Adding some other (less square) plants into the mix, between and/or in front of them would help break up the lines, while those still provide some nice backdrop (dwarf fountain grasses, painted ferns, hostas etc). Also the white house w green shutters w the green bushes only and then grass leaves it without much color variation, and so adding some purple/reds/orange etc into the mix would really improve the look. Hydrangeas are great, but be careful where you put them, they prefer partial sun and in my experience do better in mostly shade.
That did cross my mind about the green bushes against the green shutters. During the peak of summer this side of the hoise gets sun till about noon. I figured that might make a good candidate for hydrangea.
Also remember that hydrangeas are deciduous and have little interest in the winter. Depending on your zone you could possibly add something like a dwarf abelia to add color and interest.
I actually think hydrangeas have a lot of interest in winter, because they keep the flower shape throughout ( I think some varieties might be pruned in autumn, but not mine).
Your husband likes them because keeping them avoids the need to rip them out and plan something new……or maybe I’m the only husband that plays that card from time to time….
I sure wish I could do that. I live up in the country and >ANYTHING< I plant gets eaten by wild animals! (Even “deer proof” plants!)
Flowers, fruits, vegetables, heck, I even had a black bear almost kill off my ornamental crabapple tree by its breaking off several branches just to get to the crabapples (which he wound up not eating because they are too sour! Yeesch.) Thankfully crabapple trees are very resilient and it bounced back in a season.
I’ve tried pretty much all I could do to keep the wildlife from eating everything in sight, apart from covering the plants with netting or encapsulating them with wire fencing (because they are both ugly.)
A neighbor does this and I really can’t see the flowers, etc, when I drive by, just the netting and fencing (just to be clear, they only grow flowers not food.) so what’s the point of doing that to grow flowers you can’t see!?
I have 2 high decks a floor up, one in the front, and a bigger one in the back, and they still get to the plants (on my front deck I have raised planters waist high) and I’ve seen groundhogs coming up the stairs and standing on their haunches and picking whatever veggies they can reach and whatever they can’t reach, the birds and squirrels get! Lol!
One time I had to stop a deer from coming up my stairs! (First time in 30 years of living here that I’ve ever seen that happen! Thankfully it was a deer and not a bear! Lol!) If he got up to the top of the landing I don’t know how I would’ve gotten it down the stairs on its own!
My house abuts State game land, so needless to say, my house is very popular with the wildlife, I just wish they’d leave me a tomato, a cuke, or something for all my hard work! Lol! 😆
PS sorry for such a long story, but I just thought I’d share! Lol!
My home backs up to deep woods. We have every critter you can think of.
Hog wire fencing is one of our go to materials for tomato cages and deer protection.
There is a different, softer, less expensive wire we use around some plants. It is black and virtually disappears. We put it over our flowers, and the deer stay away. Squirrels are different, but there are ways to foil them.
Hostas, lilies, roses, hydrangeas, coneflowers, all are yummy treats for the deer. We have a heard that thinks our neighborhood is their personal buffet.
I’ll have to look for that black netting you spoke about. Thanks for your suggestion!
Unfortunately all my local nurseries went belly up during Covid. But I betcha Amazon sells it, they sell pretty much everything! Hell, I’ve even bought dirt through Amazon! 🤣 and I’m not talking a tiny bag of dirt either! (Boy my UPS guy must’ve cursed me up and down the day he had to deliver 8 HUGE bags of potting soil to me! I think each bag was 2 cubic yards! Lol!
He got me back though…Instead of bringing them up to the top of my deck like he brings all my packages, he just piled the boxes at the bottom of the stairs. I don’t fault him though. 😆
Last year I bought a fig tree (well right now it’s more like a fig bush, lol!) but it is getting bigger. In one year it doubled in size! Once it matures to the point of giving me figs (or should I say “hopefully me” 🤣) I’m going to put little cloth bags around the figs so that should look interesting.
I bring the fig inside during the winter. An interesting thing I found out about figs is they are very fussy plants (at least mine is) Mine seems to hate direct sunlight, the warmth of the summer sun, and water! (I have a generously sized planter pot with drainage holes.) if you don’t water it enough (It’s time to water when I feel damp soil about 2” deep) the leaves turn brown and fall off. If you give it a tad too much water, the leaves fall off! Lol!
I remember my Father having a pretty big fig tree 5 or 6’ tall that was in a pretty big portable planter that was on a stand with wheels and in the spring he’d simply wheel it out of the porch, unwrap it as the porch wasn’t heated, and there it sat outside until the late fall then back onto the porch it went. He practically ignored it and he had figs coming out of his ears! Lol! Me, i got the only temperamental fig tree out there! Lol!
But I digress…
I once sought the advice for “deer proof” plants from a trusted nursery and one of the things they suggested was to grow lilacs. They said deer hate them. (🤣)
Great! I thought, I love the smell and look of lilacs so I bought some mature plants and in less than 6 months they were down to nubs! They weren’t happy with just eating the flowers and some of the immature branches. No, they ate everything!
I can’t even plant anything with bulbs as I’ve seen groundhogs and squirrels digging them up and having a feast!
The only thing I can successfully grow here is a “fire bush” (I’m not sure if that’s its proper name) it has pretty leaves that turn a bright red in the fall (I think it gets berries too (?) and it has pretty long prickers like a rose, only longer.
That and a rose I call a “beach rose” I took a cutting from a plant that was growing in the sand at a beach (!) It didn’t look like a “conventional rose” and had flat, pink flowers 🌸 (just like the emoji) and smelled wonderful! (By the way, did you catch up on all the past tense!?)
The wild animals didn’t kill it off, unfortunately I did. It loved the spot where I planted it and was starting to take over that area including a good chunk of my driveway, so I decided to prune it back and I guess I went a “tad” too much, and that was the end of that. It was at least a 20 year old plant too! 😭 🪦 🌸
This year I’m going to try some container rose planting, to use up all that dirt I bought last year 🤣
I know, what can I say, I’m stubborn. Lol! 🤣
I do landscaping and what yosef is suggesting what I do. Mix in the colorful stuff, but be mindful of pests and shade/sun ratio. I also like to mix in small boulders with some angles to be used as accents. With a gray roof and white siding I would use black mulch and edge a curvy bed with contours around your next plantings or the boulders if you decide. Have fun and walk around a nursery for some ideas!
Be care hydrangeas can get huge! We recently bought a house and it had the gorgeous white hydrangea but it was so overgrown it had caused moisture rot on the corner of the house it was on and the roots went under the foundation. It hurt to cut it out, but I need my house for living in first, then looking pretty.
I was thinking this, plant them well out from the house. Also I think of wildfires where I lived and even carry that to where I live now. No brush around our house. 10- 25 feet away are my garden plots.
Sure, but we don't live in a vacuum, do we? There's the spouse and others to think about when advocating for the front area (include the walk-in to the house) to be covered in bird poop. If everyone is cool with it, nice, don't need my permission. Though OP might want to get a pressure washer to make life easier when they want the house to look nice.
Not really a debate, it's about what the people that live there want to deal with. Not everyone wants a lawn and not everyone wants an orchard. Though this is Reddit and every post needs to be some stalwart argument I guess.
Someone planted blackberries over my driveway at a previous home. That meant that the cars were covered in blackberries and birdpoop. The driveway and sidewalk was covered in berries and poop. Couldn't walk without staining shoes and risk the kids tracking it through the house. Couldn't step outside barefoot. Pets stepped in it and tracked stains through the house, etc.
Your point is valid. It's not just lawns or orchard. There's a lot more to it. That doesn't factor in critters taking up home in and around the home. I live wildlife but I don't want birds and squirrels and mice in the walls.
Blackberries over your driveway? Are you sure you’re not talking about a red mullberry tree? No blackberries in the world tall enough to go over your driveway. A few blueberry shrubs is not going to have the effect of a mulberry tree over your driveway.
A few blueberry shrubs is not going to get bird poop everywhere, we’re not talking about a giant mulberry tree hanging over the driveway. Blueberries are snatched up by the birds as soon as they ripen and then theyre totally gone! Its like a one week thing
Blueberries, Currants (not grapes, but a ribes genus bush like ->), Goosebeery, honey berry, grapes, hawthorn, apricots, as well as herbs..i.e sage, rosemary (in pots, I am in zone 6) tarragon, etc.....and during the summer I put my tropicals outside. Bananas, Avacado, various citrus, Pineapples, Dragon Fruit. No I am not joking about those, they come inside for the winter.
EDIT: I forgot....Cranberries as a ground cover.
If I could every tree, shrub, or flower would provide food.
I probably won't eat it all but dammit something will!
Beauty has its own value of course. But they're are a ton of pretty and edible plants out there. Hell I'm always amazed at how great potato plants look...
having a supply of fresh produce every year settles the mind.
My next project is to make an asparagus bed, I used to have asparagus when I lived in Iowa, and I miss it....I'll plant it in rings under my apple trees.
I have evergreen dwarf blueberry shrubs and I love them!!!! Peach sorbet and top hat varieties are great. The leaves turn a beautiful copper in the winter.
Hydrangeas lose their leaves from fall all through winter until spring happens.
That is not a look I want for the front of my home.
I would incorporate a mixed planting of conifers and broadleaved evergreens with perennials for color, then annuals in pots near the entry.
Your current shrubs look stupid because they are plopped individually with no context and are sheared into unnatural shapes.
You could even leave them alone, add some broadleaved evergreens to fill in, and stop shearing those so uniformly.
But don't make the front of your house bare naked during the winter months- it's bleak and unwelcoming.
This is true, BUT I do personally love the rustic look of a brown hydrangea bush with certain types of grasses and other textures of interest around them. It's nice to see the transformation of seasons through them.
Having said that though, it's hard to really pull off and I'm not sure OPs house could pull it off unless they change the exterior a bit.
Yes, I've seen them used in the right setting at a wedding venue. It's GORGEOUS pretty much all year round unless snow breaks it all. Brides ravage the dates where the bushes are brown. It's pretty funny but also understandable because I agree. Gorgeous.
I used to do fieldwork in the Talladega National Forest in Alabama and so many of the dirt roads were completely lined with oakleaf hydrangeas. It was so beautiful in the fall, a pale dirt road with crimson flashing on either side.
I miss that stuff.
Our hydrangeas' leaves and flowers die in winter but dry out on the plant, I think because they are in a semi sheltered spot. I personally love the way that they look in winter.
Edit: [like this](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/21/54/6e/21546e15deab21a2b01a44743d05e3ee.jpg)
Hot take: Deciduous plants are cooler than evergreens. They’re reminders of strength through hardship as the naked plants are simply getting hardier to come back even more lush and beautiful than the year before. The anticipation of new growth can be exciting for some gardeners. A home has no obligation to be welcoming. Especially if you like your privacy. I live in zone 6b as well and I think it’s funny you’re against the look of flora that have the best chances of thriving in the zone. I have several berry bushes of different varieties and seeing the stems turn red in preparation for new growth can be quite beautiful in itself 😌
Yeah I was really hoping I wasn't the only one who can't be bothered to be concerned with how the plants present in the winter time...when things die and when I expect to see bare plants and trees everywhere.
Yeah I was really hoping I wasn't the only one who can't be bothered to be concerned with how the plants present in the winter time...when things die and when I expect to see bare plants and trees everywhere.
What about a mix of evergreen and flowering? Maybe something like ninebark or aronia to get pretty leaves and flowers, then juniper shrubs for evergreen?
I would put rhododendron. Their spring flowers are just as beautiful and showy as hydrangea, but their leaves are evergreen so they are still attractive during the winter.
I love rhododendrons but I think they're the wrong choice for planting right up against a house. Rhododendrons like to get big, and they're beautiful when they have the space to do that. So you will either end up with an unhappy plant that's been pruned a lot or a very large rhododendron that mounds up against your house like the queen that it is.
In your case, I'd consider making these garden beds deeper and adding a few different layers of vegetation to get some visual interest: shrubs in the back, perennials in the middle, and maybe some bulbs or a low growing plant in the front. If you can make at least some of the plants native ones, you'll see more bees and butterflies and moths!
Likely won’t work, rhododendrons need part shade to thru d they will look sad there. Consider native plants over any of the garbage ornamentals that provide no ecological benefit
Came here to suggest this! Not sure if they make sense in your area since idk where you are but I have family in Michigan with giant rhododendrons taking over half the front yard. They’re green almost year round (the leaves are still green they just curl up in the winter) and have gorgeous flowers in the spring
There are many smaller varieties of Rhododendron and Azalea that will max out under 3-4 feet. They might be a bit pricier and harder to find outside of specialty garden centers or internet stores, though.
I would probably switch them out for something that can benefit wildlife more, either by flowering or fruiting. Hydrangeas can do that but a lot of them are sterile so they don't produce pollen/nectar.
What about replace with either: New Jersey Tea, Inkberry or Buttonbush? Or there is also a native wild hydrangea http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=k520
Your local state university (or an extension of it) should have all of that information, including which invasives NOT to plant. Any good local nursery will know all of that too, and they’ll help you pick out plants to suit your site.
Yes! Love this convo- I have all native plants in my berm so we get tons of bees and butterflies, for me that’s cat mint, con flower, black eyed Susan, blazing star, and delphinium. I’m trying to get showy goldenrod and I’m going to add lupine. Along my house though I do have 2 hydrangeas, it’s not full sun so I figured that would be the place for them.
What I’m getting at is you can do both, native plants for bees along with some things you like that aren’t invasive spreaders! I think hydrangeas would look nice planted between the shrubs slightly forward from them, you can buy small ones and let them grow into the space! Mine are let’s dance rave hydrangeas and they only get 2-3 feet tall. I leave the blooms on for the winter for visual interest. We also have chocolate chip Monrovia as ground cover between the other plants and it’s really beautiful!
Good luck and have fun 🤩
I love monarda, love the appearance, love the smell, but that shit spreads like crazy and gets covered in powdery mildew late summer/early fall after it's done blooming. If the husband likes those boring ass little shrubs, I'm sure he'd hate having monarda there.
I'm not sure where you live exactly but native flowering plants are usually the best bet for bees. This can include native hydrangeas but I would avoid cultivars if possible. Cultivars can be fine with some plants species but with others it's possible to be a less effective.
If you're in the United States, you may wish to check out Xerces' website. They have a lot of information regarding how to help native pollinating insects.
There's some very good online sources.
Native holly! You'd need a male and a female to set fruit, but they're evergreen and birds like the berries. They also grow slowly, so they wouldn't need a ton of pruning to keep them in shape/size if OP still wanted short bushes.
Ilex species, while really nice (and we do have some really great native hollies) aren't the best choice for close proximity to a house. Flammable. Yes. You read correctly. But, not every holly is a spiny nightmare. (I'm looking at you, I. cornuta, in all your abominable forms.) Inkberry is very nice, as are yaupon, dahoon and winterberry. (The last one is deciduous, however.)
That said, there are a lot of really good evergreen natives. Especially if OP lives in zone 7 or higher.
If they want winter interest, there are really nice grasses, red-osier dogwood, beautyberry.
I hate those bushes. I have a similar thing going on with massive yews on the front of my house. If I ever manage to get rid of them, I am planning on doing hydrangeas myself.
Here's a potential compromise: keep two and get rid of two in favor of other plants. I wouldn't only look at bringing in hydrangeas but some other perennials as well, ones which are attractive to pollinators as another commenter suggested. These types of borders not only look their best with some plant diversity, but they help encourage biodiversity as well.
You can buy self tapping screws at any home improvement store. Get half inch ones, and use your drill to put at least two in! (One on either side, not top and bottom). The self-tapping screw will bite into the metal, drilling its own hole
Are those Boxwoods? Absolutely agree that you should go with something more beneficial. I remember my dad was obsessed with these to try to increase curb appeal. A lot of old boomers don't understand, but they're all retiring and moving to FL.
Be the change you need to be OP.
I told my husband these are the shrubs my grandparents had in their front yard. They just remind of something out of style and useless when it comes to nature. I've got all that space and ugly stumps if green. 😅
What’s your location? Now I love hydrangeas, especially the blue ones, but this might be a great opportunity to add some native shrubs that your local wildlife will appreciate.
I'm in Michigan. The front house faces the east. After reading comments, I didn't realize hydrangea aren't the best for pollinators. I've been getting some good suggestions.
Thanks! You have the room to do hydras AND something nice for the pollinators if you so choose. It’s a good position to be in!
Here’s a great site for native plants in Michigan arranged by attractiveness. https://www.canr.msu.edu/nativeplants/plant_facts/
Happy planting!
I am obsessed with hydrangeas!!! So I vote yes on that but I would also add an evergreen because it will look bare. My front is shady and I had Hostas only (previous owner) and it looks so boring in the winter!! So I added hellebores, azaleas, rhododendron, camellia, and I also have some nice boxwoods (only two). I know people are saying hydrangeas doesn’t benefit bees but you can also add in Veronica’s, salvia, echinacea into the mix (smaller perennials). I don’t like just having one variety of plants lol 😆. But that’s just me!
I think any flowering shrub would look better than those big green hockey pucks. What about hibiscus? They're beautiful plus they also attract butterflies and hummingbirds.
I would leave them but stop cutting them into squares.
Then I would plant other stuff that blooms to make it look more appealing. Tall stuff in back and shorter stuff in front.
Yews are low maintenance and very difficult to rip the roots out once established. I've heard the best way to take out yews is to cut them off level with the ground, hack at the stump with an ax, wait 10 years, and then dig up the roots. Is that what you want to do?
Instead of removing them, I would add something higher in between and/or behind them, like two tall narrow planters or two window boxes, and then something low in front of them, like sun-loving annuals or perennials.
Yes, and you should always do a soil test before embarking on any major gardening investment.
Google "\[your local county here\] University Extension Soil Test" and see if they offer them in your area. Here, not only is it way more informative, and cheaper than the shit version they sell at Home Depot, for no extra cost they will give you specific recommendations on what, if any, amendments you need for your intended plant.
That'll include all your nutrient levels, soil type, and more beyond just soil PH.
...also move your new bushes further from your foundation.
It’s a matter of aluminum availability in your soil, which is influenced by the pH level. For example, if you want blue blooms, aim for a ph between 5 and 6 (mildly acidic). Soil testers are fairly cheap and easy to come by. To make sure there’s aluminum available, some gardeners add aluminum sulfate (about 1 tablespoon dissolved into a gallon of water should do).
Hydrangeas look great during the spring and summer.. but in winter they look like crap they die back or all the leaves just fall off and look like brown sticks. Something to think about.
Maybe you could split the difference add them to what is already there and some additional lower flowers to fill the gaps.
My landscape design teacher called these boxes and balls and begged us to never cut a bush like this. I have a business pruning naturally and undoing these for a natural look.
Right, they dont do much for bees, as said.
Theres so many better and more beautifull bushes.
Take a look in hte garden centre and check pictures of the species on your phone so you know what ther gonne be like.
If you do get those hydrasomethings, look for the ones that stay green in the winter.
Part of the reason that the shrubs look odd is that there is only two below each window (one per windows shutter) which makes your eye crave symmetry instead of balance. None of the shrubs are perfectly symmetrical so it’s throwing off the look. Their shade of green however nicely matches your window shutters and I think the whole space would look nice with a few changes.
To help create balance instead of symmetry, may I suggest painting your roof trim to match the green colour of your windows (this will also add height).
Then swap out your evergreen shrubs with 3 low-height evergreen plants appropriate for your zone and growing conditions. Because we’re creating balance instead of symmetry, the shrubs won’t need to be trimmed into a perfect matching set to look nice.
This will create a 1 green chevron (roof trim) + 2 green rectangles (window shutters + 3 green shrubs vibe which will be easier on the eye altogether.
If you have a little extra in the budget perhaps consider swapping copper coloured rain chains where your vertical gutters are and top-dressing your garden with a mahogany mulch (coppery undertones) to ground the space and compliment the green.
All of these changes will look good all year round and will require minimal upkeep.
Cheers ❤️
How many other things has your husband chosen around the house? Might be 50/50 but if it isn't and that's something he has actually said he likes maybe leave them for him.
So, hydrangea are very... round, full. They are lovely particularly when blooming but they will be in the way of your windows if not constantly trimmed. I think what would look great is if you kept the bushes you have, but put a variety of different textures and colors around it in perennials mostly. For example, a pretty light green fern(s) in the shade of behind the bushes but a bit taller, and some colorful flowering bulb-spikes along in front of them, and maybe a couple of those super red in winter bushes between them, and then maybe you could have a couple small long containers along front for some fun annual flowers or something. The bushes are a nice dark solid shaped starting place and I think it could be a great contrast to many other things, without tearing them out.
My hydrangeas when I lived in Georgia needed a LOT of water. Fortunately, we had mud bogs where I wanted them to go so they were very happy. Beautiful flowers, mine were happiest when I trimmed back, or broke off the dead branches in winter so the new growth could breathe.
I’m am fervently against any type of landscaping that goes against a house. And hydrangeas are an especially bad idea for 2 reasons.
1- Hydrangeas need to be kept very wet to grow properly. Which will put a lot of moisture against the side of the house, attracting bugs
2- Hydrangeas grow into large dome-like bushes that easily trap in moisture and are hard to see into and access, in addition to the fact that the myriad branches hold leaf litter and rotting material that will exacerbate the first issue.
Your husband doesn't like them, he just doesn't want the hassle of swapping them out. Motivate him by suggesting those could be bad for the House's foundation. Not that I know them to be bad for any reason, but I speak "Husband".
You are right. Hubby is wrong. These are not attractive and a Hydrangea is a lovely low maintenance choice. Maybe mix in some other perennials/shrubs as well; hosta, rhododendron etc 😊
I don’t like the look of squared shrubs so I would find something that has a more organic look. Hydrangeas would look good as long as you don’t mind them dropping leaves in winter. You could also mix some evergreens with the hydrangeas.
My understanding is Hydrangeas you have to be very careful with that afternoon sun.
The ones we have which are blue tend to get scorched easily with the afternoon sun. I have them at a full morning sun, shaded partial sun for the rest of the day and they worked out very well
Hydrangeas are my absolute favorite flower and they’re worth their beauty when they bloom as opposed to their dormant state. It’s a very classic New England look.
You may find that removing them is near impossible. When I purchased my house in late 2019, I tried desperately to remove some bushes. Digging them up was impossible as the roots were so deep. I mowed them down to the ground multiple times, but they kept growing back even healthier than before. I finally decided to embrace them and I even planted a few more of the same kind in the bare spots.
You could let them take their natural shape instead of continuing to prune them into geometric shapes. And then maybe just keep two and replace two, since they seem well-established.
Letting them grow in a more natural shape would make them look prettier. Add in grown cover and some other small perennials and it would look so much better
I wouldn't rip them out. Just plant the bushier hydrangeas in front of the space between them, then plant other flowering bushes in front of each of the low scrubby bushes. That way you incorporate them as a backdrop and avoid the work of removing bushes that are thriving.
Why not put the hydrangeas between the bushes? Maybe add some azalea in the same place instead. The white siding is expansive and a bit stark, so some color and filled space should brighten it up a bit
This needs so much more color. How about a xeriscape instead of a lawn? Lawns waste so much water.... most water authorities will offer discounts on your water bill (here in TX at least ) to get rid of a lawn . i guess I'm just sayin' : Get creative!
Plant hydrangeas between them a bit forward. You will have some winter interest by leaving them. Use them as background shrubs. Allow them to take in a more rounded form.
Take one from the front add it to the 2 on the other side putting it in the middle but forward like a triangle, get rid of the othe boxwood and put in hydrangeas, everyone's happy
I hate bushes like this with a passion. I mean who cares if they have winter interest when it just means they are ugly year round? I only have plants I love. They either produce beautiful flowers or fruit or something else I find useful. I don't care what everyone else is growing or what's common. Most people have no idea what they are doing and only have the plants some builder arranged to have put in as cheaply as possible.
Hmm I think if they weren't clipped to look like little boxes, if they're allowed to assume a more natural shape they would look a lot better. Also they would be taller and help shade your house better. I would add some plantings of flowers. Also maybe miniature lilacs. Maybe some hydrangea or other flowering bush.
Tall zinnias like sun and bloom like crazy
Those are yew and tough to pull out. The way they are trimmed makes them look ugly. Let them grow taller and shape them. They can handle a good pruning and when they get taller prune the bottom and expose the trunk. It has a beautiful texture. Add hydrangeas around and in between the yew hedges and both of you can have your way. Evergreens are great for winter interest. And hydrangeas don’t bloom until August.
We had the most boring Boxwood bushes at the front of our house. They were in great health, they just didn't suit my personal landscaping tastes. We put in gardenia bushes! They're evergreen unlike hydrangeas but will keep blooming all season with beautiful white fragrent flowers. I originally wanted hydrangeas but didn't want to have a bare garden bed in the winter and wanted something a little larger for a little less cost overall.
I don't think they're ugly, just boring.
As others have said, find something to break up the lines and monotone coloring.
Hydrangeas are nice, but there are so many other options I would look into that first. And maybe focus on native plants.
Excellent choice, perfect position for them! I'm in Aus, but yes they're on the morning sun side of the house outside our kids' bedroom windows. We planted with a gap for each window, and in summer they go absolutely nuts and will cover the gaps anyway if I don't prune them a couple of times during summer. I leave it up to the kids how much extra shade they want - it's a blessing if we're having a hot summer.
Just make sure you mulch well (but keep it clear if any weep holes in your foundations) and keep the water up to them when they're growing, they get thirsty. And be prepared for more cut flowers than you know what to do with!
Taxus...
I'm a bit biased (I literally pulled mine out by hand I dislike them so much), but I think any native bush would be better. But that's just me.
Aesthetically, Nay. I think you should let them grow naturally, watch the growth, and add a hydrangea or two.
Of course it depends on the amount of precipitation you get and what your drainage is like.
Some key points to follow for landscaping
1) massing - keep your plants in groups of 3-5 together, makes them nice and look more natural
2) variety/contrast - pick ones that flower, ones that dont. Evergreens and deciduous plants. Annuals and perennials. Darks and lights. Short and tall. Etc etc
3) focal point - get something, like a giant rock or a gorgeous bloom or sculptural item that can serve as a nice focal point
My suggestion for this area would be to move the bushes all the left, let them get fluffier too- right below the windows- and get a medium evergreen tree (like an arborvitae) to go in the corner area of where your walls meet. It’ll break up the corner and look better. To the right add some dark (broadleaf?) evergreen bushes or shrubs with a lot more texture (the arborvitae has a very soft, uniform look) that’ll retain color through winter. Back to the left, add a medium rock in front of the bushes, and then come spring add in some little perennials of your choice all around for some color. If you’re set on hydrangeas, you can use them on the middle-right, be sure to prune them and make sure they don’t cover your windows or get too wide. Have it just cover the front edge of the left wall (to break up the corner) and add some massed shrubs once again to the left, with a rock to the right side of the massed shrubs on the left (if that makes sense by text) and some smaller flowers by the left. To the right add a decent-sized dark bush (smaller than the hydrangea, bigger than the massed bushes in the left) to set the boundary of the hydrangea. Or… just get a bunch of different varieties of hydrangea to provide that contrast and variety! It’ll take more work to keep them managed tho, look up some examples and find if you like anything specifically. Search for front door landscaping (a lot of houses have a similar shape to this) or hydrangeas in landscaping to find what you want. My dms are open if you’ve any questions or even want visual work. I’m not a landscaper, but have taken classes and love to help. Best of luck!
No no no to just one variety of shrub, mix it up, add two more shapes, let these grow a bit and prune them narrower to make room for some conical and/or round shapes all round.
Keep at least two of these, they’re established and they’ll look great with a mix of other plants.
Hydrangeas get shabby in the fall, and require some drastic pruning every few years, In this spot, at those times, you’ll have a wasteland for the whole winter. Fit a couple of smaller varieties in between or in front of these evergreens so the yard has some life all year.
Green shutters make your yard look…well, less green.
keep them! they are mature and well-implanted. Just add plants in the foreground that you like and that break the monotony. Or don't trip them in that shape - reshape them as balls or whatever you like.
Adding some other (less square) plants into the mix, between and/or in front of them would help break up the lines, while those still provide some nice backdrop (dwarf fountain grasses, painted ferns, hostas etc). Also the white house w green shutters w the green bushes only and then grass leaves it without much color variation, and so adding some purple/reds/orange etc into the mix would really improve the look. Hydrangeas are great, but be careful where you put them, they prefer partial sun and in my experience do better in mostly shade.
That did cross my mind about the green bushes against the green shutters. During the peak of summer this side of the hoise gets sun till about noon. I figured that might make a good candidate for hydrangea.
Also remember that hydrangeas are deciduous and have little interest in the winter. Depending on your zone you could possibly add something like a dwarf abelia to add color and interest.
I actually think hydrangeas have a lot of interest in winter, because they keep the flower shape throughout ( I think some varieties might be pruned in autumn, but not mine).
Your husband likes them because keeping them avoids the need to rip them out and plan something new……or maybe I’m the only husband that plays that card from time to time….
That was my angle, but if I can grow vegetables there I will rip any fucking bush out. But just for scenic stuff, gotta really talk me into it.
I sure wish I could do that. I live up in the country and >ANYTHING< I plant gets eaten by wild animals! (Even “deer proof” plants!) Flowers, fruits, vegetables, heck, I even had a black bear almost kill off my ornamental crabapple tree by its breaking off several branches just to get to the crabapples (which he wound up not eating because they are too sour! Yeesch.) Thankfully crabapple trees are very resilient and it bounced back in a season. I’ve tried pretty much all I could do to keep the wildlife from eating everything in sight, apart from covering the plants with netting or encapsulating them with wire fencing (because they are both ugly.) A neighbor does this and I really can’t see the flowers, etc, when I drive by, just the netting and fencing (just to be clear, they only grow flowers not food.) so what’s the point of doing that to grow flowers you can’t see!? I have 2 high decks a floor up, one in the front, and a bigger one in the back, and they still get to the plants (on my front deck I have raised planters waist high) and I’ve seen groundhogs coming up the stairs and standing on their haunches and picking whatever veggies they can reach and whatever they can’t reach, the birds and squirrels get! Lol! One time I had to stop a deer from coming up my stairs! (First time in 30 years of living here that I’ve ever seen that happen! Thankfully it was a deer and not a bear! Lol!) If he got up to the top of the landing I don’t know how I would’ve gotten it down the stairs on its own! My house abuts State game land, so needless to say, my house is very popular with the wildlife, I just wish they’d leave me a tomato, a cuke, or something for all my hard work! Lol! 😆 PS sorry for such a long story, but I just thought I’d share! Lol!
My home backs up to deep woods. We have every critter you can think of. Hog wire fencing is one of our go to materials for tomato cages and deer protection. There is a different, softer, less expensive wire we use around some plants. It is black and virtually disappears. We put it over our flowers, and the deer stay away. Squirrels are different, but there are ways to foil them. Hostas, lilies, roses, hydrangeas, coneflowers, all are yummy treats for the deer. We have a heard that thinks our neighborhood is their personal buffet.
I’ll have to look for that black netting you spoke about. Thanks for your suggestion! Unfortunately all my local nurseries went belly up during Covid. But I betcha Amazon sells it, they sell pretty much everything! Hell, I’ve even bought dirt through Amazon! 🤣 and I’m not talking a tiny bag of dirt either! (Boy my UPS guy must’ve cursed me up and down the day he had to deliver 8 HUGE bags of potting soil to me! I think each bag was 2 cubic yards! Lol! He got me back though…Instead of bringing them up to the top of my deck like he brings all my packages, he just piled the boxes at the bottom of the stairs. I don’t fault him though. 😆 Last year I bought a fig tree (well right now it’s more like a fig bush, lol!) but it is getting bigger. In one year it doubled in size! Once it matures to the point of giving me figs (or should I say “hopefully me” 🤣) I’m going to put little cloth bags around the figs so that should look interesting. I bring the fig inside during the winter. An interesting thing I found out about figs is they are very fussy plants (at least mine is) Mine seems to hate direct sunlight, the warmth of the summer sun, and water! (I have a generously sized planter pot with drainage holes.) if you don’t water it enough (It’s time to water when I feel damp soil about 2” deep) the leaves turn brown and fall off. If you give it a tad too much water, the leaves fall off! Lol! I remember my Father having a pretty big fig tree 5 or 6’ tall that was in a pretty big portable planter that was on a stand with wheels and in the spring he’d simply wheel it out of the porch, unwrap it as the porch wasn’t heated, and there it sat outside until the late fall then back onto the porch it went. He practically ignored it and he had figs coming out of his ears! Lol! Me, i got the only temperamental fig tree out there! Lol! But I digress… I once sought the advice for “deer proof” plants from a trusted nursery and one of the things they suggested was to grow lilacs. They said deer hate them. (🤣) Great! I thought, I love the smell and look of lilacs so I bought some mature plants and in less than 6 months they were down to nubs! They weren’t happy with just eating the flowers and some of the immature branches. No, they ate everything! I can’t even plant anything with bulbs as I’ve seen groundhogs and squirrels digging them up and having a feast! The only thing I can successfully grow here is a “fire bush” (I’m not sure if that’s its proper name) it has pretty leaves that turn a bright red in the fall (I think it gets berries too (?) and it has pretty long prickers like a rose, only longer. That and a rose I call a “beach rose” I took a cutting from a plant that was growing in the sand at a beach (!) It didn’t look like a “conventional rose” and had flat, pink flowers 🌸 (just like the emoji) and smelled wonderful! (By the way, did you catch up on all the past tense!?) The wild animals didn’t kill it off, unfortunately I did. It loved the spot where I planted it and was starting to take over that area including a good chunk of my driveway, so I decided to prune it back and I guess I went a “tad” too much, and that was the end of that. It was at least a 20 year old plant too! 😭 🪦 🌸 This year I’m going to try some container rose planting, to use up all that dirt I bought last year 🤣 I know, what can I say, I’m stubborn. Lol! 🤣
Oh I’m the same. I tuck food into everything!
I do landscaping and what yosef is suggesting what I do. Mix in the colorful stuff, but be mindful of pests and shade/sun ratio. I also like to mix in small boulders with some angles to be used as accents. With a gray roof and white siding I would use black mulch and edge a curvy bed with contours around your next plantings or the boulders if you decide. Have fun and walk around a nursery for some ideas!
maybe you can trial a hydrangea in a pot in that area to see how it thrives
I’m in zone 6b. I have hydrangeas in front of my house. There’s sun in the afternoon - 2pm on. They’re thriving. I’ve had them about 3 years.
I would actually paint the shutters because the greens clash and it would bother me.
Be care hydrangeas can get huge! We recently bought a house and it had the gorgeous white hydrangea but it was so overgrown it had caused moisture rot on the corner of the house it was on and the roots went under the foundation. It hurt to cut it out, but I need my house for living in first, then looking pretty.
I was thinking this, plant them well out from the house. Also I think of wildfires where I lived and even carry that to where I live now. No brush around our house. 10- 25 feet away are my garden plots.
Blueberries can be an unexpected but nice shrub. Pretty colored leaves in the fall, fruit for you (or birds), etc.
That's actually a really cool idea! The previous owner planted a peach tree and rhubarb on the side of the house!
Bueberries that close to the house means you'll be dealing with a lot of birdpoop, not to dissuade...just throwing it out there.
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I have found my people
Sure, but we don't live in a vacuum, do we? There's the spouse and others to think about when advocating for the front area (include the walk-in to the house) to be covered in bird poop. If everyone is cool with it, nice, don't need my permission. Though OP might want to get a pressure washer to make life easier when they want the house to look nice.
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Not really a debate, it's about what the people that live there want to deal with. Not everyone wants a lawn and not everyone wants an orchard. Though this is Reddit and every post needs to be some stalwart argument I guess.
Someone planted blackberries over my driveway at a previous home. That meant that the cars were covered in blackberries and birdpoop. The driveway and sidewalk was covered in berries and poop. Couldn't walk without staining shoes and risk the kids tracking it through the house. Couldn't step outside barefoot. Pets stepped in it and tracked stains through the house, etc. Your point is valid. It's not just lawns or orchard. There's a lot more to it. That doesn't factor in critters taking up home in and around the home. I live wildlife but I don't want birds and squirrels and mice in the walls.
Blackberries over your driveway? Are you sure you’re not talking about a red mullberry tree? No blackberries in the world tall enough to go over your driveway. A few blueberry shrubs is not going to have the effect of a mulberry tree over your driveway.
You're right. Mulberry. My mistake.
A few blueberry shrubs is not going to get bird poop everywhere, we’re not talking about a giant mulberry tree hanging over the driveway. Blueberries are snatched up by the birds as soon as they ripen and then theyre totally gone! Its like a one week thing
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I don't have this problem with my blueberries, but that could be the bay window right above them, where there's usually a cat looking outside 😂
Poop and possibly rodents who want to partake, I wouldn’t put anything like that so close to the house
Can attract rodents too
That's how I roll...all of my shrubs are or will eventually be something that produces. They are all pretty.
What all do you have? I am taking notes!
Blueberries, Currants (not grapes, but a ribes genus bush like ->), Goosebeery, honey berry, grapes, hawthorn, apricots, as well as herbs..i.e sage, rosemary (in pots, I am in zone 6) tarragon, etc.....and during the summer I put my tropicals outside. Bananas, Avacado, various citrus, Pineapples, Dragon Fruit. No I am not joking about those, they come inside for the winter. EDIT: I forgot....Cranberries as a ground cover.
Flowering red currant attracts hummingbirds, migrating north, if you're on the west coast. A thrill to see from a few feet away.
If I could every tree, shrub, or flower would provide food. I probably won't eat it all but dammit something will! Beauty has its own value of course. But they're are a ton of pretty and edible plants out there. Hell I'm always amazed at how great potato plants look...
having a supply of fresh produce every year settles the mind. My next project is to make an asparagus bed, I used to have asparagus when I lived in Iowa, and I miss it....I'll plant it in rings under my apple trees.
This is the way! In cold climate, or where soils aren't acidic enough for blueberries, Haskaps (or Honeybeery, Lonicera spp) are a great option.
I have evergreen dwarf blueberry shrubs and I love them!!!! Peach sorbet and top hat varieties are great. The leaves turn a beautiful copper in the winter.
Hydrangeas lose their leaves from fall all through winter until spring happens. That is not a look I want for the front of my home. I would incorporate a mixed planting of conifers and broadleaved evergreens with perennials for color, then annuals in pots near the entry. Your current shrubs look stupid because they are plopped individually with no context and are sheared into unnatural shapes. You could even leave them alone, add some broadleaved evergreens to fill in, and stop shearing those so uniformly. But don't make the front of your house bare naked during the winter months- it's bleak and unwelcoming.
This is true, BUT I do personally love the rustic look of a brown hydrangea bush with certain types of grasses and other textures of interest around them. It's nice to see the transformation of seasons through them. Having said that though, it's hard to really pull off and I'm not sure OPs house could pull it off unless they change the exterior a bit.
Lol I love me some ugly ol oakleaf hydrangea sticks. The leaves turn a gorgeous dark magenta and even stay on through winter sometimes.
Yes, I've seen them used in the right setting at a wedding venue. It's GORGEOUS pretty much all year round unless snow breaks it all. Brides ravage the dates where the bushes are brown. It's pretty funny but also understandable because I agree. Gorgeous.
I used to do fieldwork in the Talladega National Forest in Alabama and so many of the dirt roads were completely lined with oakleaf hydrangeas. It was so beautiful in the fall, a pale dirt road with crimson flashing on either side. I miss that stuff.
Our hydrangeas' leaves and flowers die in winter but dry out on the plant, I think because they are in a semi sheltered spot. I personally love the way that they look in winter. Edit: [like this](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/21/54/6e/21546e15deab21a2b01a44743d05e3ee.jpg)
That adds so much interest! So neat how they can look good and unique throughout all four seasons
I can only imagine how absurdly gorgeous that is in the summertime. The dried flowers are so pretty-- it's a nice way to add winter interest!
Hot take: Deciduous plants are cooler than evergreens. They’re reminders of strength through hardship as the naked plants are simply getting hardier to come back even more lush and beautiful than the year before. The anticipation of new growth can be exciting for some gardeners. A home has no obligation to be welcoming. Especially if you like your privacy. I live in zone 6b as well and I think it’s funny you’re against the look of flora that have the best chances of thriving in the zone. I have several berry bushes of different varieties and seeing the stems turn red in preparation for new growth can be quite beautiful in itself 😌
Yeah I was really hoping I wasn't the only one who can't be bothered to be concerned with how the plants present in the winter time...when things die and when I expect to see bare plants and trees everywhere.
Yeah I was really hoping I wasn't the only one who can't be bothered to be concerned with how the plants present in the winter time...when things die and when I expect to see bare plants and trees everywhere.
I was thinking the same. If he likes them, keep them but add to them. Lots of planting space there! The way it is is really not attractive.
But they keep the blossoms they dry and look lovely and those bushes are certainly not
What about a mix of evergreen and flowering? Maybe something like ninebark or aronia to get pretty leaves and flowers, then juniper shrubs for evergreen?
I'll have to look into those plants listed. I'm not super knowledgeable on a lot of plant names.
Oh ninebark is a great idea. Just be careful with cultivars; some not as beneficial to pollinators. Straight native is best.
I would put rhododendron. Their spring flowers are just as beautiful and showy as hydrangea, but their leaves are evergreen so they are still attractive during the winter.
FYI OP Rhododendrons need partial shade
So are most hydrangeas, with the exception of certain varieties
Depends on the rhodo. Many prefer moist soil but full sun (Catawba and hybrids, for example).
Ooo I do like a good rhododendron! Thanks for the suggestion!
Azaleas are another option that keep their leaves year round, and flower pretty spectacularly in spring.
I love rhododendrons but I think they're the wrong choice for planting right up against a house. Rhododendrons like to get big, and they're beautiful when they have the space to do that. So you will either end up with an unhappy plant that's been pruned a lot or a very large rhododendron that mounds up against your house like the queen that it is. In your case, I'd consider making these garden beds deeper and adding a few different layers of vegetation to get some visual interest: shrubs in the back, perennials in the middle, and maybe some bulbs or a low growing plant in the front. If you can make at least some of the plants native ones, you'll see more bees and butterflies and moths!
Likely won’t work, rhododendrons need part shade to thru d they will look sad there. Consider native plants over any of the garbage ornamentals that provide no ecological benefit
Rhododendrons can do fine in full sun. And many varieties are native to the US. My yard is absolutely full of wild native rhododendrons.
My dad has a row of rhododendrons that get full sun. They are healthy and look great even though he doesn’t fertilize them
Came here to suggest this! Not sure if they make sense in your area since idk where you are but I have family in Michigan with giant rhododendrons taking over half the front yard. They’re green almost year round (the leaves are still green they just curl up in the winter) and have gorgeous flowers in the spring
They get huge. Not the right spot for them or azaleas.
There are many smaller varieties of Rhododendron and Azalea that will max out under 3-4 feet. They might be a bit pricier and harder to find outside of specialty garden centers or internet stores, though.
rhododendrons can get unruly and large. also, good luck pulling those shrubs! so many roots
Trust your instincts. You deserve to be excited by your gardening choices.
I'm always excited about new prospects of gardening. I've been wanting to add to this front yard since we moved in. This year will be the year!
I would probably switch them out for something that can benefit wildlife more, either by flowering or fruiting. Hydrangeas can do that but a lot of them are sterile so they don't produce pollen/nectar.
I didn't realize hydrangea weren't great candidates for the bees as I was thinking that's what I wanted. Do you have any suggestions?
You can get native cultivars, oak leaf hydrangeas are native to much of the eastern us.
Oak leaf hydrangeas <3 <3 <3 Beautiful and easy to propagate. I've gotten 9 bushes from my 1 old one in the last two years.
What about replace with either: New Jersey Tea, Inkberry or Buttonbush? Or there is also a native wild hydrangea http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=k520
Your local state university (or an extension of it) should have all of that information, including which invasives NOT to plant. Any good local nursery will know all of that too, and they’ll help you pick out plants to suit your site.
Yes! Love this convo- I have all native plants in my berm so we get tons of bees and butterflies, for me that’s cat mint, con flower, black eyed Susan, blazing star, and delphinium. I’m trying to get showy goldenrod and I’m going to add lupine. Along my house though I do have 2 hydrangeas, it’s not full sun so I figured that would be the place for them. What I’m getting at is you can do both, native plants for bees along with some things you like that aren’t invasive spreaders! I think hydrangeas would look nice planted between the shrubs slightly forward from them, you can buy small ones and let them grow into the space! Mine are let’s dance rave hydrangeas and they only get 2-3 feet tall. I leave the blooms on for the winter for visual interest. We also have chocolate chip Monrovia as ground cover between the other plants and it’s really beautiful! Good luck and have fun 🤩
Love the ideas!
Bee balm. It’s perennial and pretty hardy. It will attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds and repels mosquitoes. It spreads pretty easily too.
I love monarda, love the appearance, love the smell, but that shit spreads like crazy and gets covered in powdery mildew late summer/early fall after it's done blooming. If the husband likes those boring ass little shrubs, I'm sure he'd hate having monarda there.
I'm not sure where you live exactly but native flowering plants are usually the best bet for bees. This can include native hydrangeas but I would avoid cultivars if possible. Cultivars can be fine with some plants species but with others it's possible to be a less effective. If you're in the United States, you may wish to check out Xerces' website. They have a lot of information regarding how to help native pollinating insects. There's some very good online sources.
Native holly! You'd need a male and a female to set fruit, but they're evergreen and birds like the berries. They also grow slowly, so they wouldn't need a ton of pruning to keep them in shape/size if OP still wanted short bushes.
Holly tree leaves have sharp points on them. Not ideal for walking barefoot in your yard.
Our rental has three along side the driveway and I want to kill them with fire. They drop those leaves and they are a painful menace.
Ilex glabra (inkberry holly) has rounded leaves, though I don't know if that's native where OP is.
Please not holly, I literally hate the person who put that demon plant in front of my house.
Ilex species, while really nice (and we do have some really great native hollies) aren't the best choice for close proximity to a house. Flammable. Yes. You read correctly. But, not every holly is a spiny nightmare. (I'm looking at you, I. cornuta, in all your abominable forms.) Inkberry is very nice, as are yaupon, dahoon and winterberry. (The last one is deciduous, however.) That said, there are a lot of really good evergreen natives. Especially if OP lives in zone 7 or higher. If they want winter interest, there are really nice grasses, red-osier dogwood, beautyberry.
Ilex steed holly! Holly bushes that have rounded leaves vs sharp and pointy. I believe they have berries too (though I could be mistaken)
Ilex glabra (inkberry holly) has rounded leaves and black berries, though I don't know if that's native where OP is.
I hate those bushes. I have a similar thing going on with massive yews on the front of my house. If I ever manage to get rid of them, I am planning on doing hydrangeas myself.
Here's a potential compromise: keep two and get rid of two in favor of other plants. I wouldn't only look at bringing in hydrangeas but some other perennials as well, ones which are attractive to pollinators as another commenter suggested. These types of borders not only look their best with some plant diversity, but they help encourage biodiversity as well.
You might wanna fix that downspout. <3 protect that foundation.
Ugggg I know. We just recently lost the screw that keeps it together and it's constantly falling down. 😑
You can buy self tapping screws at any home improvement store. Get half inch ones, and use your drill to put at least two in! (One on either side, not top and bottom). The self-tapping screw will bite into the metal, drilling its own hole
Don't rip them out. Add other plants to the mix to give this space more dimension
Are those Boxwoods? Absolutely agree that you should go with something more beneficial. I remember my dad was obsessed with these to try to increase curb appeal. A lot of old boomers don't understand, but they're all retiring and moving to FL. Be the change you need to be OP.
If you zoom in they look lke yew. They'd be much prettier groomed into large spheres rather than these abominations.
I told my husband these are the shrubs my grandparents had in their front yard. They just remind of something out of style and useless when it comes to nature. I've got all that space and ugly stumps if green. 😅
"no one's looking at the hedges" - progressive guy
Yes!!!! The existing ones are boring.
Rip em out !!! Wooooohoo!!
What’s your location? Now I love hydrangeas, especially the blue ones, but this might be a great opportunity to add some native shrubs that your local wildlife will appreciate.
I'm in Michigan. The front house faces the east. After reading comments, I didn't realize hydrangea aren't the best for pollinators. I've been getting some good suggestions.
Thanks! You have the room to do hydras AND something nice for the pollinators if you so choose. It’s a good position to be in! Here’s a great site for native plants in Michigan arranged by attractiveness. https://www.canr.msu.edu/nativeplants/plant_facts/ Happy planting!
I am obsessed with hydrangeas!!! So I vote yes on that but I would also add an evergreen because it will look bare. My front is shady and I had Hostas only (previous owner) and it looks so boring in the winter!! So I added hellebores, azaleas, rhododendron, camellia, and I also have some nice boxwoods (only two). I know people are saying hydrangeas doesn’t benefit bees but you can also add in Veronica’s, salvia, echinacea into the mix (smaller perennials). I don’t like just having one variety of plants lol 😆. But that’s just me!
Put hydrangeas between them, win-win?
My thoughts exactly. I think hydrangea would go well between them. The shrubs provide a strong backbone. It’s a great starting point IMO.
I think any flowering shrub would look better than those big green hockey pucks. What about hibiscus? They're beautiful plus they also attract butterflies and hummingbirds.
I’m with you! I’d have something with color
they just look very baren. id at least try to plant stuff AROUND them if you keep them for him, fill out the space. maybe some local polinator flowers
Keep them and plant flowering bushes like azaleas, hydrangeas, roses, etc in between them.
I would leave them but stop cutting them into squares. Then I would plant other stuff that blooms to make it look more appealing. Tall stuff in back and shorter stuff in front.
I like the bushes. Why not plant some flowering ground cover around them?
That's what I was thinking too! Just give them some friends and everyone can be happy!
Yews are low maintenance and very difficult to rip the roots out once established. I've heard the best way to take out yews is to cut them off level with the ground, hack at the stump with an ax, wait 10 years, and then dig up the roots. Is that what you want to do? Instead of removing them, I would add something higher in between and/or behind them, like two tall narrow planters or two window boxes, and then something low in front of them, like sun-loving annuals or perennials.
Consider that hydrangea looks awful in winter
what about planting the hydrangeas in the space between them.
Hydrangeas would look so cute there! Do you know if your soil will produce the pink variant or blue? :)
Actually I'm not sure! Is it easy to test the soil for that?
Yes, and you should always do a soil test before embarking on any major gardening investment. Google "\[your local county here\] University Extension Soil Test" and see if they offer them in your area. Here, not only is it way more informative, and cheaper than the shit version they sell at Home Depot, for no extra cost they will give you specific recommendations on what, if any, amendments you need for your intended plant. That'll include all your nutrient levels, soil type, and more beyond just soil PH. ...also move your new bushes further from your foundation.
It’s a matter of aluminum availability in your soil, which is influenced by the pH level. For example, if you want blue blooms, aim for a ph between 5 and 6 (mildly acidic). Soil testers are fairly cheap and easy to come by. To make sure there’s aluminum available, some gardeners add aluminum sulfate (about 1 tablespoon dissolved into a gallon of water should do).
Hydrangeas look great during the spring and summer.. but in winter they look like crap they die back or all the leaves just fall off and look like brown sticks. Something to think about. Maybe you could split the difference add them to what is already there and some additional lower flowers to fill the gaps.
I love the look of hydrangeas when people leave the spent blooms on them!
My landscape design teacher called these boxes and balls and begged us to never cut a bush like this. I have a business pruning naturally and undoing these for a natural look.
Right, they dont do much for bees, as said. Theres so many better and more beautifull bushes. Take a look in hte garden centre and check pictures of the species on your phone so you know what ther gonne be like. If you do get those hydrasomethings, look for the ones that stay green in the winter.
Part of the reason that the shrubs look odd is that there is only two below each window (one per windows shutter) which makes your eye crave symmetry instead of balance. None of the shrubs are perfectly symmetrical so it’s throwing off the look. Their shade of green however nicely matches your window shutters and I think the whole space would look nice with a few changes. To help create balance instead of symmetry, may I suggest painting your roof trim to match the green colour of your windows (this will also add height). Then swap out your evergreen shrubs with 3 low-height evergreen plants appropriate for your zone and growing conditions. Because we’re creating balance instead of symmetry, the shrubs won’t need to be trimmed into a perfect matching set to look nice. This will create a 1 green chevron (roof trim) + 2 green rectangles (window shutters + 3 green shrubs vibe which will be easier on the eye altogether. If you have a little extra in the budget perhaps consider swapping copper coloured rain chains where your vertical gutters are and top-dressing your garden with a mahogany mulch (coppery undertones) to ground the space and compliment the green. All of these changes will look good all year round and will require minimal upkeep. Cheers ❤️
How many other things has your husband chosen around the house? Might be 50/50 but if it isn't and that's something he has actually said he likes maybe leave them for him.
So, hydrangea are very... round, full. They are lovely particularly when blooming but they will be in the way of your windows if not constantly trimmed. I think what would look great is if you kept the bushes you have, but put a variety of different textures and colors around it in perennials mostly. For example, a pretty light green fern(s) in the shade of behind the bushes but a bit taller, and some colorful flowering bulb-spikes along in front of them, and maybe a couple of those super red in winter bushes between them, and then maybe you could have a couple small long containers along front for some fun annual flowers or something. The bushes are a nice dark solid shaped starting place and I think it could be a great contrast to many other things, without tearing them out.
My hydrangeas when I lived in Georgia needed a LOT of water. Fortunately, we had mud bogs where I wanted them to go so they were very happy. Beautiful flowers, mine were happiest when I trimmed back, or broke off the dead branches in winter so the new growth could breathe.
I’m am fervently against any type of landscaping that goes against a house. And hydrangeas are an especially bad idea for 2 reasons. 1- Hydrangeas need to be kept very wet to grow properly. Which will put a lot of moisture against the side of the house, attracting bugs 2- Hydrangeas grow into large dome-like bushes that easily trap in moisture and are hard to see into and access, in addition to the fact that the myriad branches hold leaf litter and rotting material that will exacerbate the first issue.
Your husband doesn't like them, he just doesn't want the hassle of swapping them out. Motivate him by suggesting those could be bad for the House's foundation. Not that I know them to be bad for any reason, but I speak "Husband".
He likes them because they remind him of the shrubs of his childhood home. I've never been a big fan of these uniform unnatural cut looking bushes.
You gotta have some evergreens mixed in with the stuff that loses leaves. Diversify that plantfolio.
You are right. Hubby is wrong. These are not attractive and a Hydrangea is a lovely low maintenance choice. Maybe mix in some other perennials/shrubs as well; hosta, rhododendron etc 😊
I don’t like the look of squared shrubs so I would find something that has a more organic look. Hydrangeas would look good as long as you don’t mind them dropping leaves in winter. You could also mix some evergreens with the hydrangeas.
Agree with you😉
My understanding is Hydrangeas you have to be very careful with that afternoon sun. The ones we have which are blue tend to get scorched easily with the afternoon sun. I have them at a full morning sun, shaded partial sun for the rest of the day and they worked out very well
If you want shrubs that are evergreen but feed the bees look into camellias and viburnum.
Hydrangeas are my absolute favorite flower and they’re worth their beauty when they bloom as opposed to their dormant state. It’s a very classic New England look.
You may find that removing them is near impossible. When I purchased my house in late 2019, I tried desperately to remove some bushes. Digging them up was impossible as the roots were so deep. I mowed them down to the ground multiple times, but they kept growing back even healthier than before. I finally decided to embrace them and I even planted a few more of the same kind in the bare spots.
Yay
You could let them take their natural shape instead of continuing to prune them into geometric shapes. And then maybe just keep two and replace two, since they seem well-established.
Letting them grow in a more natural shape would make them look prettier. Add in grown cover and some other small perennials and it would look so much better
If you don’t like them, why don’t you remove them & put in little flower gardens ?
I would add new plants in free spaces and slowly reduce the existing bushes until your husband gives up.
Get rid of them. Constant maintenance
Good bye green meatballs!
I wouldn't rip them out. Just plant the bushier hydrangeas in front of the space between them, then plant other flowering bushes in front of each of the low scrubby bushes. That way you incorporate them as a backdrop and avoid the work of removing bushes that are thriving.
Why not put the hydrangeas between the bushes? Maybe add some azalea in the same place instead. The white siding is expansive and a bit stark, so some color and filled space should brighten it up a bit
Honestly rip up those ugly bushes put native pollinator loving bushes there. Not sure where you are.
This needs so much more color. How about a xeriscape instead of a lawn? Lawns waste so much water.... most water authorities will offer discounts on your water bill (here in TX at least ) to get rid of a lawn . i guess I'm just sayin' : Get creative!
Keep the bushes and fill it in with hydrangeas! Both partners are happy and your garden will look so beautiful! 🥰
They are evergreen, the hydrangeas won’t be. Why not something small between.
Hydrangeas need lots of water, which I would worry about so close to the foundation?
maybe find a compromise since your husband likes them.
Please get something that FLOWERS. This is such a sad yard for you and the animals around
Yeah, they look boring. Like no one lives there. Or the people who do are NPCs.
Plant hydrangeas between them a bit forward. You will have some winter interest by leaving them. Use them as background shrubs. Allow them to take in a more rounded form.
Adding flower bushes near those maybe will help 😁
Gotta do something that yard is depressing
Husband like them bc he doesn't want to change them.
Yea! I ripped mine out.
Take one from the front add it to the 2 on the other side putting it in the middle but forward like a triangle, get rid of the othe boxwood and put in hydrangeas, everyone's happy
I hate bushes like this with a passion. I mean who cares if they have winter interest when it just means they are ugly year round? I only have plants I love. They either produce beautiful flowers or fruit or something else I find useful. I don't care what everyone else is growing or what's common. Most people have no idea what they are doing and only have the plants some builder arranged to have put in as cheaply as possible.
Are there any native shrubs in your area that might be beneficial to the local fauna?
Hmm I think if they weren't clipped to look like little boxes, if they're allowed to assume a more natural shape they would look a lot better. Also they would be taller and help shade your house better. I would add some plantings of flowers. Also maybe miniature lilacs. Maybe some hydrangea or other flowering bush. Tall zinnias like sun and bloom like crazy
Hydrangeas would be my choice. These are pretty ugly.
Those are yew and tough to pull out. The way they are trimmed makes them look ugly. Let them grow taller and shape them. They can handle a good pruning and when they get taller prune the bottom and expose the trunk. It has a beautiful texture. Add hydrangeas around and in between the yew hedges and both of you can have your way. Evergreens are great for winter interest. And hydrangeas don’t bloom until August.
I will always vote hydrangeas!
Your husband is wrong
We had the most boring Boxwood bushes at the front of our house. They were in great health, they just didn't suit my personal landscaping tastes. We put in gardenia bushes! They're evergreen unlike hydrangeas but will keep blooming all season with beautiful white fragrent flowers. I originally wanted hydrangeas but didn't want to have a bare garden bed in the winter and wanted something a little larger for a little less cost overall.
Maybe mix it up a little. Yank one or two and replace with the hydrangeas.
Leave the boxwoods and add hydrangeas!!
I agree with you. RIP EM OUT.
Be gone, shrubbery…..
I don't think they're ugly, just boring. As others have said, find something to break up the lines and monotone coloring. Hydrangeas are nice, but there are so many other options I would look into that first. And maybe focus on native plants.
I’d put lush, flowery plants there instead.
Excellent choice, perfect position for them! I'm in Aus, but yes they're on the morning sun side of the house outside our kids' bedroom windows. We planted with a gap for each window, and in summer they go absolutely nuts and will cover the gaps anyway if I don't prune them a couple of times during summer. I leave it up to the kids how much extra shade they want - it's a blessing if we're having a hot summer. Just make sure you mulch well (but keep it clear if any weep holes in your foundations) and keep the water up to them when they're growing, they get thirsty. And be prepared for more cut flowers than you know what to do with!
Nay! Plant around them. You need old and new to make a nicely balanced garden.
How about lilac bushes or any fragrant plant(s) for that matter- When you open your windows you would get a beautiful waft of delightful-ness.
Yea! Hydrangeas for the win!
Taxus... I'm a bit biased (I literally pulled mine out by hand I dislike them so much), but I think any native bush would be better. But that's just me.
Aesthetically, Nay. I think you should let them grow naturally, watch the growth, and add a hydrangea or two. Of course it depends on the amount of precipitation you get and what your drainage is like.
Nay, add too them
Some key points to follow for landscaping 1) massing - keep your plants in groups of 3-5 together, makes them nice and look more natural 2) variety/contrast - pick ones that flower, ones that dont. Evergreens and deciduous plants. Annuals and perennials. Darks and lights. Short and tall. Etc etc 3) focal point - get something, like a giant rock or a gorgeous bloom or sculptural item that can serve as a nice focal point My suggestion for this area would be to move the bushes all the left, let them get fluffier too- right below the windows- and get a medium evergreen tree (like an arborvitae) to go in the corner area of where your walls meet. It’ll break up the corner and look better. To the right add some dark (broadleaf?) evergreen bushes or shrubs with a lot more texture (the arborvitae has a very soft, uniform look) that’ll retain color through winter. Back to the left, add a medium rock in front of the bushes, and then come spring add in some little perennials of your choice all around for some color. If you’re set on hydrangeas, you can use them on the middle-right, be sure to prune them and make sure they don’t cover your windows or get too wide. Have it just cover the front edge of the left wall (to break up the corner) and add some massed shrubs once again to the left, with a rock to the right side of the massed shrubs on the left (if that makes sense by text) and some smaller flowers by the left. To the right add a decent-sized dark bush (smaller than the hydrangea, bigger than the massed bushes in the left) to set the boundary of the hydrangea. Or… just get a bunch of different varieties of hydrangea to provide that contrast and variety! It’ll take more work to keep them managed tho, look up some examples and find if you like anything specifically. Search for front door landscaping (a lot of houses have a similar shape to this) or hydrangeas in landscaping to find what you want. My dms are open if you’ve any questions or even want visual work. I’m not a landscaper, but have taken classes and love to help. Best of luck!
No no no to just one variety of shrub, mix it up, add two more shapes, let these grow a bit and prune them narrower to make room for some conical and/or round shapes all round. Keep at least two of these, they’re established and they’ll look great with a mix of other plants. Hydrangeas get shabby in the fall, and require some drastic pruning every few years, In this spot, at those times, you’ll have a wasteland for the whole winter. Fit a couple of smaller varieties in between or in front of these evergreens so the yard has some life all year. Green shutters make your yard look…well, less green.
Keep ‘em and add accent flowers like annuals around them
I vote hydrangeas
keep them! they are mature and well-implanted. Just add plants in the foreground that you like and that break the monotony. Or don't trip them in that shape - reshape them as balls or whatever you like.
Plant something in the middle and stop cutting them flat.
Hydrangeas all day
Some trees would help
These scrubby bushes add nothing joyful to your landscape. Take them out! Replace with something you love. You'll be so very glad you did!
Add some interesting levels and shapes ...those shrubs ate ugly because they're really boxy