Just finished building the house (zone 5- Michigan). We went with a
two-story side-entry garage, meaning the garage door faces the neighbors
instead of the street. So the side of the garage now faces the street. The
wall is 24' wide and the peek is about 19' above grade. There are two
double hung windows with shutters on this wall facing the street. My father
in law has built us a pair of window boxes for these windows that will also
need to be incorporated into the planting scheme. A sidewalk leads from the
driveway, near the garage door (which faces the neighbors) wraps along side
the garage, then goes past our dining room windows, then curves towards the
front porch entry. There is a 6' wide planting bed between the sidewalk and
the garage, then it flares out in front of the dininng room windows before
ending back at the sidewalk as it curves towards the front porch.

We need planting ideas for this bed between the sidewalk and the
garage/house. The bed between the sidewalk and garage is 6' wide by about
28' long, which butts up to the bed in front of the dining room windows with
is about 10' wide by 15' deep.

Along the garage my wife was thinking about planting low-growing shrubs
under the two flower boxes, which would have several varieties of annuals,
and perhaps a perrenial or two. Perhaps something cascading down like
wisteria or a trumpet vine. Then between the two windows and on each side
of them, we would plant a taller-growing shrub, perhaps a arborvitae or
similar. Then fill in the area in front of the shrubs with a few select
perrenials and many annuals. Would this work? Any better ideas?

Please be specific with plant reccomendations wherever possible.
thanks,
Matt

"Matt" wrote:

We need planting ideas for this bed between the sidewalk and the
garage/house. The bed between the sidewalk and garage is 6' wide by about
28' long, which butts up to the bed in front of the dining room windows with
is about 10' wide by 15' deep.

You haven't mentioned sun, partial sun, shade. Is it north, south, east
or west facing, etc. Are there rain gutters on the garage or will the
water and snow run off onto the plants. Snow will crush shrubs. Rain
run-off will knock down some plants down.

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"Matt" wrote:

We need planting ideas for this bed between the sidewalk and the
garage/house. The bed between the sidewalk and garage is 6' wide by about
28' long, which butts up to the bed in front of the dining room windows with
is about 10' wide by 15' deep.

You haven't mentioned sun, partial sun, shade. Is it north, south, east
or west facing, etc. Are there rain gutters on the garage or will the
water and snow run off onto the plants. Snow will crush shrubs. Rain
run-off will knock down some plants down.

--
Pardon my spam deterrent; send email to
Visit my Rhododendron and Azalea web pages at:
http://home.earthlink.net/~rhodyman/rhody.html
Also visit the Rhododendron and Azalea Bookstore at:
http://home.earthlink.net/~rhodyman/rhodybooks.html
Cheers, Steve Henning in Reading, PA USA http://home.earthlink.net/~rhodyman

"Stephen M. Henning" wrote in message
news
You haven't mentioned sun, partial sun, shade. Is it north, south, east
or west facing, etc. Are there rain gutters on the garage or will the
water and snow run off onto the plants. Snow will crush shrubs. Rain
run-off will knock down some plants down.


The garage wall faces North, and will have partial sun. There are gutters
on the roof, but not over this area, as this is the gable end of the garage.
The roof slopes to each side of this wall. There will be no rain or snow
running off the roof here.
So any ideas?
thanks,

"Matt" wrote:

"Stephen M. Henning" wrote:
You haven't mentioned sun, partial sun, shade. Is it north, south, east
or west facing, etc. Are there rain gutters on the garage or will the
water and snow run off onto the plants. Snow will crush shrubs. Rain
run-off will knock down some plants down.


The garage wall faces North, and will have partial sun. There are gutters
on the roof, but not over this area, as this is the gable end of the garage.
The roof slopes to each side of this wall. There will be no rain or snow
running off the roof here.

That means that if snow slides off the roof it lands in front of the
garage door where you have to shovel it. Good luck.

You said you were in zone 5 in Michigan. You have shade to partial
shade.

For lower plants you could use shade-loving ground cover, such as Hall¹s
Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica ŒHalliana¹), English ivy (Hedera
helix), periwinkle (Vinca minor), Japanese spurge (Pachysandra
ternimalis) or Longwood wintercreeper (Euonymus fortunei ŒLongwood¹).²

Spring bulbs can be interplanted with evergreen ground cover plants,
hostas can fill in between shrubs, and annuals such as coleus, begonias
and impatiens can brighten shaded areas and fill in after bulbs in beds
have faded.

For shrubs you could use oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia),
Weller boxwood (Buxus sempervirens ŒWelleri¹), Oregon grapeholly
(Mahonia aquifolium), a number of azalea and rhododendron cultivars, and
a selection of yews (Taxus species).

Here are some shade tolerant azaleas that are grown in Zone 5:

Rhododendron calendulaceum, the flame azalea, is a native American
species, growing 4 to 6 feet high. It bears clusters of 2-inch
clove-scented yellow to red-orange flowers in early summer, when most
other azalea species have finished blooming. The leaves are 3 inches
long and drop in the fall.

Rhododendron schlippenbachii, the royal azalea, is a deciduous species,
of Japanese origin. It has soft green leaves that grow in whorls around
the stem and turn yellow, orange and crimson in the fall. Its pink
star-shaped flowers bloom in loose clusters in mid-spring and have a
delicate fragrance.

Rhododendron minus (formerly R. carolinianum), the Carolina
rhododendron, is a native American plant that grows wild in the Blue
Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. It is 3 to 6 feet high with a
naturally rounded shape and dark green leaves 3 inches long. In
mid-spring it is covered with 3-inch clusters of rose-pink flowers.
There is also a variety with pure white flowers and lighter green
leaves, R. carolinianum 'Album'.

Since azaleas are spring bloomers, some people like to cascade clematis
down over the azaleas. Then when the azaleas finish blooming the
clematis soon start to bloom adding a longer season of color. Clematis
like their roots in the shade but will grow toward the sun. Some
shade-tolerant varieties a "Silver Moon", Clematis paniculata,

Whatever you get, make sure it is shade tolerant. Most bloomers like
more sun.

Here are some native plant nurseries in Michigan:

Arrowhead Alpines
P.O. Box 857, Fowlerville, MI 48836 Tel: 517/223-3581

Cold Stream Farm
2030 Free Soil Rd., Free Soil, MI 49411 Tel: 616/464-5809

Hartmann's Plantation, Inc.
310 60th St., P.O. Box E, Grand Junction, MI 49056 Tel:
616/253-4281

J.W. Toumey Nursery
P.O. Box 445, Watersmeet, MI 49969 Tel: 906/358-4523

Lady's Mantle Nursery
1235 Morningside, Ann Arbor, MI 48103 Tel: 734/769-7304

Michigan Wildflower Farm
11770 Cutler Rd., Portland, MI 48875-9452 Tel: 517/647-6010

The Native Plant Nursery
P.O. Box 7841, Ann Arbor, MI 48107 Tel: 734/994-9592

Nesta Prairie Perennials
1019 Miller Rd., Kalamazoo, MI 49001 Tel: 800/233-5025

Newaygo Conservation District Nursery
1725 E. 72nd St., Newaygo, MI 49337 Tel: 231/652-7493

Oikos Tree Crops
P.O. Box 19425, Kalamazoo, MI 49019 Tel: 269/624-6233

Sandhill Farm
11250 10 Mile Road, Rockford, MI 49341 Tel: 616/691-8214

Shady Grove Native Trees and Shrubs
535 Sherwood Rd., Williamston, MI 48895 Tel: 517/249-3752

Wetlands Nursery
P.O. Box 14553, Saginaw, MI 48601 Tel: 517/752-3492

WILDTYPE Design
Native Plants & Seed, 900 North Every Rd., Mason, MI
48854 Tel: 517/244-1140

Wyman State Forest Nursery
Michigan Dept. of Natural Resources, Route 2, Box 2004,
Manistique, MI 49854 Tel: 906/341-2518 Fax: 906/341-8344

--
Pardon my spam deterrent; send email to
Visit my Rhododendron and Azalea web pages at:
http://home.earthlink.net/~rhodyman/rhody.html
Also visit the Rhododendron and Azalea Bookstore at:
http://home.earthlink.net/~rhodyman/rhodybooks.html
Cheers, Steve Henning in Reading, PA USA http://home.earthlink.net/~rhodyman

"Stephen M. Henning" wrote in message
news
You haven't mentioned sun, partial sun, shade. Is it north, south, east
or west facing, etc. Are there rain gutters on the garage or will the
water and snow run off onto the plants. Snow will crush shrubs. Rain
run-off will knock down some plants down.


The garage wall faces North, and will have partial sun. There are gutters
on the roof, but not over this area, as this is the gable end of the garage.
The roof slopes to each side of this wall. There will be no rain or snow
running off the roof here.
So any ideas?
thanks,

"Matt" wrote:

"Stephen M. Henning" wrote:
You haven't mentioned sun, partial sun, shade. Is it north, south, east
or west facing, etc. Are there rain gutters on the garage or will the
water and snow run off onto the plants. Snow will crush shrubs. Rain
run-off will knock down some plants down.


The garage wall faces North, and will have partial sun. There are gutters
on the roof, but not over this area, as this is the gable end of the garage.
The roof slopes to each side of this wall. There will be no rain or snow
running off the roof here.

That means that if snow slides off the roof it lands in front of the
garage door where you have to shovel it. Good luck.

You said you were in zone 5 in Michigan. You have shade to partial
shade.

For lower plants you could use shade-loving ground cover, such as Hall¹s
Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica ŒHalliana¹), English ivy (Hedera
helix), periwinkle (Vinca minor), Japanese spurge (Pachysandra
ternimalis) or Longwood wintercreeper (Euonymus fortunei ŒLongwood¹).²

Spring bulbs can be interplanted with evergreen ground cover plants,
hostas can fill in between shrubs, and annuals such as coleus, begonias
and impatiens can brighten shaded areas and fill in after bulbs in beds
have faded.

For shrubs you could use oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia),
Weller boxwood (Buxus sempervirens ŒWelleri¹), Oregon grapeholly
(Mahonia aquifolium), a number of azalea and rhododendron cultivars, and
a selection of yews (Taxus species).

Here are some shade tolerant azaleas that are grown in Zone 5:

Rhododendron calendulaceum, the flame azalea, is a native American
species, growing 4 to 6 feet high. It bears clusters of 2-inch
clove-scented yellow to red-orange flowers in early summer, when most
other azalea species have finished blooming. The leaves are 3 inches
long and drop in the fall.

Rhododendron schlippenbachii, the royal azalea, is a deciduous species,
of Japanese origin. It has soft green leaves that grow in whorls around
the stem and turn yellow, orange and crimson in the fall. Its pink
star-shaped flowers bloom in loose clusters in mid-spring and have a
delicate fragrance.

Rhododendron minus (formerly R. carolinianum), the Carolina
rhododendron, is a native American plant that grows wild in the Blue
Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. It is 3 to 6 feet high with a
naturally rounded shape and dark green leaves 3 inches long. In
mid-spring it is covered with 3-inch clusters of rose-pink flowers.
There is also a variety with pure white flowers and lighter green
leaves, R. carolinianum 'Album'.

Since azaleas are spring bloomers, some people like to cascade clematis
down over the azaleas. Then when the azaleas finish blooming the
clematis soon start to bloom adding a longer season of color. Clematis
like their roots in the shade but will grow toward the sun. Some
shade-tolerant varieties a "Silver Moon", Clematis paniculata,

Whatever you get, make sure it is shade tolerant. Most bloomers like
more sun.

Here are some native plant nurseries in Michigan:

Arrowhead Alpines
P.O. Box 857, Fowlerville, MI 48836 Tel: 517/223-3581

Cold Stream Farm
2030 Free Soil Rd., Free Soil, MI 49411 Tel: 616/464-5809

Hartmann's Plantation, Inc.
310 60th St., P.O. Box E, Grand Junction, MI 49056 Tel:
616/253-4281

J.W. Toumey Nursery
P.O. Box 445, Watersmeet, MI 49969 Tel: 906/358-4523

Lady's Mantle Nursery
1235 Morningside, Ann Arbor, MI 48103 Tel: 734/769-7304

Michigan Wildflower Farm
11770 Cutler Rd., Portland, MI 48875-9452 Tel: 517/647-6010

The Native Plant Nursery
P.O. Box 7841, Ann Arbor, MI 48107 Tel: 734/994-9592

Nesta Prairie Perennials
1019 Miller Rd., Kalamazoo, MI 49001 Tel: 800/233-5025

Newaygo Conservation District Nursery
1725 E. 72nd St., Newaygo, MI 49337 Tel: 231/652-7493

Oikos Tree Crops
P.O. Box 19425, Kalamazoo, MI 49019 Tel: 269/624-6233

Sandhill Farm
11250 10 Mile Road, Rockford, MI 49341 Tel: 616/691-8214

Shady Grove Native Trees and Shrubs
535 Sherwood Rd., Williamston, MI 48895 Tel: 517/249-3752

Wetlands Nursery
P.O. Box 14553, Saginaw, MI 48601 Tel: 517/752-3492

WILDTYPE Design
Native Plants & Seed, 900 North Every Rd., Mason, MI
48854 Tel: 517/244-1140

Wyman State Forest Nursery
Michigan Dept. of Natural Resources, Route 2, Box 2004,
Manistique, MI 49854 Tel: 906/341-2518 Fax: 906/341-8344

--
Pardon my spam deterrent; send email to
Visit my Rhododendron and Azalea web pages at:
http://home.earthlink.net/~rhodyman/rhody.html
Also visit the Rhododendron and Azalea Bookstore at:
http://home.earthlink.net/~rhodyman/rhodybooks.html
Cheers, Steve Henning in Reading, PA USA http://home.earthlink.net/~rhodyman