New house - need landscaping ideas? And plant selection help?

We purchased a home in late fall last year. Now that things are begining to green up and bloom here I am desperate to work on the old homeowners messy landscaping. I've got two questions for you. I would like to replace her plants around the foundation of our home with evergreen plants, some that "flower" in the spring or summer would be nice also. I need to know what to go to Lowe's and buy - I get in thier garden center and they have so many choices; I don't know what plants stay green! Please help!


We have also removed a very badly installed pond and have a 15x15 area to landscape that is literally in our "front door". It's surrounded by a brick wall and concrete steps so it's not really connected to the yard. I am at a loss as to what to put there but I do know I won't be reinstalling the pond. It's too close to the house to do a tree, but I dread the maintence of a flower garden. I like low maintence plants!


I appreciate any help you can give me!

New house - need landscaping ideas? And plant selection help?
here are a few plants that are evergreen





camellias.


they are cold hardy to 5 degrees and they are evergreen, and have large red bloom in the spring around this time of year. some verieties bloom in the fall as well. can be treated as a tree growing as tall as your house, or a bush as small as 5 feet tall or smaller.





cannas. they arent evergreen, but there attractive foilage will add attention. all they need is lots of water in the summer, and no water in the winter. the only maintnence they need it to cut the dead flower stalks off so the plant looks more attractive. it is a perennial that is cold hardy to 5. after the first frost, it will look very ugly because the whole plant will be dead looking. all yo need to do it cut it back to the ground.





also some yuccas are great. add some sandy soil if you dont have dandy soil. they grow slow, so it will be at least 100 years before it turns into a tree. also they need no maintnence and no water. it can go weeks wilthout water. plus some are in water withoust problems. cold hardy to -30





maybe some palm trees that arent trees are the answer. even if you dont live in a warm area palm trees are great. the neddle palm will grow no larger than 5-8 feet. it has needles on the trunk, so great by a window if you dont want people there. also the worlds most cold hardy palm surviving to -20 F.





in southwest virginia you can also grow crape myrtles. they are trees, but they dont grow that large. they are bare in the winter, but well worth it in the summer. they flower all summer long and dont stop till freeze.





hibiscuses are also an option some are temperater such as a lord baltimore. red flowers in the summer with some whoat attractive foilage. they do die in the winter to sticks, but you can cut those sicks to the ground.





also another evergreen palm that is cold hardy and lo maintnence it the sabal minor. it has large attractive blue leaves and no trunk which means that is will only grow as tall as the leaves do which is about 5 feet.





also another palm is the saw palmmetto. not the best though because it is alot of maintenience to keep it looking clean
Reply:We would really need to know where you live to make any recommendations. Something that's ideal for one climate may be a complete bust in another. For example, something like a hibiscus would do well in a warm climate, but would die out over winter if it gets below freezing. Also, a humid place like the gulf states would support completely different plants than the arid desert states.
Reply:Need location, but you can go to your local nursery, they will be able to help you.



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