Help with evergreen curb appeal

passion_flower

We recently moved into a new house and I HATE the front view of our home. And while I am working on the right front door I am keen to improve and soften the look with some impactful evergreen planting. However I am not quite sure what route to go.
Its clear to me that the size of the border needs widening and my minds eye can see that entire area under the windows planted with white hydrangea stunning during the Summer months but then Winter not so much
Can you offer me some advice, what would you do?
Thank you for your time

REEN

Hebes? They are neat and evergreen, some are variegated, and they wouldn't need much trimming back below the windows.

moneyistooshorttomention

Is it a Forever Home or a "step on the ladder" home?

I'm imagining - looking at the picture - that its a Forever Home?

Reason I'm asking is I think it might influence what plants you pick, as to whether you'd pick universally popular plants on the one hand or ones you personally like on the other hand.

Just thinking that, because some people absolutely hate hydrangeas and think they're old-fashioned (errr...me for instance) and, if you come to sell the house in a few years time, sometimes something as small as that can be a bit offputting.

Davesnave

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

Just thinking that, because some people absolutely hate hydrangeas and think they're old-fashioned...

Then they haven't seen the new Japanese varieties.

I agree, hebes are a good choice as back-up to hydrangeas, and you could also include escallonia iveyii, or one of the pink ones which wouldn't clash. A rosemary is always there in winter too.

Not completely evergreen in harsh winters, one of the abelias would also fit in well and be undemanding, as would potentiila 'Abbotswood.'

Just a few ideas off the top of my head. Not suggesting you use them all together!

RAS

Like Dave's suggestions.

Remember to under plant with bulbs for successional flowing in spring. You could stick to white of you want.

DaftyDuck

Yes, widen the border, but not a regimented straight line at the front. An 'S'-shaped curve would add interest. I'd then plant with a mixture of evergreens for the year-round appeal, vivid bedding for summer, and a pot or two for added interest. And climbers for that wall.

I'd grow an evergreen climber straight up the middle between the windows... I've had success with Lonicera "mint crisp", not fully evergreen in all areas. A clematis would look great, but wouldn't necessarily give as long appeal. On one corner (probably left, away from the door), a climbing rose (too many to choose from, but get a strong-ish grower, to 2 metres or slightly higher (not a rambler, or you'll spend the year up a ladder trimming it). Deep red or bright yellow, to stand out from the brickwork. Scented, to waft in through the windows in Summer.

If you want a Hydrangea, and they are lovely, there are plenty for year-round, or near-year-round effect, as Dave suggests. Some can be pretty pricey (£50) for a small one, but others (try the "Endless Summer" varieties, widely sold, or the Schizophragma climbers) aren't so bad. If you use a climber on the door side, that'd look good. One of the "endless Summer" varieties could be used instead, in a pot, to add depth to the bed. The mophead may lose their leaves in winter, but they retain their flowerheads. H. macrophylla "Nymphe" or "Snowball"... I have both by a side door, in tubs.

For general planting of evergreen shrubs, well, there's a massive variety, Keeping to the easier-to-grow stuff for starters,
Escallonia Laevis “Gold Ellen”, a Berberis just under the window to stop peeping (Berberis thunbergii atropurpurea “Harlequin”), maybe a holly or Osmanthus heterophyllus “variegata" for the same reason, a Camellia (if the soil is suitable, or you consider a pot for that... they are hardy, even if commonly thought not) would give stunning early flowers, and very shiny leaves for the rest of the year. Dave's Potentilla Abbotswood is, in my garden, a bit tatty over winter (his is, no doubt, in fine fettle, the bar-steward ). Hebes are good, but they don't all grow to much size, so buy carefully. If drainage is good, and there's plenty of sun, add some Lavender for scent (angustifolia varieties, guessing drainage won't be brilliant). There are white and red(ish) varieties for added interest. Plant bedding plants and bulbs in the spaces between, and I'd stick to two or three varieties of bulb for impact.

Stick a decent-sized hanging basket on the RHS of the door (you can get corner-angle brackets, so it will stick out 45° and not occupy too much path) and use bedding plants (or have a second basket growing on, ready to swap. Give it some trailing plants for added interest. You could add window boxes under the upper windows... but I think that'd be too much, look odd on that house....)

If you have the light, depending on aspect, a bay tree in a pot, to the right of the porch....

So, what is the soil, drainage, aspect? Knowing that, I can add some detail to the above.... :p:p Should have asked that first, of course!

Hedgehog99

How about some dogwoods? The yellow, orange and red twigs look fantastic in winter. There are some in a park near me - they're kept low (about 3 feet high) and are planted in alternating colours against a dark fence. Really brighten the area in the winter.

pambler

Lots of good ideas about evergreens from other posters. I agree with Daftyduck - hanging baskets are a great way to soften the appearance of a house. Rather than window boxes upstairs, I would think about trimming back the plants under the downstairs windows and having a couple of window boxes there.

When planting winter baskets and boxes, make sure you include miniature spring bulbs for a continuing colourful spring display

Davesnave

DaftyDuck wrote: »

Y. Dave's Potentilla Abbotswood is, in my garden, a bit tatty over winter (his is, no doubt, in fine fettle, the bar-steward ).

No, you're right, Abbotswood isn't terribly tidy or interesting in winter, though it did better where I used to live, warmed by the boiler's exhaust outlet. I find Primrose Beauty is easy to keep in shape and it's fast into leaf too, but again, having had a butcher's at the one out front here, not looking brilliant now.:o

Instead then, I'm going to bowl you a curved ball and say gomphostigma virgata is looking particularly good just now. Yeah, I thought that would make you Google! It's teamed with Miscanthus kleine silberspinne, also at its best in late autumn.

Continuing with the white theme, I have a white parahebe which is flowering well, though it's not supposed to at this time. Indeed, it's rarely out of flower for long and seems to be evergreen as well.

passion_flower

You guys are so kind, THANK YOU for all the replies and excellent advice Reen we hope this is the forever one is certainly big enough but I get itchy feet every 10 years or so (usually how long it takes me to make over a house LOL) now to my mind a mass planted border of white hydrangea can never feel outdated but I know we are all different.

I did a bit more research and found some images that appeal and some that totally turned me against some of my initial ideas isn't that always the case?

I guess I learned that I am definitely a fan of mass planting and limited colour schemes. So plan A is sticking with greens (mixture of dark glossy and variegated for interest) and white flowering shrubs.

Or plan B turn that border into a quite formal and structured border made up from shaped boxwood with tall skinny columnaris cypress at the back to add hight etc but I can't really see it here.

I think a more relaxed feel would work better for the house. The drive will be re done, windows changed even the front elevation tweaked a little, but for now I can get cracking on widening that border.

The front of thew house is North-East facing as for the soil I haven't dug out one inch yet so cannot comment.
However I LOVE the BIG pots ideas, definitely add a few fragrant climbers ( I adore David Austin old fashioned roses),I also love Wisterias and was thinking of adding one to the right of the porch next to the garage door, adding bulbs is a fab idea as well.

I did bring along a tall cordyline and a boxwood ball both in huge pots that are currently to the right of the door and it looks miles better than the picture I put up (from the estate agents listing) .

I am off to google a few of the mentioned evergreens I haven't heard of THANK YOU once again

I_have_spoken

You certainly need some all-year interest on the front of the house; agree widening the bed to 1.5m will give far more scope for a mixture of shrubs, perennials and bulbs.

I'd not got for 100% hydrangeas, to my mind they are a plant that looks a mess when 'going over'. As with Buddleia, you get brown, sodden flower-heads that linger past their enjoy-by date.

This is my NE facing front bed, taken late summer last year I think. A number of plants came with the house; I added the gravel to reflect the light up in what would otherwise be a gloomy area. Can't widen the bed due to the path



And the back bed of rear garden, again mostly in shade as facing NE. It's my 'problem corner' to find plants that will cover the fence (and I refuse to grow ivy!).