TravelingChris Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 We bought a house that we closed on in late July 2011. I suspected that the landscaping was put in by someone not knowledgeable but my husband was skeptical that I knew that. Well, I was just proved right. Our entire front border must have been put in a year or two ago for getting a buyer. It does to its service that it works for right now. It won't work in a few years, though. Why? I have plants that will grow 8 feet wide and 8 feet tall planted a few feet away from each other and one right next to the driveway. I have other plants that grow four feet in diameter planted a few inches from the sidewalk. I also have the world's largest collection of hollies- almost all that grow very large and many that are either next to one of our windows (and our inside is dark enough already without plants growing directly over us) or right next to the sidewalk. I don't mind a few hollies-but all hollies, all the time? No. What we got for $50 was a knowledgeable landscape designer and plant specialist come to our house and walk through our big yard with me and identify plants and answer my questions. She confirmed that a giant hickory in our front yard just died (it was alive last year when we moved in). Although it is leaning away from the house, I think we need to get it cut down very, very soon. Another hickory looks like it is sick too. We also have a diseased redbud which I will replace with a dogwood. She is the one who figured out exactly how wrong the front border landscape is and also identified for me four more species of hollies I didn't even know I had. By the way, did I get a lovely winterberry or some other beautiful species like that? No, of course not. The difficult part, along with the costly tree removal, will be that there is so much to do. Eventually, almost all parts of the yard will have to be redone. There is one part that is fine but I don't even like it. My husband wants a master plan before we start doing things so I guess I have to start drawing. Too bad my drawing skills are close to nil. In the meantime, someone has to go around killing all the honeysuckle poppong up everywhere along with the ivy, the poison ivy, and the various other weeds and volunteer trees popping up. I do have some real gems like lots of trilliums but the non wanted plants are much more in evidence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 Sounds like it was $50 well invested! We purchased a new home eleven years ago...it was the builder 'show' place. All the landscaping was like you describe--newly planted planted destined to be too large for the space. We lifted many of the shrubs and moved them to the backyard borders. Those little shrubs that were between the house and the sidewalk (2 ft bed) are now twelve feet high and wide. Awesome plants in the correct location! My advice to you is to concentrate on one or two areas at a time... Maybe by the front and back doors first. Then a bed or two near by, then one in the corners of the yard. Doing it this way gives you a chance to observe how your yard/sunlight/rainfall truly works. Replace the trees since they take so long to grow... I've watched people in my neighborhood call in huge landscapers and do the entire yard...then I've watched as the plants died over the next five years or so...no one really cared, ya know? Enjoy your garden adventures! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trilliums Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 Around here people like to plant birches about 6 feet from the foundation. Nice accent when they are 8 feet tall. Many older homes near us have half a tree in their front yard; the other half has been trimmed off to stay away from the house. Hope you have fun redesigning your yard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammyla Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 Sounds like the info was worth your money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wabi Sabi Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 We should really do the same: we have several trees that are dead, several more we *think* might be dying, and all sorts of other issues. How did you go about finding this person? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OrganicAnn Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 Always a good investments especially when dealing with big things like trees. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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