I have just moved to the Pa mountains.
by
Joann D
+21
We have built a log home. Our landscaping is rugged and impossible to dig. I need some ideas for rock gardens. I can bring in soil to do some planting. We were told not to plant too close to the home because of insects but I need something to give it a little charm. I was also informed the deer eat most plants. I added some photos of our front. Keep in mind winters are harsh!
24 answers
-
Some low Juniper would do nice around the base of that porch and not attract too many insects. Deer should leave it alone as it has a bitter taste.
Nichter's Home Services Corp
on Aug 30, 2011
-
I would not worry about insects, I wrote an article for networx called "A Garden that Deer won't Eat: here is the link http://www.networx.com/article/a-garden-that-deer-wont-eat I also want to recommend an evergreen that would make a good deer resistant choice for a foundation plant called Russian Arborvitae (Microbiota decussata). It is extremely winter hardy and doesn't get too tall. Hellebores, daffodils and summersnowflakes are all good choices, low maintenance, pretty, deer resistant
Erica Glasener
on Aug 30, 2011
-
Thanks so much for the advise. Erica I found your article very helpful. Juniper would work well with the natural surroundings.
Joann D
on Aug 30, 2011
-
That beautiful home cries for conifer garden. Do you know what planting zone you are in? Some of the dwarf or weeping species like a weeping hemlock would fit nicely as a focal point in a front bed.
360 Sod (Donna Dixson)
on Aug 30, 2011
-
I like weeping hemlock too!
Erica Glasener
on Aug 30, 2011
-
what a lovely log home, that fireplace is absolutely fab!
Faidra at CA Global Inc
on Aug 30, 2011
-
I LOVE your house. Enjoy it! please send pics also during fall and winter
Lea6941
on Aug 31, 2011
-
Weeping hemlock is gorgeous but deer candy. I've had them eat juniper as well. In terms of conifers, stick with spruces and pines. The most sure-fire deer-proof shrub out there, and one that would look great in your setting, is andromeda (Pieris spp.).
Douglas Hunt
on Aug 31, 2011
-
Joann....who is the Marine in your profile picture?
Hewitt Remodeling Services LLC
on Aug 31, 2011
-
@ Douglas..really? They never seemed to bother the Hemlocks on the mountains of NC where I grew up. Maybe they were well fed on the apple orchards. :)
360 Sod (Donna Dixson)
on Aug 31, 2011
-
Lovely logs...and a nice stone veneer fireplace too. Harsh winters in PA....perhaps? If you moved from some sunny southern location this may be the case...but at close to 9000 feet in the Rocky Mountains....Winter is our longest season. I have shoveled snow In 9 different months. I agree with a "low maintenance" yard. Some Junipers and a scattering of pine would look great with the log home backdrop. http://kmswoodworks.wordpress.com/2010/01/31/no-glacier-this-year/
KMS Woodworks
on Aug 31, 2011
-
Douglas, I think that the Russian Arborvitae is reported to be deer resistant (Joann, it looks a lot like a juniper) do you know anything different?
Erica Glasener
on Aug 31, 2011
-
Nick Ott...My son's good friend.
Joann D
on Aug 31, 2011
-
@Four Seasons, at the nursery I worked at in the Hudson Valley, we did not recommend hemlock to anyone who didn't have a deer fence. You're probably OK in summer, but come winter, forget about it! @Erica, i never had any problem with my Russian cypress, but it was generally under snow in winter. Rutgers Cooperative Extension does put it in the "rarely browsed" category so that's a pretty good sign. (And Joann, yes, that is another plant that would be a natural for your property.)
Douglas Hunt
on Sep 01, 2011
-
Joann, On behalf of all of us here on Hometalk, we pass our deepest condolences to you and your son on the loss of his good friend Nick. The freedoms we enjoy, including something as simple as Hometalk, come at a high cost. Nick heard the call and stepped up to become a United States Marine. We are forever grateful for his service....
Hewitt Remodeling Services LLC
on Sep 01, 2011
-
Thank you so much for your kind words.I will pass them on to Nick's family.
Joann D
on Sep 01, 2011
-
@Joann, I agree with Hewitt! May God bless all those that fight for our country .Your home is lovely, enjoy! @Erica I can not wait to read your article.
Culpepper Carpets and Interiors, Inc.
on Sep 01, 2011
-
Joanne- I love the log home you build- where in the PA mountains did you build? I grew up in Mansfiled, PA near the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon (Wellsboro, PA) I hope you enjoy the winter in PA aspecially with the nice fireplace.
Jennifer
on Sep 01, 2011
-
Jennifer, we built in the Poconos Hawley is the name of the town.
Joann D
on Sep 01, 2011
-
You can always use pots to bring in plants of various modes. Also, with pots, if the plant doesn't get enough sun, or gets too much sun, you can always MOVE it and not waste time digging. Using gravel and other boulders will help to set the pots "in" so they look more naturally placed. For plants that you don't want deer to eat, you can always place a perimeter of chicken wire around your property and then make it invisible by letting a good vine cover it.
Meri C
on Sep 01, 2011
-
Love the house Joann. Which log home manufacture did you use?
Ann P
on Sep 01, 2011
-
Ann, We used Estemerwalt in Honesdale Pa.
Joann D
on Sep 02, 2011
-
Very pretty house
Harold M
on Sep 03, 2011
-
Oh, you built our dream house! Good job. Have you thought about a raised bed or planters along the base of the porch? The only thing I'd be concerned about is long, hard freezes which could be really damaging to anything planted above ground level. I believe you're 5b & we're 7b here but I still almost lost a star jasmine in a planter tub last winter when it froze solid for almost 2 weeks here. This winter I'll wrap the tub.
Judy
on Oct 29, 2014
Sign Up to Answer
