Foundation Planting For A Small House
Foundation planting for a small house
can be done with low maintenance shrubs.
You can plant a variety of different colors
and textures. Many of my past clients were
on a limited budget and looking for a solution
to add some value to their house as well as
not to empty their wallets. This simple solution
page will give you a few ideas on what type of
shrubs to plant as well as simple steps and tips
on the process of planting around the entire home.
In a previous article I gave you some suggestions on
planting around the front foundation of your house.
That page was for one area of the base of your home.
This page is geared to help you do the entire
perimeter of your home. Here are a few steps to think
about before beginning this landscape project.
- Walk around the entire house and look
and decide how you want to shape the beds.
Are you going to plant all the way around and
make a continuous bed? If you are considering this
solution, think about doing it in phases. I recommend
to my clients to get the front done first,
sides and then along the back.
- Are you going to have to change the pitch from
the foundation to the edge of your bed? Water should
always move away from the structure of your house.
If its not pitched properly, you will want to bring top soil
or dirt in and raise it along the base of your house.
- Before purchasing any plant materials, look at
the different features along the front, side, and back.
You have windows, doors, a porch, and maybe a deck or patio. Decide on the size of your small trees, shrubs and flowers
with the contour of your home. Know the mature size
of each plant specimen, so in three to five years
they won't cover a window or block an entrance way.
- There is always some preparation to your soil
when doing any landscape or garden project. I have
mentioned several times about how critical it is
to properly prepare the ground. Review the steps in the
plan - prep - plant method
and get a great start to your foundation planting.
- Decide on how you want to shape your beds.
You can do a straight bed or make some curves
such as a snake pattern outlining each bed. Also
decide if you want to do the entire preparation around
your house all at once or make each new bed as you go
along. Some people like to get the prep process all
done and do phase planting. Others opt to do one
bed at a time. This will depend on your budget as well
as length of time you have to work at it.
- Decide ahead of time on the different plants
you want, as well as finishing the project with
mulch, pine straw or decorative stone. Evergreen
shrubs are very popular in foundation planting.
Having that year around color gives you
something to continually enjoy.
There are hundreds of different plants to
choose from and of course your choices
will depend on your geographic location.
In warmer climates where the ground
doesn't freeze, you can do foundation
planting year around. In colder climates
spring and fall are a great time to
get your shrubs or other plant specimens
established. When planning this project
keep in mind where the morning and
afternoon sun is located. Also know
the direction the front of your house
is facing. Is it north, south, east or
west? Below are a few photos of
plants that I recommend for areas
were you will need to plant low to
medium growing shrubs.
The five shrubs above are great low maintenance, evergreen
plants. Many of these shrubs will grow in a variety of
climate zones and work great for under windows and
around different structures along your house.
The next five shrubs are taller plants you can
use around solid exterior walls as well
as on the corners of your beds.
There are many more to choose from and look at
the
gallery of plants section
to see a wide array of other
shrubs possibilities. Visit the
site map
to see more selections of plants
in different pages throughout
this website. This simple solution
for an entire foundation planting
can be done on a limited budget.
Go at your own pace, properly
prepare and be proud of the
investment you can make for
your small home.
