive but worth the cost.

[B_BQ]

I too would forget about the grass - there's not much and what is there is having a hard time!

I would probably take out the lawn and fill it with perennials and shrubs, (flowering), and mulch it quite heavily. You could add a couple of spectacular pots filled with annuals for some nice colour during the summer.

I would also probably put a curved paved walkway from the driveway through it, continuing down the side of the house. I don't think much is going to survive between the house and fence anyway.

It's going to be a challenge for you, but hope you enjoy the journey.

Let us know what you decide and post pics!

~BBQ

[karen03]

Thanks for your input ladies. I will keep you all updated. Happy gardening!