| In my last article on front yard landscaping I | | | | will occupy at maturity. Roots are a powerful |
| discussed laying out driveways and sidewalks as | | | | force that can find their way through rock. They |
| your starting point and how it could possibly help | | | | also don't seem to have much trouble with |
| create the entire framework for your front yard | | | | foundations. |
| design. So assuming that you're to that point, we'll | | | | Most plants, of course, require water. Watering, |
| move on to a few considerations of a major | | | | and especially flooding plants and beds around |
| secondary element. Plants. | | | | foundations creates a potential for a damaged |
| When choosing and setting out plants in the front | | | | foundation. This doesn't always happen but it does |
| yard or any landscaping for that matter, you | | | | happen. If you're going to have plants close to the |
| need to consider more than just how things will | | | | home, spot watering individual plants, a drip |
| look. You should also consider other factors such | | | | system, or even a low profile spray is safer than |
| as sun or shade, duration of sun or shade, soil | | | | flooding the entire area. |
| type, purpose, the elements, and what specific | | | | Lime leach from concrete is a problem that I see |
| plants will require or do in the future. There are | | | | quite often. It's such a common problem because |
| also a few other considerations such as how close | | | | it takes a long time to show up. Over time, lime |
| to plant to the home and its foundation. | | | | leaches out of the concrete into the soil causing |
| When setting out plants in the front yard, place | | | | the soil to become alkaline. If the ph of the soil |
| small shrubs and bushes 4 to 6 feet away from | | | | gets too high, plants will start to look sick and |
| the home. If set closer than this, they could be | | | | yellow. Usually, keeping the beds tilled with a lot of |
| deprived of sunlight or rain because of a wide | | | | organic matter will buffer and prevent this |
| overhang from the roof. They could also get fried | | | | problem. Adding sulfur and organics to beds that |
| from intense heat reflecting off of the wall. Placed | | | | are already affected will help turn the problem |
| away from the home in a wider staggered row | | | | around. |
| rather than a narrow row, they also add a 3d | | | | The main thing to keep in mind when setting out |
| effect to the landscape that makes the home | | | | landscaping plants, along with how they'll look, is |
| seem more substantial. | | | | what they will do in the future. Whether it's front |
| Another consideration that most folks don't think | | | | yard landscaping, backyard landscaping, or any |
| of is the long term effects of planting around the | | | | other part of your landscape, keeping these main |
| foundation of the home. | | | | points in mind could possibly save you a lot of |
| Keep in mind the space that plants and their roots | | | | frustration and money in the future. |