ᐅ Designing a Narrow, Long Front Garden Area Next to the House

Created on: 16 Apr 2022 18:27
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shenja
Hello,
for years I have been thinking about how to design the problem area of my house.
I have a long narrow strip along the public pathway that I would like to plant. The strip is about 75 cm (30 inches) wide and 10.5 meters (34.5 feet) long. It faces south and gets full sun. Two gardens away, the neighbor has cut down all the tall and old trees, which means that since this year, our house is fully exposed to the sun. Therefore, we really want some sort of protection to prevent the ground from heating up excessively and possibly something that will protect at least the lower part of our facade from the direct sun in the future.
Trees probably won’t work due to the limited space available.
I like plants that are useful to wildlife throughout the year.
The fence must stay because otherwise the area would become a dog toilet, even now with just the stones. The privacy screen on the fence is more of a splash guard since the whole area is on an unpaved path, which is officially a dead end but apparently many people have a key to lower the bollards, and the footpath is frequently used by vehicles, often at high speed. It’s a disaster when it rains.
So, I’m looking forward to your suggestions.

Hexagonal wooden planter with green plant on gravel path next to metal fence and mailbox.


Narrow gravel path next to blue house and metal fence; wooden planter box with plant, shaded.
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shenja
19 Apr 2022 22:35
I know. That’s why I want at least perennials that bloom in different seasons. I don’t really see the “front garden,” only basically when I come home. But the stones are no good and they need to go.
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haydee
19 Apr 2022 22:38
Perennials and flowers should be left in place over the winter. Seeds serve as food, and the plants provide shelter for overwintering.

With a careful selection, you can enjoy around 10 months of blooming beauty.
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shenja
19 Apr 2022 22:45
Thank you. I actually only cut back the perennials in the garden when they start to regrow green. Until then, I leave everything as it is. I have already looked at your suggestion and am considering how to implement it.
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Gartenfreund
21 Apr 2022 01:31
Müllerin schrieb:

Hibiscus requires a lot of water during flowering, so it can be labor-intensive if you don’t want to install an irrigation system.


We have two hibiscus hedges. We only water them occasionally, even during very dry years, and they still bloom profusely. So I haven’t noticed that they need a lot of water.

That was just a suggestion regarding the usefulness for wildlife, as the original poster preferred. The other option would be the wildflower meadow I proposed. I would much rather have that here than lawn, but unfortunately that’s not possible.