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Design Dilemma
shelly_lindsell

Front Garden Planting Advice Please!

Shelly L
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago

I am currently designing my front drive/garden for my Victorian home. I will have a cream coloured picket fence (always wanted a white picket fence!) with gates, and gravel/pea shingle on the drive (on top of what you currently see). There are three boxes for specimen planting. Which do you prefer; three olive trees or three lollipop box shrubs? ‪

(house pic is original - before I took out shrubs and ugly gravel!)

Sorry - don't know why this is rotated! Three places for specimen plants.

Olive Trees?

Box lollipop trees?

Featured Answer
  • iolosdad
    8 years ago

    Wow they look amazing! watch out in windy weather you might need to stake them until they are established. I wish more people posted update pix

    Comments (14)

    • PRO
      Reed Harris Tiles
      8 years ago
      Hi Shelly, I would go for lollipop box as they tend to look neater and are easy to maintain. Olive trees are great but look a bit wispy.

      Karen
    • Shelly L
      Original Author
      8 years ago

      Thanks Karen! I think I agree with you on that!!!!


    • Jonathan
      8 years ago
      Laurel might be worth considering too
    • gg38
      8 years ago

      Maybe small flowering trees, cheery or magnolia. Add some planters for more colour, planted with evergreens - hebes or hellebores would work well with flowering trees. Lots of the the plant works better than small numbers of lots of plants.


    • PRO
      Sam Butler Garden Design
      8 years ago

      Just make sure that there is adequate drainage in the bottom of those planting pits before the trees go in. It's hard to see from the photos but it looks as if there is quite a bit of concrete and hardcore in there.

    • iolosdad
      8 years ago

      photinia would be good it's ever green and and has beautiful bright red leaves in spring we have two, one huge lollipop standard and a bush at either side of the gates the variety we have flowers as well. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photinia

    • Andrew Millar
      8 years ago
      lollipops all the way
    • Shelly L
      Original Author
      8 years ago

      Thanks everyone!!! All planted and very pleased!!

    • PRO
      Sam Butler Garden Design
      8 years ago

      Looking good! You could underplant them with something now, or top dress the planting pockets with gravel to cut down on weeding and watering.

      Shelly L thanked Sam Butler Garden Design
    • Andrew Millar
      8 years ago
      congrats!! good choice
      Shelly L thanked Andrew Millar
    • headers13
      8 years ago

      Looks great.

      Shelly L thanked headers13
    • PRO
      ann balmforth GARDEN DESIGNS
      8 years ago

      It looks a very good start. Now think about adding more interest to the gravel, perhaps by interspersing the 'lollipop trees' with neat but interesting shrubs. These could be scented such as Sarcoccoca (winter scent), Daphne odora (spring scent)... And adding a border in front of the house with appropriate plants. I would need to now the orientation of the garden and whether the soil is alkaline/acid/neutral and clay/loam/sand/chalk before recommending plants. If you do not need to park a vehicle in front of the house, and with the right soil and aspect you could add a rectangular herb garden.

      Shelly L thanked ann balmforth GARDEN DESIGNS
    • bridgendrd
      8 years ago
      What a lovely house. Talk about curb appeal. Trees look great!
      Shelly L thanked bridgendrd
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