Hi everyone, spring is almost here !!!!!!!!  YIKES!!!!!  I am sooo far behind.   I would like some suggestions for my garden/yard.  I have a few ideas but a few more from fresh eyes sounds better.

Here are the details - tract house subdivision, 7900 sq ft lot about 4500+- for total yard.  Backyard is about 1200-1500 (haven't measured)  faces due north, and slopes slightly the last half of the backyard towards the alley (rear entry garage).  I know, I just put the garden in last year, well things change and I am thinking of raised beds and fig trees and tomatoes and peppers ......

The side of the house is due west and gets sun till 6pm or so in the summer.  I was thinking of moving the hydrangeas (4) to under the dining room window where it is a lot more shady since it is on the north side of the house.  I don't know what to do with the azaleas - I have 2.  The roses are staying there (I think) and so is the fig tree.  A fig hedge will be in the back near the alley.

The garage has flowers and herbs and lots of underground wiring by the meter. And my neighbors to the west have some tall trees along the fence line.

Any ideas?  Thanks!

If you could draw the shape of the yard as seen from above and show us where the house and tall trees are we probably could help you more.

If it were me, I'd ditch all of the grass and make it all beds punctuated by pathways. Never mow again!

^^ I agree with both of those two posts above me

I don't know if this is helpful to you or not, JoAnn, but I'll attach links to my (professionally drawn) landscape plans. I'm putting in links because the pic needs to be big for you to see the detail and words. My yard is a bit smaller. The whole lot is 3500-ish SF. Long narrow lot, very little front yard, no side yard, and the house has a small footprint. I'd guess in all I have maybe 1500 SF for the back yard.

I went with an edible landscape theme. 4 raised veggie beds and the rest is in ground. The original plan called for ONE fig tree, a Desert King.... well, we all know how that turned out. The fig trees are pretty much the only thing I REALLY went rogue with, plan wise ;)

Maybe this will help inspire ideas? Or maybe just give you ideas of what you don't want to do ;)

DSC_0007_3-X3.jpg

The chicken coop isn't happening. I have two well established hydrangeas I don't have the heart to rip out. And instead of a hot tub, we're putting in a garden shed.

Over at Garden Web there is a landscape design forum, and a couple professional landscapers hang out there.  You might get really good help there.

I plan to use them one job at a time starting with front yard curb appeal for an immensely overgrown mess with bad plant choices.  I just have to get some good photos before I post.

Good luck!

Suzi

Hi Joanne,

I just wanted to say hi and that I've seen figs together with oak leaf hydrangeas, fig in back , hydrangea to the front and pruned just so they do not obscure the figs, in a hedgerow locally and it is beautiful. The leaves are similar, but still different and the colors are different, so even when one is not in bloom and one does not have fruit, they are still beautiful together and very very interesting to the eye. Just make sure the hydrangeas are half or slightly more than half the height of the figs. Just a thought. Check out Edible Landscaping for some more ideas about mixing ornamentals with fruit trees.


Donald

Here is my survey plat The extra lines are the approximate outline of the garden I put in last year.

I have been tempted to make it all beds!  I am just not sure.  I was thinking of moving the hydrangeas from the side of the house to under the dining room window and putting fig trees along the side of the house. 

I really don't like the rear entry garage, but that's what I have so I  have to work with it.  I don't have a fence and am not planning on putting one in at this time - my neighbors fence is total crap.  I will put in the fig hedge down by the alley.

I'm also thinking about raised beds - yeah I know should have thought of that last year! LOL LOL

Wow!!  That is beautiful!!!  I have to admit, I don't think I have the  nerve or other things to put an edible garden in the front!

Do it doooo it! It's becoming the new normal :)

This is what I did. Around the perimeter of my house I planted all fruiting trees to form a natural barrier . On the interior I have raised beds on half lot and the rest is lawn which I need for my compost.

JoAnn like you (and many others) I just have a small suburban lot. The land is too precious to waste by leaving a lawn there. People have lawns in the front of their house because they are doing what everyone else is/keeping up with Jones's. Maybe growing food where everyone else can see it will inspire others in your neighborhood to do the same. 

Looks like a brick exterior on your house. If you have a south/west facing brick wall you can boundary push and try hardy citrus/pineapple guava. The wall will shelter the plants and radiate heat back at night. Keep them small enough in case you have to cover on a real cold snap. 

Did you see the Rosa Rugosa thread? Sell or give away your current Roses on CL and put in Rugosa. Save all your ornamental stuff for the shady parts of your yards. If I'm reading right your front lawn is south facing. OUT WITH THE LAWN :)

OJG -  Yes my house faces due south.   There are Arizona Ash trees that are about 30 years old at the curb that shade a lot of it.  I have a 3-trunk Gum Bumelia on the SE corner of the house that is growing just a few feet from the front of the house and a White Ash on the west boundary midway from sidewalk to house.  The Ash trees are about 25 -30'  and the GB is about 35' (totally guessing on the heights - they are tall!!)   Plus there is 3 holly trees, 3 Crepe Myrtles, a lilac (planted last year), 3 Euonymous shrubs (sp), Asian jasmine, and a partridge in a pear tree!  All in the front foundation planting and towards the back a few feet on each side!  And the only tree in the back yard is my fig tree planted last year:)   On the east side of the house I have the GB Tree with the AC unit under it, and more foundation planting of 1 more Holly, and Lugustrom shrubs all the way to the back of the garage.

All of this was in when we moved into the house back in '92, we rented it.  There was another tree - a poplar - we took it down 3 years ago when we bought the house.  A lot of garden center people snub their nose at the Asian jasmine but I have to I don't mind it, it's living mulch.

I really really really REALLY like the shade from the trees!!  It gets hot here!!!       There are a few "difficult" spots in front of the jasmine beds, so maybe I'll do some raised beds there with edibles! 

Great idea!!

FYI:

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MP7voRKFUoE&list=PL3E8190107E4A58A0&index=5[/video]

James, that sure does give me food for thought!   I really like the vegetable beds in the beginning of the video.

What to do, what to do......................

Well I like your garden and plants because they are looking great. I think guys you done great efforts to getting this beautiful garden. Anyhow thanks for sharing the photos of beautiful plants.