by Pat Camp, Fulton County Master Gardener Extension Volunteer
This article is part of Garden Buzz, a series from Appen Media and the North Fulton Master Gardeners, where rotating columnists explore horticulture topics like herbs, insects, and wildlife conservation. Find all Garden Buzz articles here.
If you have lived in your house for at least 10 to 15 years, you probably have some foundation plantings you would like to replace, especially if they are the sticky, hard-to-maintain hollies.
When most houses were built, unless you hired a landscape designer or landscape architect, the foundation plantings were chosen by the builder to soften the line between the house and the land. The plants may have been selected because they were inexpensive or chosen for their size because at the time they filled up the space. Most landscaping budgets are inadequate for the number and types of plants needed.
Plants, shrubs and trees should be chosen for their mature size; otherwise, they will eventually outgrow their space. This is the plight of many foundation plantings. Once trees and shrubs start blocking windows and walkways, interfering with roofs and gutters, or causing damage to the foundation, it is time to make a change.
The foundation plantings in your garden are the plants you put around the house, close to the walls, under the windows and beside the doors. These plants are used in landscape design to blend a building with its setting and obscure any undesirable features of the foundation.
The foundation plantings in your garden are the plants you put around the house, close to the walls, under the windows and beside the doors. These plants are used in landscape design to blend a building with its setting and obscure any undesirable features of the foundation.
Most landscapers suggest two to four different types of evergreen shrubs in a foundation landscape. Choose one or two types of vertical plants to anchor a corner or for tall vertical spaces on the front of a house. Choose one or two types of round or mounding evergreens for under windows. If your home is symmetrical, you can repeat the same pattern on the other side. Another rule of thumb is using odd numbers, such as one, three or five of the same plant, to create visual balance in the landscape.
Too many different types of shrubs can make the design very busy and distract from, rather than accent, your house. My preference is to first choose the majority of foundation plantings as evergreens in order to add structure and year-round interest.
Once you have planted your evergreen shrubs, you can then add shrubs that have foliage colors other than green, which may also flower in different seasons. Small pockets in your design can also be left open for smaller perennials and annual flowers for seasonal color. If you have the right space in your design, plant several vertical shrubs for interest. There is a high demand for dwarf shrubs that fit under low windows and are great for smaller homes and landscapes. Many new and exciting shrubs on the market far outperform what was routinely used in the past and fulfill the needs of today’s homeowners. If planted with their mature size in mind, they will not outgrow their space.
When choosing a new tree or shrub, remember its mature size before planting. Place the center of the plant no closer to the foundation (or the plant next to it) equal to half of its mature width plus 1 foot. For example, a 6-foot-wide mature shrub should be planted at least 4 feet (3 plus 1) away.
Below are 10 of my favorite foundation plantings. I have listed the smallest size variety to the largest within each plant name. They are all evergreen except for the Japanese maples. In addition, these shrubs can have foliage colors other than green and may also flower in different seasons.
- Distylium (Full sun to part shade): Has a range of leaf color and growth habits. Cultivars include Little Champ, Cinnamon Girl, Swing Low, Emerald Heights, Vintage Jade and Linebacker.
- Camellia sasanqua (Part shade): Slim and trim. Flowers in the fall and is a good candidate for an espalier, meaning it can be trained to grow flat against the house. Suggested cultivars include the October Magic series, which features 11 varieties.
- Arborvitae (Full sun to part shade): The cultivars Fire Chief, Golden Child and Tater Tot are round in shape. The cultivars North Pole, Emerald Green, Sling and Forever Goldy provide vertical interest.
- Japanese maple (Part shade): A small tree used as a specimen or focal point, offering vibrant fall color. Cultivars include Tamukeyama, Red Dragon and Crimson Queen.
- Boxwood (Full sun to part shade): Used as low borders and hedges. Suggested cultivars include Franklins Gem, Little Missy, Green Velvet, Wintergreen, Sprinter, Green Tower and Graham Blandy.
- ‘Blue Point’ juniper (Full sun): Provides vertical interest and blue-green foliage.
- Yellow anise tree (Illicium parviflorum, part shade to full shade): Features a fragrant licorice or anise scent and yellow foliage in all seasons. Cultivars include BananAppeal and Florida Sunshine.
- ‘Inkberry’ holly (Full sun to part shade): A native plant. Suggested cultivars include Strongbox and Gem Box Prime.
- Dwarf pieris (Part shade to full shade): Produces white blooms in spring. Suggested cultivars include Cavertine, Mt. Snow and Prelude.
- Evergreen ferns (Part shade to full shade): Add fine texture and interest, fill in small spaces and are deer-resistant. Suggested cultivars include the Autumn Brilliance fern, East Indian holly fern and Christmas fern.
Your home’s landscape should be an inviting frame, not an overgrown barrier. Take a walk around your yard this week to evaluate which legacy shrubs have overstayed their welcome. Swapping out a few high-maintenance hollies for a dynamic mix of colorful,
evergreens is one of the easiest ways to instantly elevate your home’s value and neighborhood curb appeal.
Happy Gardening!
Learn More
- Landscape Plants for Georgia (UGA Extension)
- Glasener, Erica, & Reeves, Walter (2013). Georgia Getting Started Garden Guide: Grow the best flowers, shrubs, trees, vines & groundcovers. Cool Springs Press.
This week’s “Garden Buzz” guest columnist is Roswell resident Pat Camp. Pat has been a Master Gardener for 26 years, has worked as a landscape designer at a local nursery and is a Georgia Certified Plant Professional. Her cutting garden, which she started five years ago, is her newest passion where she continues to add new and interesting flowers every year. Her flower garden is a virtual banquet for a multitude of pollinators. Pat enjoys making flower bouquets from her garden for her home and to share. Pat enjoys sharing her love of nature and flowers with others, especially her grandchildren.
