Anyone good at landscape design?

[00Bolt]

this is the only picture I could find of the front of my house on this computer.

http://www.svtgalleries.net/gallery/data/500/578DSC00430-med.JPG

I have taken out that small oak tree and put in about a 13ft Bradford pear last spring. And about a month ago, I had a full sprinkler system put in. Up front where the plants are, I have "S" shape (not really S, but sorta) metal landscape border. The plants are just a few various plants

this spring I want to redo my whole landscape and do it RIGHT. Id like to put down those landscape bricks to create a small "wall" instead of the metal edging I have, Im gonna resod over my bermuda and use st. augustine... iv got all that figured out... but where Im stuck is the plants to use inside the "flower bed"...

I dont really know what to do... every year I go to Lowes and just pick up a few things that look nice and plant them. over the 3-4 years now it shows I had no clue... im wanting something really nice, clean and professional looking... I dont really like the large box plants that cover the entire front, bunch of colorful flowers like a grandma's house...nor do I like the look of a few little round bushes (like i have now, still looks like house was just built)...im wanting it to look good and full, yet clean looking...

im thinking of just hiring someone to come out and do it all once... but thought I would check here and see if anyone just happens to know a thing or two about this stuff. Iv always kept up with my yard and had beautiful grass.. mow and water all the time... i take bride in it... so Id like to do it once and forall the right way...

anyone have any ideas or pictures???

[L8 APEX]

Steve O is an Landscape Arteist!

[99WhiteBeast]

this is the only picture I could find of the front of my house on this computer.

http://www.svtgalleries.net/gallery/data/500/578DSC00430-med.JPG

I have taken out that small oak tree and put in about a 13ft Bradford pear last spring. And about a month ago, I had a full sprinkler system put in. Up front where the plants are, I have "S" shape (not really S, but sorta) metal landscape border. The plants are just a few various plants

this spring I want to redo my whole landscape and do it RIGHT. Id like to put down those landscape bricks to create a small "wall" instead of the metal edging I have, Im gonna resod over my bermuda and use st. augustine... iv got all that figured out... but where Im stuck is the plants to use inside the "flower bed"...

I dont really know what to do... every year I go to Lowes and just pick up a few things that look nice and plant them. over the 3-4 years now it shows I had no clue... im wanting something really nice, clean and professional looking... I dont really like the large box plants that cover the entire front, bunch of colorful flowers like a grandma's house...nor do I like the look of a few little round bushes (like i have now, still looks like house was just built)...im wanting it to look good and full, yet clean looking...

im thinking of just hiring someone to come out and do it all once... but thought I would check here and see if anyone just happens to know a thing or two about this stuff. Iv always kept up with my yard and had beautiful grass.. mow and water all the time... i take bride in it... so Id like to do it once and forall the right way...

anyone have any ideas or pictures???

Your first mistake was removing the Oak in favor of a Bradford Pear. The Bradford is a fast growing weak wooded tree that will split 10 years out if not sooner ruining the tree. I can give you some ideas or design something for you if you like.

If you want a full mature look quick expect to pay $$ for large size (10 to 25 gal) container specimans. The stuff you get at Lowes and Depot will take years to develop.

Some things to think about:
1.) do you want color year around or seasonal
2.) do you want low maintenace or you willing to work (prune) yearly to achieve your results
3.) do you want to accent or hide any desirable non desirable areas

[00Bolt]

Your first mistake was removing the Oak in favor of a Bradford Pear. The Bradford is a fast growing weak wooded tree that will split 10 years out if not sooner ruining the tree. I can give you some ideas or design something for you if you like.

If you want a full mature look quick expect to pay $$ for large size (10 to 25 gal) container specimans. The stuff you get at Lowes and Depot will take years to develop.

Some things to think about:
1.) do you want color year around or seasonal
2.) do you want low maintenace or you willing to work (prune) yearly to achieve your results
3.) do you want to accent or hide any desirable non desirable areas


my mother in law has a bradford pear in her yard and its HUGE... and it looks so nice, thats why I decided on that... I didnt realize they had problems... she said hers is maintance free for 15 years or whatever... but i did transfer the oak to the backyard and its doing just fine.

1. i think I would like some color year round, but nothing real flashy... maybe just some dark reds/purples... but not any bright yellow/pink,etc

2. i dont want something that im having to prune every week when I mow the yard.. dont have time for that, but doing a little maintance here and there once a month or so isnt a problem

3. i dont really have any undesirable areas in the front to be honest.


Im gonna draw out a sketch of my yard and if you could just give me an idea of what plants would be best, that would be GREATLY appreciated... our biggest problem is we dont know what does what later on... we get something that looks nice and throw it in front of something, and it ends up growing bigger than the stuff in the back.... or the whole color things dont match up... etc

im not expecting you to spend alot of time and "design" me something... but just a little opinon and thought would be awesome!!!

ill make a little sketch and reply to this thread in a few

[00Bolt]

http://www.svtgalleries.net/gallery/data/500/578LANDSCAPE.jpg


okay, here is a rough sketch i made of my entire yard... the backyard is pretty exact on size, the rest is rough idea cuz I dont know the measurements..

anyway, in the backyard I have that "S" shaped bed that has a few red tip phetinas or whatever... i put those there to grow up over the fence to give a little privacy from all the 2 storys houses behind us.

on the right side of that backyard there is my oak tree with a small circle of metal edging around it (nothing else inside circle)

then under that is my 8x8 shed with no plants or anything around it

then on the left side, i have 2 large siege bushes that grow like a jungle... but nice cuz they hide the a/c on the side

in the front, i have the bradford pear in the middle with a circle of metal edging around it (again no flowers or anything inside the circle yet)

and up front in the bed, there are various plants like 1 crape mertil tree on the very far right, and then the other are just small bushes that came with house or we put in... nothing special... just green bushes...

the back, id like to do something in the 2 corners... maybe make somewhere to put grill... and put stuff around the shed, patio, etc... the backyard id like more of the "botanical gardens" look... lots of color, pretty stuff.... but the front, id like more of a full, yet clean look if you know what I mean....

this might not be something you can look at online and help with, i may need ya to come and give me some ideas in person... if ya willing... id be more than happy to take ya out for some drinks and dinner or something for your time....

sure is nice to have someone in the club that knows anything and everything you might need :beer:

[99WhiteBeast]

I'll need to come by to see what the orientation of the house and if there are drainage issues before I can make a recomendation.

[00Bolt]

okay thanks... just hit me up and let me know when is good time for you...

[Beaudee]

Check out the aristracrat pear tree's.Flower longer than brad. pear, grow to 60ft, and balloon out more than the braddford.I have 3.Love em!Nice house :tu:

[99WhiteBeast]

Check out the aristracrat pear tree's.Flower longer than brad. pear, grow to 60ft, and balloon out more than the braddford.I have 3.Love em!Nice house :tu:

True dat- A better alternative to the "Bradford". Much less susceptible to wind damage due to less severve branch angles and slower growth.

Both have the same scientific name "Pyrus Calleryana" so be careful when buying- make sure to specify Pyrus 'Aristocrat' Calleryana

[00Bolt]

okay, i got a book from home depot last night that has tons of different ideas, but 90% of them are for the backyard. I think I pretty much have the backyard figured out... gonna be nice...

but most the ideas in this book for the frontyard where the colorful bright flower look... I dont want that. I like more 'green' look with maybe just a little deep color in it...

i was thinking in the front, up to the right of the sidewalk where i have that big area, to maybe center in some sort of tree. not a big tree like for a yard, but maybe something smaller like a crape merdel that has a deep red or purple leaves... or something that wouldnt grow much more than the gutter height... does that make sense? then just position other shrubs, etc around the rest of the flowerbed.... i was also thinking on the other side, where the other 2 windows are... maybe put some kind of tall juniper trees or something on both side of the windows... just something to give it some height.... im not sure about the juniper thing, but i kinda like the idea of a small tree on the one side... but where im lost is... what kind of shrubs should I go with... we have some indian hawthorns and something else in there now.....


EDIT: i know i can reposition my indian hawthornes, and go to lowes and get a bunch of shrubs that look nice... seems easy.... but my main problem is i dont really know the characteristics of all these plants... i dont know which ones grow taller than others, which ones bloom what time of year, etc...


here is a pic of a house with a small tree in the corner like i was talking about (kinda hard to see though), the rest of the landscape is okay, but too squared off for my liking...

http://homepics.realtor.com/image3/http/ntreis/listings/large/044/10241860.jpg

[00Bolt]

i was searching google pictures trying to find a front yard like what i have in my mind and looked for like an hour with no luck... but did come across this yard... what kind of grass is this? and how does he get the "baseball field" strips in it...


http://www.jacobsandsons.com/images/land1.jpg

[00Bolt]

im not sure if my front yard is big enough for 2 trees... a few houses have 2-3 trees in their yard and it looks nice... but in 10 years or so when they are 30 ft tall... hows that gonna be? but i might check into moving my bradford into the back and getting one of those.....

[99WhiteBeast]

check out www.metromaples.com (http://www.metromaples.com)

They are down the road from Kennedale raceway and have a large selection of awesome maples. I encourage you to go out and check the place out.

I recommend the Shantung for the front yard and another smaller variety to accent near the sidewalk/front bed.

The smaller varieties (Shaina,Fireglow,Aureum) will only get 8 to 10 feet mature height and have brilliant fall color.

[Silver_2000]

what kind of grass is this? and how does he get the "baseball field" strips in it...

http://www.jacobsandsons.com/images/land1.jpg

Its just the way the light comes off the lawn after it is mowed .. Nothing special - get a decent lawn going with what looks ike bermuda or other fine grass and its easy to do..

[00Bolt]

well i spent alot of time on my grass the past few years since we had the house built, but i never had an inground sprinkler... had that little tractor, and every other cheap piece of crap sprinkler there is... and i couldnt ever get my bermuda that green.... but again, i probably wasnt as faithful as a timer either.... im SOOO excited about my new sprinkler system... and chemlawn is coming today to spray treatment #1 :banana:

[Beaudee]

well i spent alot of time on my grass the past few years since we had the house built, but i never had an inground sprinkler... had that little tractor, and every other cheap piece of crap sprinkler there is... and i couldnt ever get my bermuda that green.... but again, i probably wasnt as faithful as a timer either.... im SOOO excited about my new sprinkler system... and chemlawn is coming today to spray treatment #1 :banana: Wish my neighbors took care of there lawns like that :tu:

[SpeedyBolt]

couldnt ever get my bermuda that green.... wasnt :

Spray your yard with liquid iron and it will look that green for about a week or so!

[dboat]

Doug is right about the stripes and mowing. I do it at my house.

Am not a big fan of the Chemlawn, you can do better yourself and cheaper too. Just buy and use good fertilizer and nutrients. I had a great yard in Dallas when I lived there and had a ton of trees too.
Dana

[PoorSvtman]

1st post

Im gonna resod over my bermuda and use st. augustine.

other post

i couldnt ever get my bermuda that green.... but and chemlawn is coming today to spray treatment #1 :banana:


If your going to resod over your bermuda why waste your money on the chemlawn crap.

I think the chemlawn is all crap. Few neighbors have used it and there grass is a nasty looking dead green. MOM and I just use fertelizer from homedepot,etc and out our grass is green as can be. We have st augustine.

[Tex Arcana]

Which way does your house face?? Using StAugustine isn't really good for this area, mainly because it's too hot and dry for it. If your front and back yards are getting alot of sun (which the front seems to), then you want bermuda or zoysia, because they are more suited to the heat and dry weather. Augustine will cost you an arm and a leg to keep watered properly.

Just fertilize well, keep the grass as tall as you can stand it (the taller it is, the healthier it is, and the better it shades the soil and prevents both weeds and water loss), and just take good care of it. ;)

[00Bolt]

i went around yesterday with my digital camera and took pics of about 20 houses with landscape I like... i really didnt find the perfect house to "copy" but i think i came up with some good ideas.. here is a sketch I drew... what do you guys think?? btw, i dont really knwo the names of stuff, so if someone could help me out on that part I would appreciate it... right now they are called "square shape" and "round" and "red leaves" etc..... :rll:


http://www.svtgalleries.net/gallery/data/500/578yard.jpg

[Silver_2000]

Using StAugustine isn't really good for this area, mainly because it's too hot and dry for it. If your front and back yards are getting alot of sun (which the front seems to),

If your yard doesnt get a lot of sun what are the choices ?

Bermuda requires like 8 hours of sun a day or something crazy

[dboat]

I had crepe myrtles and they flowered a little but some really do bloom a lot. I had some chinese photinias on each side of the house. They are like red tip photinias on steroids. I attached a pic of the old house below, you can see the photinias on the right side, they were 25-30 feet tall and completely blocked off the neighbors house from mine. I loved them, they didnt. (hint: good fences make good neighbors),
I had a purple leaf plum tree that I lost but loved the extra color and the way it looked.. there is another variety of them that has a red trunk as well as the red leaves, but it escapes me right now.
If you can get the type of tree variety that is by my front door, find out what it is and stay the heck away from it, we hated that thing. We had some of a new variety of azalea (fashion I think) that bloomed several times during the year instead of just the once like most. They are good to have.
We then hired a guy that would come out once a year to do the spring cleanup and plant a bunch of annual color for the summer and then do the fall cleanup and plant some winter color then too..
just some suggestions.. oh, we also liked having gardenia bushes by the doors and places where we would congregate because they have a pretty white flower and put off a very pleasant aroma.. however, they will draw a bee or two along the way.
Dana

[Beaudee]

You need to put some big log timber around that house!Red Oaks, Live Oaks, or my favorite Burr Oak.Other wise looks like an old lady lives there!Provide good shade for the L. too!These trees do good in Texas to! :hammer:

[Beaudee]

St. Augistene grass rocks to! :tu:

[00Bolt]

...

[Tex Arcana]

If your yard doesnt get a lot of sun what are the choices ?

Bermuda requires like 8 hours of sun a day or something crazy
Bermuda prefers 8-14 hours of full sun, so it great for open areas. If you've got aLOT of shade, StAugustine is good, but still requires alot of water to keep it alive, esp. during the summer; that, and it's significantly different texture, as compared to bermuda, can jar the sensibilities. There are other varieties (tall fescue, ot TEnnessee bluegrass) that tolerate shade better, especially in our heat; but if it's full shade, not even St. Augustine can handle it (needs at least 4 hours full sun a day).

Just looked it all up, and got this:


Bermudagrass- Drought resistant grass that grows in full sun. Runners make it invasive and easy to spread although some of the hybrids are less prone to invade your flowerbeds. Grows in full sun only. It comes as seed or on a pallet. A tough grass with few problems.

· Buffalo grass- Very drought tolerant. Tends to turn brown in mid-summer into fall without supplemental irrigation. This is the only turf grass native to Texas. The original has been hybridized into forms that are more desirable. Look for Prairie (the native) or "609" Buffalo grass hybrids. Requires full sun. Does not require much mowing. Seed or sod is available for the native variety. Sod only for the improved varieties.

· Centipede grass- This grass needs sandy, acidic soils. It grows well in East Texas and should do well in the parts of Bastrop County where our soils mimic those of the east. Has good drought tolerance though it does not wear well in heavy traffic. Hard to find on a pallet but you can plant from seed.

· Turf-type tall Fescue- A cool-loving Kentucky bluegrass, there are blends that claim to make it here in our Texas heat. Best planted in a little shade for this reason. Some hybridized forms will grow in as little as two to four hours of filtered sun. Recent hybrids will also stay green most of the year, though you may see some browning in our summers. Green all winter. Drought resistant and doesn't creep. You will probably need to overseed once or twice to get full coverage, as it is one seed, one blade. Be sure you get the tall type and not the fine type Fescue. Is not available on pallets.

· Zoysia grass- Grows in full sun although some of the new hybrids claim to grow in up to 50% shade. Drought tolerant. Turns brown in the winter. You can find it on pallets and sometimes in plugs. The year 2001 saw the first year Zoysia was available from seed. To get it to grow from seed, you really have to be on top of the planting instructions and the follow-up care.

· St. Augustine grass- Popular grass that is overused. Problems include white grubs, chinch bugs, brown patch, and Take-All Root Rot. The main problem comes from our hot summers. St. Augustine is a big water user, and as we attempt to keep it watered in the summer we sometimes over-water. You will find problems occurring in low-lying areas where the water will stand. Does grow in sun or shade. You can find it in plugs or on a pallet.

I've always wanted to try out buffalograss, esp. since it's a true native. I like Bermuda, but it uses more water than buffalograss, and I'd prefer not to irrigate to the point where I'm supporting the crawdads in my yard. :tu:

[Tex Arcana]

I had crepe myrtles and they flowered a little but some really do bloom a lot. I had some chinese photinias on each side of the house. They are like red tip photinias on steroids. I attached a pic of the old house below, you can see the photinias on the right side, they were 25-30 feet tall and completely blocked off the neighbors house from mine. I loved them, they didnt. (hint: good fences make good neighbors),
I had a purple leaf plum tree that I lost but loved the extra color and the way it looked.. there is another variety of them that has a red trunk as well as the red leaves, but it escapes me right now.
If you can get the type of tree variety that is by my front door, find out what it is and stay the heck away from it, we hated that thing. We had some of a new variety of azalea (fashion I think) that bloomed several times during the year instead of just the once like most. They are good to have.
We then hired a guy that would come out once a year to do the spring cleanup and plant a bunch of annual color for the summer and then do the fall cleanup and plant some winter color then too..
just some suggestions.. oh, we also liked having gardenia bushes by the doors and places where we would congregate because they have a pretty white flower and put off a very pleasant aroma.. however, they will draw a bee or two along the way.
Dana


Crepe Myrtles prefer full sun to bloom. Since it seems like you had alot of shade, chances are they didn't bloom much because they did'nt get hot enough.

[00Bolt]

my front yard is FULL of sun.... i think it faces west or whatever cuz it gets sun all day long

[Tex Arcana]

just wanted to say thanks to all for your suggestions and help (especially Steve... thanks buddy)

here is my final sketch of what Im going with. This next weekend I plan on building up a small retaining wall style bed... not real high, just a small border... then do the plants in a week or two.... ill be sure to post pics when im all done...


http://www.svtgalleries.net/gallery/data/500/yard2.jpg



EDIT: now im not really sure if I like the manacured "perfect" look of the square and round plants on the right... they matched the other mushroom style but not really going with this look as much.... any suggestions?


Not bad... good layout. I'd ditch the "square" stuff under the windows for some variety of holly, and put a colorful plant in front of 'em. I do'nt think you want nandinas if yo'ure west-facing, because they aren't too heat tolerant.

[00Bolt]

here is what i came up with as a final design... anyone see any problems or anything they dont like about it? im still up for suggestions


http://www.svtgalleries.net/gallery/data/500/yard3.jpg

Indian Hawthornes
http://sarasota.extension.ufl.edu/FHLC/Inv/images/D/Dwf_Ind_Hawthorn.JPG

Nandina
http://www.buildajapanesegarden.com/_images/plants/firepower.jpg

Begonia
http://www.sagebrushmall.com/jpegs/begonias.jpg

Crape Merdel
http://ocextension.ifas.ufl.edu/crapemyrtle.jpg

Fireglow Japanese Maple
http://www.satterleenursery.com/acer_palmatum_-_fireglow_grouping_1_640.jpg

[StormShadow]

This thread is getting kinda gay (or G-H-E-Y for Uncle Rocks :rll: ) with the pictures of pretty flowers and such.

[dboat]

I had a Japanese Maple in the back yard.. They can be really tricky to grow in Dallas due to the heat and sun..
Tex,
Thanks for the note about the crepe myrtles, never knew that about them.. mine were about 8 feet tall with multiple trunks.. they were nice and not too maint heavy..
Dana