Landscaping- Ideas for my front yard?

Virginia
by Virginia
My front yard needs some tlc
Falling wall
Railroad ties and lava rock in the flower bed
My walkway
Help
  8 answers
  • Vimarhonor Vimarhonor on Jun 07, 2018

    Your location would suggest appropriate plants or shrubs for your foundation beds. Flower boxes under your windows could be lovely.


    Do you want flowers, flowering shrubs, green shrubs or low maintenance landscaping in your foundation bed?

    Some people prefer not to have to trim and maintain shrubs.

    Annuals give intense pops of color, can last only one year in many locations with winter.

    Perennials return back yearly after winter dieback.


    The decisions on your planting beds need to reflect what you like. Height and color consideration. I would consider contacting your cooperative extension for the recommendations with your planting zone ( seasonal weather conditions)and soil in mind. These offices are manned by a wonderful team of volunteer master gardeners that know your local situation quite well. There's also email ( submit a photo) Q&A resources that have helped my concerns and questions many times. Consider googling up your local extensions office.



    Welcome to Ask an Expert

    Ask an Expert has always offered one-to-one expert answers from Cooperative Extension/University staff and volunteers from across the United States. The latest version expands that one-to-one relationship via the ability to make questions and answers publicly available, on an opt-in basis.

    Do an internet search ask garden expert and your state ———you'll find.......

    ”Fill out the Ask an Expert form below to submit your question. An Extension Master Gardener will reply via email within 48 hours. Please provide as much relevant detail as possible. If you attach photos, please ...”

  • Pat Russell Pat Russell on Jun 07, 2018

    Since you already have lava rock in the beds at the front, how about pots of colorful flowers and some yard ornaments in between? I would either put all the same size pots along, or group different sizes with different plants.

  • GrandmasHouseDIY GrandmasHouseDIY on Jun 07, 2018

    Hi there, because of your red brick chimney I immediately thought that red brick would be SO pretty around your flower beds! It would last a long time and you could make the beds themselves taller and more substantial.

    Another person suggested flower boxes under the windows and I agree, that would really be pretty too!

    I always recommend perennials especially is ground beds. I love my peonies personally they are beautiful green all summer and bloom gloriously. If you do window boxes that would be a nice opportunity for annuals and pops of color.

  • Janet Pizaro Janet Pizaro on Jun 07, 2018

    make it a container garden area, remove the wood and build a small retaining wall

  • Lisa S. Lisa S. on Jun 19, 2018

    You really need some shrubbery. But it will not typically do well, with the lava rock. Rock as a mulch, heats up in the summer, causing to much heat to the roots. An the heat dries out the soil. At my Lowes Store this time of year they have a lot of reduced plants and shrubbery. Look for the clearance shelves. Last year I got a few Knock Out Roses for $1.00 each. They mad it thru the winter and are blooming beautiful this year. These roses are easy to care for, provide color all summer. Only need pruning once in a while when they get big. Consider replacing the railroad ties with some other material or just replace the rotted ones.

  • Virginia Virginia on Jun 20, 2018

    Thanks so much!!! Never thought about the rocks being hot!!