Garden accent question I need help with

[Alistair]

I want to make this to put in my front garden. It’s going to be in between 2 Japanese maples, one upright and one weeping. They’re about 5 feet apart. It will be about 3 feet from the front of house.

My question is what height do you think it should be and how wide? I’m going to put a wind chime in one space and a solar lantern in another.

 

[opinterph]

How tall are the Japanese Maples?

 

[Alistair]

I’m thinking this lantern. It comes in a set of 2

https://www.amazon.com/Outdoor-Hang...of&qid=1625176320&sprefix=solar+lanter&sr=8-4

And a black pipe style wind chime.

 

[Cormac135]

Are those real candles. the cats and wildlife will love them.

I'd concrete the whole garden over if it was mine.

The one in the pic looks ideal if a little bit too skinny.

 

[Alistair]

How tall are the Japanese Maples?

The weeping is about 4 foot tall and the upright is taller than the house. Leaves starting about 4 feet off the ground

 

[opinterph]

The weeping is about 4 foot tall and the upright is taller than the house. Leaves starting about 4 feet off the ground

Taller seems like a good idea. Probably about 2 meters.

 

[Alistair]

I’m keeping the ornamental grass. It would be going basically right in front of the window. The shrubs on the right are being removed.

 

[Kahaih]

OMG! You were raised by wild hippies. I had no idea.

Seriously, though, how far out from the house/window? I wouldn't think you'd want the structure blocking your view.

Maybe make it as tall and as wide as the window?


Or, small enough to fit nicely between the trunk of the taller tree and the window would be better. Anything too large will further dwarf the appearance of an already small looking house.

 

[Alistair]

It would be 2 to 3 feet away from the house. The area is deceptively deeper than it appears. The round evergreens are 6 feet away from the house. There’s nothing between them and the house. I don’t care about covering the window, it never gets used, my bed is in front of it.

I can’t get anything to grow in the spot between the grass and the tree. I’ve tried everything that I’ve had success with in the past. I’ve has black eyed susans planted there. I literally can’t kill them in the back yard. I’ve had another ornamental grass there. No luck. Jacobs ladders grow all over the garden but that spot.

Daylilies and daffodils won’t even grow there.

 

[Kahaih]

I see. Then I think no taller than the bottom of the top sash. About the same height as the ornamental grass, and still a bit to the right of the window to fill in some of that empty space.

You already have quite a bit going on on the bow window side. Will you be replacing the shrubs you plan on removing?

 

[Alistair]

I see. Then I think no taller than the bottom of the top sash. About the same height as the ornamental grass, and still a bit to the right of the window to fill in some of that empty space.

You already have quite a bit going on on the bow window side. Will you be replacing the shrubs you plan on removing?

I don’t know, I wish I had never planted them. They look terrible, they can’t be trimmed back because they aren’t green on the old growth. They’ve jacked up the sidewalk which I’m going to have to fix. They actually killed 2 mock crabapples that I had in the front. Who knew that they have a disease that cross contaminates.

I was thinking of putting a line of day lilies along the sidewalk. What do you think?

 

[metta]

Good luck with your project.

https://www.facebook.com/louisevdurham

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[Kahaih]

If I had to pick a favourite perennial, it would probably be day lilies. I have several colours of them. They are spectacular when blooming, and would still look good with your ornamental grass after the blooms have faded.

 

[Alistair]

I like the Stella D'Oro day lily Stella D'Oro because when it’s not in bloom it looks like a short ornamental grass. It’s easy to grow too.

The stuff in front of the tree is creeping myrtle. It’s not getting as bushy as I was lead to believe it would be.

 

[Rickrock]

I'm guessing it should be about 4 or 5 feet tall. I'm having trouble picturing it so your judgement should trump whatever I say. Also just to the right of the window sounds good. Putting something in front of the window just sounds wrong. The day lilies sound good.

 

[Vannie]

Who do I look like...Jenn Nawada?

 

[unloadonme]

I hate to say it, but I'd probably remove that tree right in front of the house. The roots could be damaging your foundations, the leaves will clog your gutters every autumn and it probably attracts birds (and therefore bird shit) right by your front door.

 

[HoodedRat]

I hate to say it, but I'd probably remove that tree right in front of the house. The roots could be damaging your foundations, the leaves will clog your gutters every autumn and it probably attracts birds (and therefore bird shit) right by your front door.

I really like the tree.

I say keep the tree, and simply move the house back a bit.

 

[Vannie]

Do you have any tulips?

*flees thread*

 

[Alistair]

It’s the tree that ate the house. I had to limb it up so people could get in the front door. I love this tree and wish the previous owner would have planted it in an appropriate place.

This is what it looked like before the crabapples and junipers got a disease killing them off.