Landscape design help?

Question

I'm redoing the landscaping on each side of my house (about 3 feet wide - runs the length of the house). One side gets full son, the other side is predominantly shady. Any ideas for flowering perennials that do well in the shade (besides hostas)? Also, on the sun side of the house I'm doing day lillies and a blue flowering ground cover (forget the name). Any suggestions for some kind of flowering bush to put at the corner of the house? Something that doesn't get too big, and I don't care if it's evergreen or not. Maybe azalea or something?

Thanks in advance!

LOL - son = sun. Whoops!

Answer 1

Flowers for shade: Bleeding Hearts and Fringed Bleeding Hearts
Astilbe, Periwinkle Vinca, Lamium, Dutchman's breeches,Blue Pearl Polemonium, Helleborus, Forget-Me-Nots, Hardy Primrose.

Since you have a shady garden...I thought you'd be interested in this 3-Season Shade Garden:
http://springhillnursery.com/product.asp_Q_pn_E_55756

An Azalea likes the shade. Since you want something for the sunny corner, The spring blooming Forsythia, or the fragrant lavender-pink blooming Josee Lilac would be nice.

Josee Lilac blooms continuously from late spring until frost! At just 4-6' tall with a 4-5' spread, this delightful dwarf is perfect for borders, hedges or as a stand alone specimen:
http://springhillnursery.com/product.asp_Q_pn_E_71017

I also like the Variegated Weigela. Flowering lasts from late spring into fall. The foliage is as distinctive as the pink flowers; its oval leaves are variegated - green edged with creamy white. It grows a compact 4-6' high with a 5' spread & hardy.
http://springhillnursery.com/product.asp?pn=02857

My Monet Variegated Weigela:
http://www.waysidegardens.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/StoreCatalogDisplay?storeId=10151&catalogId=10151&langId=-1&mainPage=LGprodview&ItemId=41709&PrevMainPage=advsearchresults&scChannel=sitemap&SearchText=p16.v227;l1.v272&OfferCode=TH3

Good luck! Hope this is helpful.

Answer 2

Hi:
A suggestion for the shady side of your house is to mix in some evergreen flowering shurbs. Perennial flowers could be your accent but they will die out in the winter months and you will have bare spots. The evergreens provide greenery year around. A Pieris Japonica is wonderful in shade. It is a Japanese shrub that will produce white blossoms in the late winter. Mountain Laurels can take shade.

As far as the corner, consider a Loropetalum (Chinese Pizzaz) There are different sizes and the Ruby Chinese Pizzaz is smaller. Three to four feet high and three to four feet wide. Great colored evergreen leaves of purple and green year around and pink flowers bloom in spring and summer. Good plant specimen.

I have a page on my website on creating plants on the side of your house with some photos. Take a look at it and also my site map to see the gallery section of plants and you may find something you could use as far as perennials and shrubs.

Hoped this has helped some and if you need any further help, please feel free to contact me. Good luck in landscaping the side of your house.
Kimberly
http://www.landscape-solutions-for-you.com/Plants.html

Answer 3

The shrub on the corner of your home will need to give more than one point of interest. Ideally it should give you flowers, berries and good leaf colour. Not only that but it should have a pleasing shape as well.

Mahonia aquifolium 'Apollo'
is a small to medium evergreen shrub whose leaves colour in cold weather. It has racemes of yellow perfumed flowers followed by black berries.
It is generally pest free and will tolerate most soil types and aspects.

Answer 4

On the north side of my house I have iris,day lilies,hibiscus plant and azaleas.They perform very well.Azalea's only flower in the spring.Try a hydrangea on the corner for color,or a dwarf weeping rose of Sharon.

Answer 5

I recommend a lilac bush for the corner of the house. My mom has one on her two south corners and they smell WONDERFUL in the early summer. When the breeze is out of the right direction, she can get the smell into her house. :)