Question
My husband and I have been married and living in our house for almost a year now. We had the most horrible shutters, and meant to paint them last year but it got too hot too quick. (We live in Alabama). So I got to the project quickly this year. We have an all brick house, mostly red brick with a darker brown mixed in here and there, and we've painted the shutters a dark grey. The front of the house gets direct sun in the afternoon. One on the north side, they had huge holly bushes. I am not fond of them, and they became a problem when trying to paint the shutters. So we cut them away. The yard has one big tree in the middle, and then several small ones line the street, which we are planning on getting rid of as well. I was thinking about planting hydrangea bushes where the holly bushes were, but do not know a thing about landscaping and what to put with them, if anything. It might be a forty foot rectangular bed/trim... the windows sit high enough that we don't need anything thorny for protection, and the brick goes all the way to the ground. What should I put there? Thank you so much for your time and suggestions.

Answer
Hi Jessica,

Hygrangeas are great shrubs and they love the sun, but I would suggest planting a variety of shrubs and perennials to offer more interest throught the growing season.  Ornamental grasses, Nandena domestica (heavenly bamboo), coneflower, coreopsis (moonbeam), Itea, landscape roses (knockout)

Bud CHristmann

PS. Before planting make sure you have the soil conditioned so it will be well drained soil.  Use peatmoss, screened top soil, and compost, and till it up very well.  When the soil is a rich color and is very plyable it is good to go.