topic Re: What should I put in this Bed near the street? in Garden

What should I put in this Bed near the street?

terrier3 — Sun, 28 Jun 2015 19:16:32 GMT

Re: What should I put in this Bed near the street?

gardenman — Sun, 28 Jun 2015 19:23:12 GMT

In place of the grass? The easy option is some of the Wave type spreading petunias. They're gorgeous, will fill the bed, and may still be available in garden centers.

Re: What should I put in this Bed near the street?

terrier3 — Sun, 28 Jun 2015 20:11:14 GMT

@gardenman wrote:
In place of the grass? The easy option is some of the Wave type spreading petunias. They're gorgeous, will fill the bed, and may still be available in garden centers.

I want something that will come up every year, if possible. Here is another view...

Re: What should I put in this Bed near the street?

Lilysmom — Sun, 28 Jun 2015 21:19:30 GMT

Terrier, I am inclined to agree with gardenman about an annual because you are in Buffalo aren't you? Whatever you out here will get a lot of winter snow, ice and salt dumped on it, isn't that true?

Or, what about tulips, daffodils or bulbs of some kind? Allium would be pretty mixed in with something. Hostas with bulbs?

Re: What should I put in this Bed near the street?

terrier3 — Sun, 28 Jun 2015 21:31:15 GMT

I was thinking hostas with bulbs...we have literally HUNDREDS of hostas growing in front of the main building in front of our condo.

Here is my neighbor's bed...lots of hostas and other perennials, with a large pot filled with horseradish and banana plants in the middle.

Re: What should I put in this Bed near the street?

gardenman — Sun, 28 Jun 2015 21:57:03 GMT

How about Hostas and some dwarf daylilies like the Stella D'oro's? Add in some daffodil bulbs and alliums for extra impact. Alliums tend to flower in June around here (South Jersey) so they stretch out the bulb blooming season a bit. Alliums are kind of a backward bulb in that they put out the foliage first, then the bloom. I've never had good long term success with the huge alliums (allium giganteums/globemasters) but the smaller flowering alliums have been very reliable here.

Re: What should I put in this Bed near the street?

JustJazzmom — Sun, 28 Jun 2015 22:02:51 GMT

terrier3, look into Japanese Hakone grass. It comes back every year and is very soothing to look at.

Hakonechloa macra 'Naomi' is a golden yellow variety that turns burgundy in fall before it goes dormant. Then comes up again in spring. I usually cut it back late fall-- by you probably around Thanksgiving -- if no snow there yet.

Picture of it from internet:

Re: What should I put in this Bed near the street?

JustJazzmom — Mon, 29 Jun 2015 00:59:31 GMT

I had to head to dinner and have more suggestions. It looks like its a sunny area but is it in shade at any time of the day? You can use astilbes which bloom right about now or later depending on the cultivar for color --reds, pinks and whites. 'Peach Blossom' a pink flowering astilbe is more sun tolerant than some others you see like 'Fanal'-- a red or 'Deutschland' a white.

There is also ferns of many kinds for interesting foliage and even Lady's Mantle for its foliage in shady areas.

A very nice group of daylilies are the 'Candy' series which are very large blooms and very colorful. I have 'Strawberry Candy' and 'Custard Candy'. Anything with 'Candy' at the end of its name is very sturdy and colorful. If you consider daylilies look for tetraploid types as they are stronger, and their colors are deeper. If you subscribe to some perennial catalogs and look at the daylilies there, the tetraploids (marked with a T in the details description) stand out. Look for rebloomers (RE symbol) and SE (Semi-evergreen) or D (Dormant). Look if they mention amount of buds per scape (that is what a daylily stem is called) The more buds the more floriferous the daylily is.

Do you want plants that require a lot of work? You would have to be out there deadheading the daylilies as they fade.

Another perennial for sun areas is gaillardia or blanket flower-- these have flowers going till fall provided you do remove the spent seed heads so they keep sending up flowers instead of wasting their energy making seeds. Some blanket flowers are reddish orange and some are orange red or with deep yellow in them.

I'm partial to either 'Goblin' or 'Arizona Sun' which was an All America selection when it was trialed.

There are of course shrub roses like any of the knockouts or drift roses or flower carpet roses which look great in an open area. You can peg the ends of the drift or flower carpet roses to increase bloom using those U shaped landscape stakes.

Re: What should I put in this Bed near the street?

Lucky Charm — Mon, 29 Jun 2015 03:42:52 GMT

I would tend to stay away from Hostas as the stems seem to droop and then you're tripping over the flowers. I noticed that at my daughters today, same thing for Tiger Lillies.

Whatever you put down, remember people are going to be walking their dogs and they're going to water you flowers for you.

People always wonder why I have on vinyl gloves out in the front yard while I'm weeding.....

Re: What should I put in this Bed near the street?

terrier3 — Mon, 29 Jun 2015 12:31:37 GMT

JustJazzMom -

Thanks for the detailed suggestions. The area is in full sun most of the day. You probably can't tell from the photo of my neighbor's planting, but he has goldenseal, hydrangeas, poppies, LOTS of stuff! I want a little more order.

When do you plant daylillies? Are they bulbs that are planted in the fall? I have King Alfred daffodils under the two oak trees on either side of this plot...and I'm transplanting hostas there today. We had two days of solid rain and the ground is easy now to turn over and plant.

We have lots of astilbes, ferns and hostas in our main garden in front of the large condo building. There is a lot of shade there.

I really love David Austin English shrub roses and will probably have a few in this plot too. The cheapest way to buy them is bare root in the spring, so I'll wait until then to plant them.

I plan on preparing the plot and planting the bulbs this fall.

Thanks for your help!

Re: What should I put in this Bed near the street?

Sweetbay magnolia — Mon, 29 Jun 2015 13:09:58 GMT

Hello - if you choose to tuck a shrub or two in there, how about spirea, dwarf butterfly bush, or dwarf lilac? All deciduous, so the winter snow and road treatment may not be a problem. And they're all pretty tough. Just a thought. Liriope? Doesn't get tougher than that. Liriope spicata "silver dragon" has crisp white-edged foliage and yes, is a creeper, not a clumper, but since the bed is bordered by hard surface, it could only go so far. No expert here, though, on hardiness for your neck of the woods. Have fun! Making new beds is a delight!

Re: What should I put in this Bed near the street?

JustJazzmom — Mon, 29 Jun 2015 15:03:25 GMT

@terrier3

I would not recommend the David Austin roses-- many of his varieties get blackspot and the only one I would recommend is his 'Queen of Sweden' There are Kordes roses-- many hybrid teas and shrub roses -- and some of the roses in the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden at the NY Botanical Garden in the Bronx that I would also recommend for disease resistance and beauty. I'm trying to find Peter Kukielski's list from there on their site, but cannot find it. He has a book (its on Amazon) that lists and rates roses by several criteria-- its called Roses Without Chemicals I'm getting it for my birthday next month from one of my kids-- so save one for me please!

I suggest going mailorder from various companies online and order in January for (I am imagining in your area-- May planting) We are warmer here on LI so by the end of April is where we start planting roses here).

Reputable companies for roses online: Roses Unlimited Chamblee's Roses Heirloom Roses

All of these companies sell own root roses-- they are ungrafted roses and are stronger if you get a severe winter. You don't have to worry about burying the graft union on these. They arrive smaller than grafted roses but within 2-3 years are at the height they should be. There are a few other rose companies like Edmunds (grafted roses) or Pickering (bareroot-- closed for 2015 season -- will they emerge back in 2016???)

List of roses from Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden

Daylilies are not bulbs like lilies are but are plants that contain tuber like structures on their root systems. They really can be planted anytime the ground is workable-- they are like the sun version of hostas-- can be planted at any specific time without causing problems to the plant. Recommended daylily companies: Gilbert H Wild

Roycroft Nursery

All of the linked companies I have used (roses/daylilies) or the Extension has used (roses).

Remember even though a company will say when they can safely ship to your hardiness zone, if you feel they can send it earlier to you or later (if its been a severe winter) you can mark that on the order form or tell them over the phone.

Re: What should I put in this Bed near the street?

mousiegirl — Mon, 29 Jun 2015 15:23:17 GMT

How about the rose Iceberg, as it flowers constantly, really puts on a show, and looks great. It is a floribunda. I bought many this year for a driveway patch.

Re: What should I put in this Bed near the street?

Susan-QVC — Mon, 29 Jun 2015 17:07:32 GMT

This post has been removed by QVC because its mean spirited to poster.

Re: What should I put in this Bed near the street?

Tigriss — Mon, 29 Jun 2015 18:20:16 GMT

Well let me just say that my post about putting the kids in the bed as meant as funny HAHA...put the kids to bed...pun! Many people in the south talk about planting the kids outside for summer so they can play, get fresh air, and be all tuckered out for bed. You know, the old go outside and play thing. Oh well, some people don't have a sense of humor.

Re: What should I put in this Bed near the street?

ValuSkr — Mon, 29 Jun 2015 21:40:12 GMT

Good one! I would have left your post, it was a clever joke.

Re: What should I put in this Bed near the street?

Tigriss — Mon, 29 Jun 2015 21:53:49 GMT

Thanks. Someone must not have appreciated putting tents and kids in those beds and adding a lemonade stand. Remember when parents thought TV was ruining the kids and they were couch potatoes and planted in their seats. That is all. Come on people.

My BIL took the kids camping in the basement. Come on---basement because of the 70" tv his ma has. Kids belong outside in the summer playing in the dirt, building their immune systems, picking berries, planting and picking veggies, all that good stuff.

BTW, a fragrant planting in those beds would be a nice way of leaving for work and arriving home. The house is wonderful with the ivy and what it has now. We don't have those wonderful old houses down here and small yards. I would love a small yard to tend, but instead I have 2 acres of grass to cut with trees and bushes. I would love a plain old push rotary mower to make my allergies happy! I don't know the Buffalo area planting needs, but fragrant and butterfly attracting plants are my favorite for neighborhoods where people walk dogs and kids and smell all the wonderful plants and see the butterflies. That's all.

Re: What should I put in this Bed near the street?

terrier3 — Tue, 30 Jun 2015 12:53:40 GMT

@Tigriss wrote:
Well let me just say that my post about putting the kids in the bed as meant as funny HAHA...put the kids to bed...pun! Many people in the south talk about planting the kids outside for summer so they can play, get fresh air, and be all tuckered out for bed. You know, the old go outside and play thing. Oh well, some people don't have a sense of humor.

I thought is was funny! And it was directed at me.

Re: What should I put in this Bed near the street?

Tigriss — Tue, 30 Jun 2015 13:32:46 GMT

Oh, that is your house. It is lovely with all the ivy and the balcony with the plants. You have a wonderful place. I can just imagine the inside full of beautiful period characters. What time period is it? I wouldn't put anything high in those beds because it would block the front of the house. I would do some fragrant flowers so you can stop and smell the flowers in today's busy times!

I also can't imagine a flat roof with snow. Granny has always said not to buy a house with a flat roof; it will leak. But I always see the up north and ya'll get rain and snow. She had one in Colorado when pa was stationed at Norad. It leaked like a colander!! She wanted her little travel trailer back with the 4 kids instead of a house with a leaky roof they used when pa was on the road in the Army. She now has a steel roof with a high pitch.

Re: What should I put in this Bed near the street?

terrier3 — Tue, 30 Jun 2015 15:22:23 GMT

@Tigriss wrote:
Oh, that is your house. It is lovely with all the ivy and the balcony with the plants. You have a wonderful place. I can just imagine the inside full of beautiful period characters. What time period is it? I wouldn't put anything high in those beds because it would block the front of the house. I would do some fragrant flowers so you can stop and smell the flowers in today's busy times!

I also can't imagine a flat roof with snow. Granny has always said not to buy a house with a flat roof; it will leak. But I always see the up north and ya'll get rain and snow. She had one in Colorado when pa was stationed atNorad. It leaked like a colander!! She wanted her little travel trailer back with the 4 kids instead of a house with a leaky roof they used when pa was on the road in the Army. She now has a steel roof with a high pitch.

Thanks for the kind words. An architect well known in New York, E.B. Green, designed 3 row houses to look like New Orleans. They were built in 1912. He kept ownership of all 3...and rented out two. The apartments are each one and a half floors - I have the second floor for my main space - and the balcony. They feature large first floor foyers, with elaborate fireplaces. They were rented to people who lived in other places, but wanted Buffalo addresses. Their was one maid to handle both residences (my son now lives in the maid's quarters). The foyers were used for "receiving" guests and for them to drop off their calling cards. The apartments are actually quite long and large with lots of windows. - each one is over 2000 square feet on our main floor.

The flat roof is now a roof garden for my upstairs neighbor. There is decking over the roof, which has plenty of drainage spouts. She has never had a problem in 10 years with leaking - they don't make houses this solid anymore!

I have been trying to have foliage to reflect the age of the home...the exterior is actually on city historic tours. We have some hostas that are from the 1930s...they have been subdivided many times over!