Need Recommendations for front yard.

[wsummers30]

Hello, I'm completely new to gardening because I've never had a yard where I had freedom to do what I wanted to do. Here are some pictures of where I want to plant some flowers for this upcoming season. The people who lived here originally seemed to have done some lite gardening. I'm looking for something that will look full but be easy to care for. I was wondering about maybe some wild flowers for the side bed and something a little nicer for the concrete bed. Thoughts on some possibilities? I hope this is in the correct thread by the way.

 

[Upsy Daisy]

Would be good to know roughly where you are in the States , so that your weather can be taken into account....not by by me sadly .
Other more knowledgeable friends will be looking in soon

 

[wsummers30]

Would be good to know roughly where you are in the States , so that your weather can be taken into account....not by by me sadly .
Other more knowledgeable friends will be looking in soon

Missouri

 

[Upsy Daisy]

 

[alp]

What aspect is that wall please? Also what can you see growing around your area please? See that wall, you can go around the neighbourhood and find a wall with the same aspect and see what other people have grown successfully next to it. Also, write down a list of plants that you like, for example, roses, herbs, grasses, annuals, ground hogging, architectural plants ..

You can also google eg shade loving plants, sun loving plant, drought resistant plants or moisture loving plants in Missouri. This will open your eyes to plants you might not have thought about.

 

[Esther Knapicius]

the cement trough, with its hard lines. I would put something in there that would cascade over the edges softening them up and add color. you need to power wash the cement first, get the dirt off. anyway I am thinking of a collection of coral bells, their leaves are very colorful, you can go anywhere from deep read to lime green. I think they are ok for your zone. they come up every year.

Also where the rod iron pillar, large colorful pot planted with a climbing flower. you can go with moon flowers, they smell lovely when sitting on the porch in colorful rocking chairs.

 

[Daren]

I Never Knew Coral Bells was a Common Name For Heuchera's One of my Favourites in any Garden lol but I was Scratching my Head wondering what a Coral bell was They would look good wsummers & Welcome. You could maybe add small ornamental grass in there too & or Clematis There are so many too chose from But I like Esther Knapicius Moon flowers that would look Cool I recon

 

[Esther Knapicius]

yep, Heuchera or Coral bells. wonderful colors to choose from and leaf sizes too. so could do the larger type and some minis for lots of visual effect.

 

[alp]

I wouldn't want any Moon flowers come near my garden. Because of them, I had to cover the back with sails, plastic sheets and metal sheets. They are terrible. If you pull, you might end up with two more if the bit that comes out belongs to part of a creeping vine. No laughing matter. If that space is south facing, or west facing, I myself would have nerine or bearded irises or some draping rosemary.

 

[Becky]

My first thought for the concrete flower bed is Campanula as it would look lovely weeping over the edge. Off the top of my head I'm not sure if it's hardy enough for your area though.

@wsummers30 it's very useful to add your hardiness zone to your profile, that way people know what plants can do well in your climate. Click on your name at the top of the page, then select Personal Details. You can then enter your location and hardiness zone (there is a link which tells you your hardiness zone there if you aren't sure of it)

 

[Esther Knapicius]

https://www.thespruce.com/growing-moon-flower-in-containers-4125231

hoping to start some this spring and pot them out to climb in spots where their scent drifts around.

 

[marlingardener]

Wsummer30, welcome! You've received lots of advice, and I'd like to add my two cents worth (and probably overpriced at two cents). I'd dig the soil out of the cement surrounded bed, fill it with pretty gravel or small river rocks, and put container plants on top of the stones. It is really too narrow to support much in the way of plants, Missouri gets pretty warm in summer and the cement will absorb and hold the heat, and container plants are easier to maintain.

The bed with the downspout, I'd border it with something to keep grass out, and then plant grasses. I know that sounds silly, but ornamental grasses are practically no-care plants. The perennial kind you just cut down in the spring when new growth appears at the bottom of the plant. Annual grasses can be simply yanked up and composted when they are done in late fall. Here's a link to ornamental grasses so you can see if you like them:
https://www.bing.com/images/search?...pvt=Ornamental+grasses+for+Missouri&FORM=IGRE

And here's a link from U. of Missouri that explains the care of ornamental grasses: https://extension2.missouri.edu/g6661

Whatever you decide to plant, make sure you have different heights and textures (wide strappy leaves, ferny leaves, different shades of green).

Good luck with your new home and new garden--and please let us know how your garden grows!

 

[JBtheExplorer]

I was wondering about maybe some wild flowers for the side bed and something a little nicer for the concrete bed.

Native plants. They both look nice, and are technically "wild" flowers. I grow 40+ species of North American natives. What you can plant depends on your conditions (sunny, shady, wet, dry, etc), but here are some great suggestions:


Orange Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa)

Blue Giant Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) (Scarlet Bee Balm is in the background, it gets to be a little taller, but also a nice choice)

Great Blue Lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica)

Foxglove Beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis)

Stout Blue-eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium Angustifolium) is a great low-growing plant that can be used to fill in gaps.

Common Blue Violet (Viola sororia) is also a great gap-filler. Some don't like that it can spread into lawns, but I personally see that as a benefit.

Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum)

Eastern Red Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)

Nodding Onion (Allium cernuum)

If you'd like taller species, Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) and New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) are great for pollinators. They each get over 4' tall.