On this board we are usually happy to help, but we don't always have the necessary knowledge as we are mostly UK based. I live in fairly cold spot, high up and would come in at about 8a, perhaps very occasionally touching 7b. So although I can't grow everything that those lucky souls further south can, I know that what grows in my garden would not necessarily thrive for you either. Holly is generally regarded here as bone hardy, yet one winter when we had prolonged temps of -12C, it lost all its leaves.
Most of our plants don't come labelled with your zones either, so we don't have an easy scale of reference for comparison. While the zones are easy to find, what will grow there is affected by other factors too.Though my winter temps are lowish for the UK, what affects plant survival more is often winter wet, of which we have more than enough. So for instance echinaceas, which grow quite happily through a prairie winter, are likely to die on me unless I bring them under cover!
If pyracantha will grow for you, and remain evergreen, it could be a good plant for under and around your windows, as it can be trained and clipped to fit. Topiary is very 'olde English'! Box balls at the ends would also work well and be a lighter shade than the pyracantha. Is box blight not a problem where you are? Maybe the cold winters see it off, but it is making itself an increasing nuisance here. Then you could have something of different shade and texture in front of your log stack (I really admire that, wish mine was half as good!) That could be a dwarf conifer of a type that could take some clipping. Afraid I know little about conifers so can't advise further! You could use a dwarf lavender to make an edging if you prefer a formal look and then in the warmer months fill the spaces inbetween with annual or perennial flowers for an injection of colour. Don't know if this will help any, but hope you find what you want! Don't agonise over it, dreaming is part of the pleasure of gardening and what else can you do in those long winters?
Lavender and azaleas are on opposite sides of the fence, so to speak, in terms of conditions.
Perhaps it would help if you could think about the style of planting you want first. Look at books, magazines, online etc and take note of the 'look' you want. Then it's easier to make suitable suggestions. Also - what time to do you have, and what inclination, for maintenance? That will determine what type of planting is best suited.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Hello bowlofberries, you have a lovely home. What about a repeat flowering climbing rose? Can grow 25ft - scented - glossy foliage and would look lovely on the front of your house. Madame Alfred Carriere is a beauty and a fast grower not sure about your zones though
Zone 6b appears to have an average winter minimum temp of minus 16C to minus 20C, according to the Net - considerably colder than most of us here. I guess the summers are much hotter too. I've no idea how you fare for rainfall.
I have no experience of gardening in such conditions, but my guess is that such Mediterranean plants as lavender will not survive without winter protection.
My suggestion would be that you make friends with local gardeners in your neighbourhood, and ask them what does well in your climate. If you have a list of plants you'd like to grow you can ask if they will in fact survive - after 50-odd years of gardening, I personally have come to the conclusion that there's no point trying to grow something in conditions it hates. It'll sulk and die, or you will spend too much of your time worrying over it. Better to choose something which will grow happily, and make you smile when you look at it.
Good luck!
Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
Thank you all so much for the questions, responses and suggestions! I appreciate it so much!
At the risk of sounding like I live under a rock, I hadn't realized that Gardeners' World was based in the UK, and I also hadn't realized that our climates differed so much. I still don't know what kind of soil I have, but the rhododendrons and azaleas I have now are doing fine, if that means anything.... Apparently all I'm really sure of is that our landscaping looks terrible and I want to fix it, haha.
To answer some questions, yes, our winters can get quite cold here in Central NJ, USA. Our usual temp hovers around 30`F (-1`C), but sometimes dips in the low teens (~ -9`C). The plant hardiness zone must take the worst-case scenario into account, because I don't recall the temps here reaching -5`F - 0`F (-20` - -17'C) as the zone map claims. In fact, from what my (shoddy) memory recalls, we used to be zone 7 but it appears the temperature breakdown has been reduced to 5-degree increments. It's probably a good change, as 5 or 10 degrees might make a big difference to some plants.
The good news for me is that many plants I've looked at (for this area) are fine for planting in zones 5 - 8, which means there is a decent enough overlap between my area and the UK. Yay! Haha. I am so new at this, it's sad. No, actually, the sad part is that I've been at this for years with zero progress. Ah well
If you know what plants grow well in your neck of the woods people on here will be more than happy to help with cultivation advice and suggestions for what works well together!
Berries: when I'm looking for ideas of what look nice and grow well I get on my walking boots and wander around neighbouring streets looking at what grows well in other peoples gardens! You know that way they suit the climate! Easiest way for someone like us who are still learning gardening. Take pictures of what you like if you don't know the plant and put the images up here and we'll try to identify it.
Lavenders like well drained alkaline soils so I wouldn't advise those if your soil is acid. You could try salvias if you want the blue flowers but you won't get the perfume.
Other evergreens to think about are viburnums such as Eve Price which flower in late winter/early spring tho all mine died in a very cold -25C for weeks winter. Then choisyas (mexican orange blossom), eleagnus and mahonia which will provide different foliage colours and forms and perfumed yellow flowers if you go for mahonia Charity.
Pyracantha will provide spring blossom, autumn berries and evergreen foliage and, when mature, shelter for birds. You could use topiarised forms of box or yew if you want formality.
As far as I know, Arts and Crafts is all about geometry in garden paths and structures, softened by planting so I'm not sure your lovely curvy path fits the style. Try having a good google for info or visit the local library to get design ideas.
Whatever you do, get the soil right before you plant. Work in plenty of well-rotted garden compost/manure/soil conditioner first as this will provide the conditions for nutrients and beneficial micro-organisms which will benefit your plants.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
Your home is very much an American stylised version of an interpration of the Tudour revival that sprung forth around the English stockbroker belt in the 1940's.
I think that's where I've a problem suggesting suitable plants. Authentic Tudour is of course all about geometric design and box hedging and topiary. High maintenance and little colour. The stockbroker mock tudour is more suburban small garden with neat borders with bedding plants round a small lawn.
I've got a garden that's a VERY typical "English country garden". Most definitely not typical of what you'd necessarily get in english stockbroker though.
I think I'm fairly good at knowing how to achieve that look on a practical level and knowing which plants and shrubs etc will and won't work. Indeed I've helped a couple of my American friends who wanted "an English garden" : in Oregon!
I can't help myself from thinking yours would look nice with height and filled and with a mass of colour immediately in front of the house and then perhaps with a circular cut out (left lawn) of rhododendrons and azaleas or have them down the right side of the path as you approach and instead of lawn.
There's plenty of others on this forum that could also advise you but I do think in order to get the outcome you want that you need to give a better brief.
Perhaps you might want to think about the look you want to achieve.... maybe look at some photos of gardens and the effect and style and colour that you like and THEN think how you could achieve it in consideration of the climate, soil and time that you have.
I'm confident that if we understood what look you wanted and better knew about the climate etc that we'd be able to suggest what plants would work.
My "very" English Country Garden, showing the flower borders and the Rhododendron and azalea garden area and which might give you some ideas for such as colour effect and planting style - even if only to say "not like that" :
Posts
On this board we are usually happy to help, but we don't always have the necessary knowledge as we are mostly UK based. I live in fairly cold spot, high up and would come in at about 8a, perhaps very occasionally touching 7b. So although I can't grow everything that those lucky souls further south can, I know that what grows in my garden would not necessarily thrive for you either. Holly is generally regarded here as bone hardy, yet one winter when we had prolonged temps of -12C, it lost all its leaves.
Most of our plants don't come labelled with your zones either, so we don't have an easy scale of reference for comparison. While the zones are easy to find, what will grow there is affected by other factors too.Though my winter temps are lowish for the UK, what affects plant survival more is often winter wet, of which we have more than enough. So for instance echinaceas, which grow quite happily through a prairie winter, are likely to die on me unless I bring them under cover!
If pyracantha will grow for you, and remain evergreen, it could be a good plant for under and around your windows, as it can be trained and clipped to fit. Topiary is very 'olde English'! Box balls at the ends would also work well and be a lighter shade than the pyracantha. Is box blight not a problem where you are? Maybe the cold winters see it off, but it is making itself an increasing nuisance here. Then you could have something of different shade and texture in front of your log stack (I really admire that, wish mine was half as good!) That could be a dwarf conifer of a type that could take some clipping. Afraid I know little about conifers so can't advise further! You could use a dwarf lavender to make an edging if you prefer a formal look and then in the warmer months fill the spaces inbetween with annual or perennial flowers for an injection of colour. Don't know if this will help any, but hope you find what you want! Don't agonise over it, dreaming is part of the pleasure of gardening and what else can you do in those long winters?
Lavender and azaleas are on opposite sides of the fence, so to speak, in terms of conditions.
Perhaps it would help if you could think about the style of planting you want first. Look at books, magazines, online etc and take note of the 'look' you want. Then it's easier to make suitable suggestions. Also - what time to do you have, and what inclination, for maintenance? That will determine what type of planting is best suited.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Hello bowlofberries, you have a lovely home. What about a repeat flowering climbing rose? Can grow 25ft - scented - glossy foliage and would look lovely on the front of your house. Madame Alfred Carriere is a beauty and a fast grower
not sure about your zones though
If you go to the link given above and scroll down, there's temperature info. Not that I can help beyond that!
Bowlofberries, hi!
Zone 6b appears to have an average winter minimum temp of minus 16C to minus 20C, according to the Net - considerably colder than most of us here. I guess the summers are much hotter too. I've no idea how you fare for rainfall.
I have no experience of gardening in such conditions, but my guess is that such Mediterranean plants as lavender will not survive without winter protection.
My suggestion would be that you make friends with local gardeners in your neighbourhood, and ask them what does well in your climate. If you have a list of plants you'd like to grow you can ask if they will in fact survive - after 50-odd years of gardening, I personally have come to the conclusion that there's no point trying to grow something in conditions it hates. It'll sulk and die, or you will spend too much of your time worrying over it. Better to choose something which will grow happily, and make you smile when you look at it.
Good luck!
Thank you all so much for the questions, responses and suggestions! I appreciate it so much!
At the risk of sounding like I live under a rock, I hadn't realized that Gardeners' World was based in the UK, and I also hadn't realized that our climates differed so much. I still don't know what kind of soil I have, but the rhododendrons and azaleas I have now are doing fine, if that means anything.... Apparently all I'm really sure of is that our landscaping looks terrible and I want to fix it, haha.
To answer some questions, yes, our winters can get quite cold here in Central NJ, USA. Our usual temp hovers around 30`F (-1`C), but sometimes dips in the low teens (~ -9`C). The plant hardiness zone must take the worst-case scenario into account, because I don't recall the temps here reaching -5`F - 0`F (-20` - -17'C) as the zone map claims. In fact, from what my (shoddy) memory recalls, we used to be zone 7 but it appears the temperature breakdown has been reduced to 5-degree increments. It's probably a good change, as 5 or 10 degrees might make a big difference to some plants.
The good news for me is that many plants I've looked at (for this area) are fine for planting in zones 5 - 8, which means there is a decent enough overlap between my area and the UK. Yay! Haha. I am so new at this, it's sad. No, actually, the sad part is that I've been at this for years with zero progress. Ah well
If you know what plants grow well in your neck of the woods people on here will be more than happy to help with cultivation advice and suggestions for what works well together!
Berries: when I'm looking for ideas of what look nice and grow well I get on my walking boots and wander around neighbouring streets looking at what grows well in other peoples gardens! You know that way they suit the climate! Easiest way for someone like us who are still learning gardening. Take pictures of what you like if you don't know the plant and put the images up here and we'll try to identify it.
Lavenders like well drained alkaline soils so I wouldn't advise those if your soil is acid. You could try salvias if you want the blue flowers but you won't get the perfume.
Other evergreens to think about are viburnums such as Eve Price which flower in late winter/early spring tho all mine died in a very cold -25C for weeks winter. Then choisyas (mexican orange blossom), eleagnus and mahonia which will provide different foliage colours and forms and perfumed yellow flowers if you go for mahonia Charity.
Pyracantha will provide spring blossom, autumn berries and evergreen foliage and, when mature, shelter for birds. You could use topiarised forms of box or yew if you want formality.
As far as I know, Arts and Crafts is all about geometry in garden paths and structures, softened by planting so I'm not sure your lovely curvy path fits the style. Try having a good google for info or visit the local library to get design ideas.
Whatever you do, get the soil right before you plant. Work in plenty of well-rotted garden compost/manure/soil conditioner first as this will provide the conditions for nutrients and beneficial micro-organisms which will benefit your plants.
Your home is very much an American stylised version of an interpration of the Tudour revival that sprung forth around the English stockbroker belt in the 1940's.
I think that's where I've a problem suggesting suitable plants. Authentic Tudour is of course all about geometric design and box hedging and topiary. High maintenance and little colour. The stockbroker mock tudour is more suburban small garden with neat borders with bedding plants round a small lawn.
I've got a garden that's a VERY typical "English country garden". Most definitely not typical of what you'd necessarily get in english stockbroker though.
I think I'm fairly good at knowing how to achieve that look on a practical level and knowing which plants and shrubs etc will and won't work. Indeed I've helped a couple of my American friends who wanted "an English garden" : in Oregon!
I can't help myself from thinking yours would look nice with height and filled and with a mass of colour immediately in front of the house and then perhaps with a circular cut out (left lawn) of rhododendrons and azaleas or have them down the right side of the path as you approach and instead of lawn.
There's plenty of others on this forum that could also advise you but I do think in order to get the outcome you want that you need to give a better brief.
:
Perhaps you might want to think about the look you want to achieve.... maybe look at some photos of gardens and the effect and style and colour that you like and THEN think how you could achieve it in consideration of the climate, soil and time that you have.
I'm confident that if we understood what look you wanted and better knew about the climate etc that we'd be able to suggest what plants would work.
My "very" English Country Garden, showing the flower borders and the Rhododendron and azalea garden area and which might give you some ideas for such as colour effect and planting style - even if only to say "not like that"