I wish I was. I see beautiful yards where people know which plants to put where and how to prune them, water them and care for them in a way that makes them thrive. I just don’t know that kind of stuff. I have lots of books on gardening, but I just don’t get it. The best thing I can do with my yard is pull weeds and clean it up. So far, we’ve cut down two trees, pulled up about eight bushes and have burned and hauled loads of rubbish.
I spent a couple of hours yesterday and the better part of today hacking away at this row of bushes and vines that hang over our neighbor’s fence. It actually doesn’t looks that bad in this picture, but it was way out of control and looked very messy. The vines and weeds have grown over a French drain that separates the properties and finally, after three long years, I was done looking at it. So, with the entirely wrong tools, I worked my way through the thicket. Can I just tell you? Trimming through these bushes with pruning shears was like trying to cut through a dozen string mop heads with safety scissors, but I was determined. Today I smartened up and used a pull saw, which really helped things along.
Wow…there was a fence behind all of that brush. I didn’t hate every minute of it, but there were parts of it that were excruciating. Just imagine cutting through thorn bushes with vines tangled around them. That does not make my top ten list of fun things to do.
We ended up hauling away two truckloads of trimmings and rubbish to our friend’s orchard. It’s done and gone.
Whew! That was a long stretch of fence to uncover. I am now sore and a little cranky towards my three year old, who’s been a little out of sorts, anyway. I would rejoice in all of the calories I burned today, but I ate two glazed sour cream doughnuts, half an apple fritter, a sandwich and cheetos. We’re getting pizza for dinner, so it’s not getting any better.
I need some help from all of the gardeners out there. What should I do with this place that I cleared? I’m hoping I can continue to trim back the bushes and vines and they’ll eventually make a nice hedge along the fence. I’m just not sure what to do with the sloped area and the French drain. I sprayed all of the weeds to get a clean start, but I know it will be a constant fight in that gravel. It needs to be low maintenance, clean looking, and cheap. Bushes? Flowers? Put rocks over the entire area? Any thoughts?
24 Responses
Whoa. You were a woman on a mission!!
Unfortunately, I have no landscaping advice to give … I'm in the same camp you are.
I would do roses…there are tons of different varieties to choose from, big ones, small ones, bushy ones and sparse ones…but I think it would enhance the beauty and rustic-ness of that fenceline without it looking overgrown…as long as the bushes didn't go taller than the fence. However, some roses attract hornets, so with a three year old running around that you don't want stung, I would go for a variety that doesn't attract hornets as much. (there's info in books and online that tell you which roses are which and so forth)
I know how much work that is. When we moved into our brand new house with woods, the backyard was covered in vines that you could swing on.
The first thing I did was plan it out on paper. Draw it to scale on graph paper. Get a good gardening book that tells you what to plant such as Southern living or Sunset gardening book. Ask your neighbors & friends who garden. The most important thing for esthetics is to make your beds curvy – never straight. Then make sure you have both tall & shorter plants. Shrubs, perennials, & room for a few annuals. Also, amend the soil! I have a few photos of my yard on my blog …
http://diydesignfanatic.blogspot.com/search/label/My%20Garden
Quite the job! I have ornamental grasses to cut down and I dread it every year! I'm hoping to get a head start this year before other stuff grows in and get them cut down and all cleaned up.
For your area, first check the weed spray and make sure you can plant this season. Some of them you can't plant for a year after you've sprayed. I think you might do well to talk to someone who knows what they are talking about. Go to a nursery {not Home Depot or Lowes}. I would tell them you'd like to plant something in this area and then explain about the French drain. General ideas would be, maybe you could do an allee with pear trees or an evergreen like an Italian cypress {something tall and thin} along the fence line.
Good luck!
A good basic gardening book is always the best place to start and perennials are the easiest and most economical plants to have. These are the variety that come back every year on their own and multiply. Soon you will have a lush garden!!
Good luck!
xoxo
Jane
I think we have the same degree of gardening expertise. My husband and I were outside today and decided to call our landscaping "effortless" as in we put in very little effort (other than weeding and trimming) My husband said that this is better than "talentless" which is what we would have if we actually tried to do something with the yard! Good luck!
Sarah
I am no expert, but I love working in the yard. Low maintenance and clean looking: Maybe a boxwood. You can plant a bunch of them in front of the fence all along the fence line. They are evergreen so they look nice all year. If you want some flowers, maybe you could add a few bulbs in the mix. Iris does well on slopes and will help stabilize unstable ground. They will only bloom for a short time though, so I would plant an evergreen also.
I am NOT a natural gardener, although I want to be. So I am in the same boat. I just decided to go for it and see what happens. LOL Really what's the worst that can happen? Overgrowth? I can cut 'em back. Too much? Transplant. Die? Happens to my plants ALL the time! LOL
You should consider adding perennials spaced every few feet. Plant once and you're done for years to come! Most will get bigger and better every year. A good nursery can really help you with that – just make sure you know the amount of sun it gets and the type of soil (dry, wet, caly, etc.). Once you speak to them you can also try posting on Freecycle or Craigslist. At this time of year you might find a gardener(s) who is looking to split up their plants. The advantage to this is that they have well established plants and that would give you a head-start over using the new stock at a nursery. Worth a try. Good luck!
Give your local extension a call. They can recommend plants that will do well in your local area and for the growing conditions you have.
Love that hidden fence. I love boxwood. It is drought tolerant, tidy ,easy to grow and is green all year. Looks great with fairy lights any time of the year too!
Whew, what a job! I think at least part of what you were cutting back looked like forsythia (with the yellow flowers), which you will probably have to trim back again in the future. I would leave a little room (18 inches or so at least so you can easily fit behind) behind your new plantings so you can trim easily again in the future.
If I were you and wanted very low maintenance, I'd plant a row in the back of an evergreen "hedge". There are varieties that will need little to no pruning/shaping — ask at a garden nursery, they'll point you in the right direction.
Then, I'd curve the bed gently in places and add some shrubs/lg. flowering plants (knockout roses, burning bush, small azaleas, rhododendron, hydrangeas, etc.), those are all pretty easy to maintain. Then add in some perennials (plants that come back every year) like daylilies (stella d'oro are a pretty yellow and bloom very well — also daylilies are pretty hard to kill!), purple coneflower, etc. Just look for plants that do well with the amount of sun your area gets (full sun??) and are drought resistant (so you don't have to water all the time), the tags will tell you that info. Also, ask about plants native to your area, those tend to do well too.
Sorry this was such a book! 🙂 Everyone here has great ideas! Hope you have a wonderful Easter!!
Stacey
We are working on a similar project. We have chosen to put a dry creek bed of river stone and some larger accent stones placed throughout. I will also be putting some some viburnum in groups of three and day lily for color. It keeps the cost down if because you don't have to plant the full length of the fence and the dry bed allows you to reach the fence for pruning.
Google images of dry creek beds for ideas.
Good luck!
Good job, it already looks much better! Uh, alas I am not a gardner either. I do know how to make something green turn brown though!
I love the site and the fence you found. It is really great and you have not even planted anything yet. The first thing I would start with is a pre-emergent like Preen. It prevents weeds from germinating so no pulling or spraying involved. The second thing I would suggest is a battery or electric hedge trimmer. It is a real time saver. You also might want to time the hours of sunlight it gets so you can tell the nursery personnel. We just cut down three big Italian cypress trees so I am timing the sun because there was never ANY sun before and nothing would grow. I like the idea of boxwoods too, I am considering them too. Best of luck with your gardening.
Ohh… I can relate. When I was on my 5 acres, the neighbour came over and cleaned up his own bush crawling over my fence. I was so grateful because it was at least an acre long!
The problem you will always have I'm afraid is that the bush will grow back again unless you keep at it. So no matter what you plant in front of it, you'll have that other craziness spewing over in no time.
The only thing I can think of that's virtually hassle free is a row of trees, eventually tall and wide enough to create a hedge so you can't see the mess. However, it alone won't stop the bush from pushing through. You'd have to go behind the trees to do the cleanup. And not knowing what a french drain is, that may mess with it. ??
By the looks of the pic, it may be rather shady for full blooms…
Ok, if this were mine, I would actually allow the bush to come forth but keep it trimmed so it looks like it's planted there intentionally. It's pretty hard to fight a growing bushy forest.
If you think you can keep a handle on it yearly and don't mind abit of work, a nice english garden loaded with perennials would be lovely running along that side. How I build a perennial garden is, go buy what's in bloom now, and space it accordingly. When it's done blooming, go back and buy what's in bloom next, and do the same. Eventually you'll have this well balanced flash of colour. Just keep the taller stuff to the back and smaller to the front. It'll save you replanting colour each year, however it isn't labour free to keep up. 🙂
Donna
Hi…I have found over the years in my yard that the perennials Black Eyed Susans, Pink Coneflower & Bee Balm have served me well. They spread (without going too nuts) & give just enough color. Don't forget about planting herbs that have colorful leaves and sometimes flowers. Many of these are also perennial and a real bonus! A real nursery can give you the best advice. Put down some mulch (will keep the weeds down & the moisture in)..this was the best thing I've ever done. Good Luck!!
OMG! I can imagine what your Easter egg hunt will be like=0) Great work and you got the two donuts as a bonus!!! I'm looking forward to see what it looks like when it's done.
Happy Easter=0)
Ooh, I get you…I'm not a gardener either! We planted an herb garden three years ago..basil, lavender, parsley, cilantro,rosemary…do you want to know what's left? the rosemary….and i've done nothing! 🙂 It really is easily maintained and it grows beautifully…if you want to see a pic, I'd be happy to email you one. Plus, it smells so yummy and I use it for cooking. I'm actually going to make myself get disciplined and re-plant this year. It was so wonderful to bring those herbs inside for our meals that summer! Good luck! (and thank you for visiting my blog and your kind comments!) -shaunna
I am not a gardener either but I can grow flowers. Flowers in pots etc.
I wish I could garden. My dad can grow anything and it all looks so nice.
Good luck.
Maybe you could put in a dry creek bed, and keep the vegetation by the fence trimmed up once or twice a year. Maybe a bed or two on this side with flowers of different heights. My 2 cents worth!
I love to garden but I find that everyone has their own likes and dislikes so it's always difficult to recommend the 'right' item(s). A great on-line resource is BHG.com. Not only will you find listings for your zone but they also have great planting blueprints to follow. If you decide to plant some trees and would like spruce let me know … I've got over 50 trees and can get you a boat load of seeds (pine cones everywhere!) in the mail yesterday.
Get thee to a respected local nursery and find someone there who will listen to the fact that you are not a gardener but want to improve the look of this area so that it will require little maintenance. Do not go to a big box store, use your local experts … and accept that some work will be needed to keep any area looking good.
Roses, Roses, Roses, If I had all of that space I would plant rose bushes. My absolute favorite rose bushes are David Austin rose bushes (which are classed as Old English roses) They are so beautiful, elegant, and best of all fragrant. I started growing them last year and now I am hooked, I now have 13 of them. You can order them directly from there website, or other places such as Chamblees.