Where to begin? When you move into a brand new house that is surrounded by nothing but an expanse of curling, just-laid sod or, even worse, rutted mud and construction debris, it can be hard to decide on the plants that will create your ideal landscape.
For some, there is a temptation to do a rush job in order to make the house look more like a home, digging beds almost at random and filling them with just about anything green. For others, the task is too overwhelming to contemplate and the landscape is pretty much left to Mother Nature.
The best solution, however, lies somewhere in between. Here are questions from two brand new home owners who are faced with this dilemma.
QUESTION: "Our house was just built; in fact it is still being finished up. It has a small front yard and wet lands in the back. We're looking for something to spruce up the front lawn / patio area. Right now, there is nothing on the property so this will be a fresh start. I have attached 2 pictures of the house so you can see and maybe give me some idea of what I can do.
"Right now, the only thing I have in my mind would be a Japanese dwarf maple and maybe golden mops with barberry shrubs. The only reason I chose those was because of the burgundy color roof. The house itself is more of the khaki brown color.
"I have been racking my brain with this all week as to what I can do. I have no idea about planting so I feel I need something that requires little or low maintenance." -- Sharon
ANSWER: From the photos you sent me, as a first step, I would recommend foundation plants or anchor plants on the corners. I would go with evergreens like arborvitae or holly.
I would also suggest Bamboo Green Panda. It will grow to a height of about 8 feet with deep green leaves and orange-red sheaths. Green Panda is a fargesia or "non-running" variety which means it is non- invasive and does not need to be contained. Another benefit is that Green Panda is fast-growing so you won't have to wait long to get that "established" feel on your new landscape. We have this bamboo ourselves and have found it to be very easy to maintain.
You might want to take a look at some of the new dwarf Crape Myrtles like Pocomoke or Chickasaw to line the driveway or plant in front of the house. Some crimson pygmy Barberry shrubs would add some low- maintenance color, too.
I would get these first and then stand back and a take another look. Landscaping is a work in progress. I have found the best way is to plant a few plants, mulch them in, get grass going and then add as needed.
The next question was fielded by my wife Cheryl.
QUESTION: "This is the first house we've owned. Our back yard is needing some help to look better. We want to improve our yard little by little, so what's a perennial that would add some color to our yard?" -- Dick and Mel
ANSWER: The first thing that you should do is just live in your new home and enjoy it over the first year or so to begin planning your ideas of how you will be using your property on a long term basis.
You might not want to go to a large expense to add color to your landscape at this time as you may end up only changing the area. Using annuals, perennials and ornamental grasses grown in containers can brighten up your deck or patio areas. Specific varieties will depend on the amount of sunlight in your yard area.
As you and your family begin enjoying your new home, make drawings and notes about the different ways the property seems to be developing itself for use. As you do this the landscape will come into being, becoming easier to narrow down to trees, shrubs, ornamental grasses and other perennials.
The Plant Man is here to help. Send your questions about trees, shrubs and landscaping to snipped-for-privacy@landsteward.org and for resources and additional information, or to subscribe to Steve's free e-mailed newsletter, visit