Hello all- I recently bought a house and the yard is a nightmare. Both, the front and the back yards have long poison ivy vines (reminds me of the movie "Little Shop a Horror".) I sprayed herbicide all over them as well as pulling out the root I could find. After all of the clen up I have done over the past few weeks I realize I only have weeds growing in my yard and no real plants. I am looking for some plants to insert into my garden, something easy to maintain, any ideas? The yard consists of sunny spots as well as shaded areas.
I think your best bet would be to haunt local garden centers. See what perennial plants are available in your area, find the plants you really like and pick the brains of the garden center employees. Annuals like Zinnia, Marigolds, Pansies, Petunias, etc will help you have color quickly while you are planning a more permanent garden and they are super easy to grow just about anywhere. In designing your garden, consider how easy it will be to provide water to all areas of your yard...soaker hoses, sprinklers, etc. Generally planting waterwise plants further away from the house means less hose dragging...keep areas close to the house or faucets for those plants that need frequent watering. Do you have a favorite color? Is there a sunny spot to create a butterfly/bee garden? Maybe a spot for a berry producing plants where the birds can feast in fall and winter. Any questions you have feel free to ask here, we have members from pretty much every growing zone in the world so someone will have the information you need
Plan, plan, plan.... plan. Don't start without one, you may regret it. Do at least a rough sketch. Note where you want plants (only at the house? what about trees?) Note where you get full sun and where there's shade. Write down if you need any hardscaping done like a patio or sidewalk, too. No use planting something that will be taken up next year. And, yes, get a big tub full of annuals to cheer you while you work. Good luck! Heidi
After amending the soil with plenty of compost, I would cover all the gardens with landscaping cloth to smother the weeds and poison ivy. Especially the poison ivy since it is not easy to remove. Then I would lay down a thick layer of mulch to hold the landscaping cloth in place. Now everything looks clean and neat. You could cut holes in the landscaping cloth to plant flowers etc. or you could use some BIG containers planted up with your favourite flowers.
