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