East facing flower bed
by
Dixie
+6
Would like some ideas on this area. It is quite large 20ft by 6 ft. I have an hydrangea , clematis and one evergreen standard at present. Zone 3.
Thanks
Dixie
Some new bark or mulch would brighten up the area. I painted our foundation with Dry Loch masonary waterproofing that I just painted on. The final result was not only a foundation that was water proof but looked much nicer. It comes in various shades. Large rocks or driftwood would look nice and help fill-in until your plants grow. I really like the statue and small bench they look so cute!
If it is shady in the afternoon, or parts of it are, I would put in a few hostas, low maintenance and are beautiful once they start getting bigger and spreading out.
My peonies do very well in east facing flower bed as do my hostas. I would plant some peonies--they are perenials. I also really like my Korean Lilac Bush--grows to about 5 feet tall and 5 feet around--covered with flowers and butterflies in the spring. Grows quickly and flowers quickly. To take up some of that space perhaps you could add a stepping stone walkway to the bench. Either sidewalk squares or pea rock over some landscaping material. Hostas planted to the front of the garden near the retaining wall would look wonderful. FYI: That evergreen planted next to the house is in a bad spot. It is just going to get bigger and bigger and that is not a good place. Note: I also live in Zone 3--these plants do well in Zone 3.
Since you already have a few plants in there spacing will be a issue .Astillbe,Bleeding Heart,coral bells,Ferns,providing most of the late morning to afternoon is shade
Liriope, euonymous, small Japanese holly and other easy to care for, low lying plants might do. Go on line to PLANTS A TO Z and look at what there is available.
Gk is right, the evergreen is to close to the house. As it grows, the roots could compromise the foundation. Also, the peonies and hostas suggested are great. I like evergreen and butterfly bushes. They smell good, attract butterflies and hummingbirds and are easy to maintain. Get the ones that flower all season and they'll look good all of the time. I also like asters, zinnias and vinca flowers (not the vine) but they are annuals. Since you have such a big area, I would get large shrubs. Go to your local nursery and ask for their suggestions. They should be able to steer you to some nice plants.