There are some things you should never grow in the front yard.
Key Takeaways
Each part of a well-designed landscape has its function.
The front yard reflects how you present yourself to friends, neighbors, and passersby.
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It should guide guests to the entry.
It should also anchor the house to blend well with the natural landscape.
Here, we will focus on the front yard and the plants that we suggest you never use.
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Grumpy will tell you the reasons why.
Sometimes to get people to do something good, you have to make them understand what’s wrong.
For example, a little knowledge can be very dangerous in the garden.
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I asked when he’d used that sprayer before.
“Oh, it was about a week ago,” he replied.
“I sprayed the grass for weeds.”
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Well, it didn’t take Isaac Newton to surmise what had happened.
Our neighbor neglected to clean out his sprayer.
The same chemical he used to hammer his dandelions was stir-frying histomatoes.
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You have to get them all right.
Golden Euonymus
So what’s wrong with golden euonymus (Euonymus japonicus’Aureomarginatus')?
This pick is more about taste than smell.
If you select this plant from the nursery, Grumpy questionsyourtaste.
Reasons Not To Plant:
2.
Bradford Pear
Every Grumpian should have seen this one coming.
(I hate Bradford pearit’s everywhere.)
These attributes have made it one of the South’s most overplanted trees.
Newer pears like ‘Chanticleer’ and ‘Trinity’ are better choices for most gardens.
Redtip Photinia
Now I know what a lot of you are saying.
“How can he hate such a ‘purty’ plant?
I love those shiny red leaves and the white flowers.
What a churlish Grump!”
The popularity of Fraser photinia(Photiniaxfraseri)shows that nothing succeeds like being obvious.
People flocked to buy it.
Treating Entomosporium Leaf Spot
The fungus that causes this leaf spot attacks only new, red growth.
Mature green foliage is immune.
Still, people love planting this thing on the corner of the house.
(The only place big enough for this is Biltmore.)
Drought stress favors the development of this disease.
Leyland cypress has become the South’s number one choice for tall screens.
Once established, it can easily grow 3 to 4 feet a year.
Remember, though, that it eventually reaches 60 to 70 feet tall if unpruned.
Privet
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I know a guy named Dr.
Dirt who calls these shrubs “privy plants.”
He doesn’t know how right he is.
Privet is a fast-growing plant that’s often used in screens and hedges.
Some species are invasive.
Many people refer to privet by its botanical name,Ligustrum.
Some things may be your fault.
It also weakens plants by forcing them to compete for sunlight, water, and nutrients.
Nicking The Bark
Bark works like your skin, keeping good things in and bad things out.
Monoculture
This term means planting large numbers of the same thing close together.
All of them have the same susceptibility to certain pests.
So if those pests show up, instead of one or two plants dying, all of them do.
Topping Trees
Read our lips: Topping trees is always a bad idea.
You’re right, because doing so weakens the grass so much it might die.
