Foundation Garden Plan a Colorful Alternative to the Standard All-Green Landscape

Better Homes &Gardens® Garden Plans

Foundation Garden Plan A colorful alternative to the standard all-green landscape. GARDEN DIMENSIONS: 25’ × 11’

Plant List A. Rock Mountain Blue Pine C. Boxwood ALTERNATIVE PLANT (Pinus strobus ‘Rock Mountain’) (1) (Buxus ‘Green Velvet’ or ‘Winter Green’) (3) Fetterbush Zones 3-9. Soft, long-needled evergreen Zones 5-9. Deep green, compact evergreen (Leucothoe fontanesiana ‘Scarletta’) tree. Bluish color. 20’ tall. shrub. Trim to desired height. Zones 5-8. Broad-leafed evergreen shrub with red new growth. 2’ tall. ALTERNATIVE PLANT ALTERNATIVE PLANT Thornless Cockspur Hawthorn Globe Arborvitae F. August Moon Hosta (Crataegus crus-galliinermis) (Thuja occidentalis ‘Woodward’) (Hosta ‘August Moon’) (3) Zones 4-8. Rounded, low-branching tree. Zones 4-9. Rich green evergreen shrub. Zones 3-9. Puckered yellow leaves, pale Glossy green foliage, white flowers in May, Globe shape. 3’ tall. lavender blooms. 25”-30” tall. red fruits in fall. 20’-25’ tall. D. Golden Mockorange ALTERNATIVE PLANT B. Moonshadow Euonymus (Philadelphus coronarius ‘Aureus’) (1) Bellwort (Euonymus fortunei ‘Moonshadow’) (1) Zones 5-9. Gold-leafed shrub. Fragrant (Uvularia grandiflora) Zones 4-8. Broad-leafed evergreen shrub. white blooms in spring. 6’ tall. Zones 3-9. Delicate yellow blooms on arching stems. 2’ tall. Golden-yellow variegation, rounded habit. ALTERNATIVE PLANT 3’ tall. Dwarf Korean Lilac Tree G. Spotted Dead Nettle ALTERNATIVE PLANT (Syringa meyeri ‘Palibin,’ standard form) (Lamium maculatum ‘Friday’) (6) Golden Globe Arborvitae Zones 3-8. Tree-form lilac with fragrant, Zones 3-9. Ground cover. Green and yellow (Thuja orientalis ‘Aurea Nana’) lavender blooms. 5’ tall. variegation, white blooms. 12” tall. Zones 5-9. Globe-shaped shrub. E. Rhododendron ALTERNATIVE PLANT Yellow-green evergreen foliage. 5’ tall. (Rhododendron yakusimanum) (2) Golden Creeping Jenny Yellow-Twig Dogwood Zones 5-8. Broad-leafed evergreen foliage (Lysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea’) (Cornus sanguinea ‘Winter Beauty’) with velvety undersides. Pink buds open Zones 3-9. Spreading ground cover with Zones 4-7. Yellow twigs, tipped red. to white flowers in early May. True dwarf bright chartreuse leaves. 4” tall. 5’ tall. shrub. 3’ tall.

Plant List Continued H. Dwarf Fountain Grass (Pennisetum ALTERNATIVE PLANT M. Creeping Thyme alopecuroides ‘Little Bunny’) (5) Spring Cinquefoil (Thymus serphyllum ‘Coccineus’) (5) Zones 4-9. Blue-green tuft, miniature (Potentilla neumanniana ‘Nana’ or P. au Zones 4-9. Dark green leaves, mat-forming, plumes. 12” tall. rea verna) Zones 4-9. Mat-forming ground red flowers. 1”-4” tall. cover. Small strawberry-like leaves, yellow ALTERNATIVE PLANT ALTERNATIVE PLANT Butterfly Blue Pincushion Flower blooms. 4” tall. Leadwort (Scabiosa columbaria ‘Butterfly Blue’) K. Serbian Bellflower (Ceratostigma plumbaginoides) Zones 3-10. Lavender-blue flowers, long (Campanula poscharskyana) (7) Zones 5-9. Spreading ground cover. Dark blooming season. 12” tall. Zones 3-9. Violet-blue star-like flowers in blue flowers, red-tinted leaves. 8” tall. spring. 6” tall. I. Dwarf Daylily ALTERNATIVE PLANT (Hemerocallis ‘Eenie Weenie’) (5) ALTERNATIVE PLANT ▲. Juanita Daffodil Zones 3-9. Yellow blooms, neat mounded Leadwort (Narcissus ‘Juanita’) (5) foliage. 10” tall. (Ceratostigma plumbaginoides) Zones 3-7. Yellow, orange-cupped flowers Zones 5-9. Spreading ground cover. Dark ALTERNATIVE PLANT in mid-spring. 16” tall. blue flowers, red-tinted leaves. 8” tall. Cushion Spurge △. Tahiti Daffodil(Narcissus ‘Tahiti’) (5) (Euphorbia epithymoides or E. polychro L. Creeping Phlox Zones 3-7. Many-petalled, yellow-and ma) (Phlox douglasii ‘Crater Lake’) (5) orange flowers in late spring. 16” tall. Zones 2-9. Massive lavender-blue display Zones 4-9. Chrome-yellow spring flowers, □ Persian Pearl Tulip in spring, sporadic summer blooms, mossy . red fall color. 15” tall. (Tulipa humilis ‘Persian Pearl’) (5) foliage. 4”-6” tall. J. Silver-and-Gold Chrysanthemum Zones 3-8. Magenta-rose flowers with (Ajania pacifica) (4) ALTERNATIVE PLANT bright yellow centers; early spring. 4” tall. Zones 5-9. Silver-edged foliage, gold Moss Phlox button-like blooms. 12” tall. (Phlox subulata ‘Atropurpurea’) Zones 3-9. Wine red spring blooms. 4”-8” tall.

EACH SQUARE = 1 FOOT

Meredith Corporation ©Copyright 2017. All Rights Reserved. bhg.com/gardening/plans/ Better Homes &Gardens® Garden Plans Tips for Installing Your Garden EDGING BEFORE YOU BEGIN Beds and borders are easier to Preparation is the key to creating a garden that will offer a lifetime of pleasure. Before you head to maintain if they’re edged to keep the nursery, review all garden plan materials. Ask yourself the following questions: surrounding grass or weeds from growing in. Choose plastic, metal, • Do I have a suitable spot for this plan? The layout diagram shows the dimensions for the plan. stone, or brick—whatever you prefer. In general, you can enlarge or reduce the size of the garden by adding or eliminating plants, If you have lawn around your bed, although the character of the garden may change if you alter the size dramatically. consider adding a 6- to 12 inch-wide • Do I have the right growing conditions? Check the plant list to see if the plan will do best in sun, swath of masonry or stone set even part shade, or full shade. Be sure that the plants are suited to your USDA Zone. with the surrounding soil to act as a • Do I need to amend my soil? Most plants thrive in moist, but well-drained soil. If you have soil mowing strip. with lots of sand or clay, amend it liberally with lots of organic matter, such as compost. • Is my soil’s pH and fertility okay? If you’re unsure, inquire about testing at your county’s MULCHING extension service office. Follow the recommendations that come with your test results if you need Mulch your garden after planting. to correct the soil’s pH (how acid or alkaline the soil is) or fertility. Mulch conserves moisture, cools the CREATE THE BED soil, and protects against water runoff To lay out your bed, use a garden hose to mark the outline. (Or sprinkle flour along the hose for a and erosion. Organic mulches such more temporary mark.). Using a sharp spade, dig along the marked line to set the edge of your bed. as shredded bark need to be topped off every couple of years as the mulch If the spot is currently covered by lawn, remove the sod using a straight-edged shovel or sod cutter. decays. Mulches such as crushed stone To make this easier, wet the area thoroughly, then use the shovel to cut the lawn into strips that are are more permanent, but they do not the width of the shovel and about 3 feet long. (Sharpen the edge of your shovel frequently with a improve your soil over time. file.) Use the shovel to pry up and roll back the strips of sod. Once the sod is removed, loosen the underlying soil with a shovel or a power tiller. AFTERCARE Regardless of how you prepare your bed, use this opportunity to mix in organic matter (such as The first season of growth is the most compost, peat moss, or rotted manure) and loosen the soil at least 6 inches deep. Don’t mix in critical. Water thoroughly every other fertilizer unless your soil test shows a need; in general, excessive amounts of fertilizer will do more day for the first two weeks, then give harm than good. your garden about an inch of water a After your bed is prepared, water it thoroughly and wait a week. This will allow weed seeds to week for the rest of the season. The germinate. Pull these seedlings or dig them back into the soil. Or spray them with an herbicide. following year, you can let nature take Follow the instructions on the packaging, including the time to wait after application before planting. its course, supplementing dry periods with deep watering. PLANTING If you have all of your plants on hand, keep them in their pots and set them out on the planting bed. You should also be diligent about This will give you a preview of how the bed will look, and allow you to make adjustments before weeding your bed during the first year. digging any holes. As the plants mature and fill in, there When you are satisfied with the placement, plant your garden from largest to smallest container will be fewer opportunities for weeds (usually trees first, then shrubs, perennials, and finally annuals). to grow. A thick layer of mulch will also help keep weeds in check. • Tree-Planting Tips: Dig a hole that’s twice as wide as the pot or root ball but no deeper. If the tree is potted, loosen the soil slightly around the roots, then place the tree into the planting hole. For balled-and-burlapped trees, loosen the burlap after the tree is in the hole. Cut away as much of ONGOING MAINTENANCE the burlap as possible. When the tree is in place and straight, fill the hole one-third with soil, tap Most plants will thrive with minimal firmly to make good contact between roots and soil, then water. Repeat twice more until the hole care. If you need to prune trees or is filled. Water the tree thoroughly by letting a hose run slowly for 30 minutes. shrubs to maintain their shape or size, • Shrub-Planting Tips: Plant shrubs in a hole that’s about twice the diameter of the root ball. The do it in late winter before growth has top of the root ball should be slightly above the surrounding soil level. Backfill with garden soil, started. The exception to this general taping firmly to ensure a contact between soil and roots. Water immediately by slowly running a rule is spring-flowering shrubs like hose at the shrub’s base for about 20 minutes. lilacs that should be pruned immedi • Perennial- and Annual-Planting Tips: Set these plants in soil at the same level they were growing ately after flowering. in the pot. Firm the soil around each plant with your hands, then water thoroughly.