Green Thumbs: Help, I’m clueless!

[moonlight]

Trumpet vine, although pretty, is a PITA. We keep finding little plants everywhere!!! One was even growing behind some boxes between a crack in the garage. So beware.

Re: rosemary - there are all kinds. We have the large "bushy" type as well as the ground cover type.

I would go to a local nursery during a weekday (not as busy) and take your pictures. Some of my local places offer free planning advice. I took the plan, bought only the major plants from them and added the fillers from Lowes to save some money.

I think I am going to do that. I like the idea of doing something with the lattice. I was just going to leave it alone. I get a lot of sun on that side of the house mornings until about 1pm. I guess the lattice faces east because I get tons of sun on the opposite side of the house in the late afternoons.

The front of the house is very shady. Maybe I do need plants that don't need too much sun. I'm going to make a trip to a nursery. We have a local nursery just 2 miles from the house. I've been so frustrated wish that front flower bed. I've honestly thought about pulling it all out and planting grass.

In a shady area like that, mulch/wood chips can help make it look neater, especially while the plants are filling out. It's an easy way to get maintenance-free ground cover - available in different colors of wood - and you wouldn't need much for that flower bed.

[scrub-jay]

I think I am going to do that. I like the idea of doing something with the lattice. I was just going to leave it alone. I get a lot of sun on that side of the house mornings until about 1pm. I guess the lattice faces east because I get tons of sun on the opposite side of the house in the late afternoons.

The front of the house is very shady. Maybe I do need plants that don't need too much sun. I'm going to make a trip to a nursery. We have a local nursery just 2 miles from the house. I've been so frustrated wish that front flower bed. I've honestly thought about pulling it all out and planting grass.

Honestly, this is the best thing you can do. I love talking to workers in local nurseries - many of them are there because they love plants and are good at what they do. They will be able to advise you as to what will handle the local climate well and what will really suffer. Nothing worse than trying to grow plants that don't do well in your environment (sometime I'll share about trying to grow Redwoods in CO...yea, I have a Redwood grave now). Listen to them and do NOT buy from Wal-Mart or a big box store just to save money. I find that everything I've bought at a nursery lives and everything I've gotten from a big box store doesn't. Good luck and please share the finished results/plans!!