Question
Good afternoon Richard.....

I have what might be considered a unique request for help.  We live in the Mid-Atlantic region, just north of Baltimore in Towson, Maryland.  We live in a ranch house that is 53 years old.  When my wife and I purchased the house 18 years ago, we had a local nursery company remove all the front foundation overgrown plants and replant the area.  It appears now that some of the plants put in at that time were not sun tolerant.  The front of the house faces west and the afternoon sun in the summer is strong and hot.  Those plants that were not destroyed or stunted by the sun are starting to look over grown.

I have contacted four nurseries in our area looking for help in designing a reasonable plan to make the house look presentable (for a fee) and offered to purchase those recomended plants from them.  None of the nurseries want to offer that advice unless we purchase the plants from them and they do the planting.  I am now retired and have the energy and time to do the 揼runt?work, but do not have the knowledge to do the design.

Is it possible for me to E-mail to you digital pictures of the front of house showing the elevation and current planting in order to get some suggestions as what to leave (if anything) and what to replace, and some suggestions on what to replace them with.

If this suggestion proves to be impractical, can you suggest someone or some company (for a fee), that is located in my area, that could provide that service.

Your advice is appreciated.

Answer
planning is the key.
make an overhead view drawing of the area you are working with. freehand draw the shape of your house, driveways, existing trees & shrubs, patios, etc. determine where you want planting beds(trees & shrubs), berms(hills), turf(lawn), and hardscape items(patios, ponds, statues, etc.). place an arrow pointing towards north on your drawing. so you will know what type sun the plants will get. take measurements (length, widths, sidewalks, beds, etc.) and show them on your drawing. make a few copies of this to work w/later. look at other landscape sites that you like. this will give you some ideas for your project. get to the library/garden center and read some books on landscape design(homeowner type). watch HGTV landscaping shows on sat and sun before 12 noon.
visit a few local garden centers to find someone knowledgeable on landscape designing and installation. maybe manorview farms in monkton, MD or some place closer to your location? try the phone book before visiting them. ask if they will help you. take a copy of the drawing w/you. buy your products from them & they should be glad to help you design and educate you on how to install and maintain the plants. don't expect a guarantee at all if you install them yourself.
work one area at a time(allows you to budget $$$ as you go along) adjusting your taste as you do new areas. ask them to name the appropriate size & type plants for the areas you want to plant up. they will recommend soil amendments and other products(mulch, fertilizer, etc.) to help you be successful and get a good looking landscape.
you could send me digital photos. i'm in southern NJ near wilmington, DE. the pictures should be in jpeg format. send one from a distance and another closeup of the beds. also particular plants you have questions about.
send to [email protected]
put landscape TREE ID in the subject area of your email.
good luck
rick
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