Privacy Planting Brings Beauty, Color and Peace
Before
Lack of garden cohesiveness and an increasingly busy road made this homeowner want to re-envision their front yard plantings. Originally, a series of lilacs and Rose of Sharon shrubs had been planted in a row, with each shrub in its own mulched circle.
Garden Design Maine came up with a design that would create a 1,000-square foot garden and provide increased privacy for the yard, cut down on road noise, and offer four seasons of interest.
Chosen Design
Garden Design Maine opted to keep two of the taller lilacs and one desirable Rose of Sharon, removing all other shrubs and plantings. Sod was also removed to create a unified, continuous 1,000-square foot garden bed along the length of the road. A layered design using a combination of evergreens and deciduous shrubs would provide year-round privacy once fully matured, while also offering flowers and colorful foliage in spring, summer and fall.
DESIGN RENDERING: View from inside the yard, out toward the road. A combination of narrow evergreens - specifically Taylor juniper and spruces - mingled with flowering deciduous shrubs such as sand cherry and hydrangeas, while a variegated dogwood offered foliage contrast during growing season and red twigs in winter.
DESIGN RENDERING: View from the road and into the yard. Spirea, ornamental grasses and more dogwoods closest to the road provide additional depth and interest spring thru fall.
Fall 2023
This picture, taken a few months after planting, shows the progression of the garden. The shrubs settled in and grew nicely, the hydrangeas provided lovely first season blooms - even after being nipped by deer! Perennials were planted to fill in space and provide great pops of color while the evergreens mature. 500 spring-blooming bulbs were also added.
Spring 2024
In just one growing season, all the plants and shrubs notably increased in size. Everything came through winter beautifully, and more herbaceous perennials were added to infill where spring bulb foliage (daffodils, tulips and hyacinths) had died back.
