Well, I've been trying to decide over the past few days what to put in our front yard. I know I want a bed lining the sidewalk. What I'm undecided about is what to line the walk with. I have annoying neighborhood dogs that don't understand boundaries, so I'd kind of like to fence it in, though because of my driveway it's almost impossible to completely fence it in... Of course I want it to look good too - and, well, be inexpensive to do. Sure, I'm asking a lot, I know

So, here's the area I've been building my lasagna bed. At the bottom of that pic you can see the sidewalk that goes to the front door. The walk on the left is the public sidewalk...and the fence on top of the pic is the end of our property, with an alleyway on the other side of the fence.

This is the same area in the late winter

So, I was thinking of puting up fence posts with mesh fencing ( like this ) stretched across and growing trumpet vine all through it, or planting some crepe myrtles along the front there - but I'm thinking it may get too big for that area - it's about 20-25' from the sidewalk to the house, may be less.

EEK I hit post too quick..so let me edit quick

See all the white space on either side of the window? I hate that! I thought about some small trees or shrubs more like up close to the house on either side, but couldn't find anything quite small enough, but tall enough to fill that space (the bottom of the window is about 8' off the ground)

So, anyway, all thoughts welcome! Thanks!

Mary - be careful with trumpet vine - it can/will pop up several feet away from where you plant it, and can be very invasive. That said... I have 2 that I planted on one side of my shed with hopes for it to grow up and over the roof of the shed. It is finally doing that, but is also popping up in the grass and flower bed around the shed. I can pull the starts out pretty easily, but I do notice more and more of them popping up these days. Also... did you know that it can/usually does take about 5 years before you get to see the first bloom on trumpet vines? It took mine exactly 5 years - I didn't know about that when I planted them, and was ready to rip them out the year I got my first and only bloom for that summer.

Thanks for your thoughts Lynne! I guess the trumpet vine being so invasive is why I'm reallllly thinking this through. What's up with all these things that don't bloom for years? I never heard of that till I started getting into gardening - kind of surprised me that some stuff takes so long to bloom! I'm wondering, if I take a cutting of an already blooming vine, would that make it bloom sooner? LOL Was that a really dumb question?

Like the space you have to work with. I would probably go more for a raised bed first, maybe a row or two high and then some kind of fence. The worry I have with the fence you showed is durability. Kids and dogs may be able to pull it apart more easily than say a wooden fence.

What kinds of creepers to put on it is beyond me though.

For the house, so you want something that will be there all year around or just to have color and bloom during the summer.

if it is color and bloom, I'd go for Mornign Glory. You can run kite string from the roof to the ground and the vines will crawl up it to completely. When it dies off in the winter, clip the strings at the top AFTER it is all dry and off to the compost heap. If you move it to a compost heap while it is still green it will grow there. The MG will self seed each year as well. I saw this idea somewhere or another and am planning it for a wall on my house as a backdrop to other flowers.

Another idea for that area is to run lattice up the wall and attatch plants in containders to it. There are hooks for just that kind of thing and you could have a very wide variety of color and texture on the wall that you could change on a whim.

Ok I will stop talking now.

Thanks Triss! I had the same concern about that wire stuff. I was looking more at the 'cheap' than the durability. Probably not worth all the work not to have it last (and look good) for more than a year (if that!) The fence in that picture is along side the house, under a tree, by the alley - so it's not real visible, and we don't really care about it while we have other more visible things to fix up, yaknow?

Anywho...sorry that I always tend to ramble when I post. I seem to be a bit manic today which makes me ramble more than usual!

I really love that idea of the kite string! I don't know how we'd get it up on the roof - no really long ladder in 'stock' yet, and it's a pretty high roof...but, I got such a great visual of what you described - that would look SO HOT! I kind of like the lattice idea too - though I'm a little leary of putting anything on top of the siding

please keep the ideas coming! I love hearing them...when all is said and done I'll probably use a combination of most all of them, I'm sure! Thanks!

Well if not the roof, then under the up to the window. I bet you could use some of the Christmas doohickies that they hang lights with to hang the string and not mess up the siding.

You can also just not attatch the lattice but put it into posts in the ground.

ohhhh Yeah - I like the idea of the lattice on posts...it'll help shade the bedroom window, and if I can get something sweety-smellin, that'll waft into the bedroom in the morning, I'd be a really happy girl.

Lemme rewind a minute Triss - when you mentioned the raised bed for the front by the walk, you said 'maybe a row or two high and then some kind of fence.' Where's the fence? Along the sidewalk?

I was seeing sidewalk, rock wall, fence, flowers, fence, rock wall, grass. I was also envisioning the flowers area a bit wider. And maybe a picket type of fence. Does that make any sense at all?

hmm not sure. you mean, rock wall with picket fence type on top, then flowers, then rock wall with picket fence type again then grass? Is that what you meant?

Yep. I was thinking of the protection aspect in getting it off the ground where people are walking by a lot and keeping the dogs out by surrounding it with fence.

Off to bed, but will look in on your thoughts again tomorrow.

Okay, I gotcha now Though I rarely see foot traffic on that sidewalk - mostly paw-traffic I have to worry about

Thanks for rackin yer brain for me....Have a great night!

I'm still tossing ideas around - Keep em coming!

Well my brain is not quite working this morning, but once it gets going...

you know those broken unbrellas you got? What about doing two rows of them with the handles interlocked in an arch and then planting them with morning glories or some other type of vine? I'd do a picture but photobucket isn't talking to me this afternoon lol.

Hmm I dunno - that thought is scary....sounds like it requires way too much creativity on my part Though it's an interesting idea - can you send me a sketch when your photobucket likes you again?

Mary if you want a plant that will cover that area go for a pasion plant. It climbs and boy does it go fast. I had 3 3 inch starts a month and a half ago it is now a good 3 feet tall and is all over the trellis. It has purple blooms, and just grows like crazy. It grew up grandmas 6ft trellis adn up a tree and over the roof

http://images.google.com/imgres?img...%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26sa%3DN

Sorry that is so big I dont know how to fix it but that is a pic of one its kinda interesting actually! I didntknow you could eat it also the flowers are rather different looking too on it.

Karrie, thanks for that idea! I'm actually waiting on some seeds in a trade - I didn't even think about putting it in front of the house! Hmm - does anyone know how long it takes for a passionflower vine to flower when started from seed?

Mary, I can't tell you the length of time between sowing and flowering for passiflora because after a year, I am still waiting for the seeds to germinate!

Please let us know if you are successful!

Ah geez Cricket! Can they take that long to germinate? May be you got bad seeds? Or can some seeds take that long to germinate? Did you scarify them? I think they need to be boiled/sanded before planting, if I remember right...but I could be wrong...that happens quite often

Yup, did all those things plus the voodoo chicken dance! Hey, Mary, don't mean to bum you out there. Maybe you'll have better luck. The plants grow like weeds some places - how difficult can it be to germinate the seeds? :rolleyes: When you find the secret, please let us know...At $15 each for a small vine here, I'm determined to grow them from seed!

I am so right there with you on that one!

Yaknow, I didn't know there was a blue one I just saw that today and well, of course I have to have it. <sigh> I hope I can get em to grow - I'll let ya know, and if I do, I'll send you a cutting, just remind me when you hear me yakkin about it, because my memory is ... what was I just saying? (see?)

If someone can tell me how to send a cutting I will be glad to do it. I got my pasion flower from good ol grandma. We just dug up 3 little starts I brought em home and holy cow. its been 6 weeks its over 3 feet tall and getting outta controll already. I went and got a 6ft trellis for it this week. I just cant believe how beautiful it is. Its got like 8 flowers blooming on it now. Husbands mother about fell over when she saw it said she took starts like i did, and hers are still a foot and crummy looking. Of course I thought it was just her mean thumb. lol But maybe I did get lucky!

Really?! You rock! I don't know how to take a cutting from it though and I sure don't want you to hurt it Lemme see if I can find some info on taking a cutting and I'll PM you. Thanks Karrie - you're da bomb!

I would be glad to do it. Just dont want to kill it or send you a dead plant!

and I sure wouldn't want you to kill it for my sake!

Well I am sure I wouldnt kill my plant maybe what I send you though! We will just have to do some reasearch, because its a shamed grandma has it everywhere and is pulling it and mowing it down, if someone wants to enjoy some of it they should. We are somewhat near Danville Ill. Where are you in regards to there? Its about an hour and a half to 2 hour drive........maybe we can take a road trip.

Sheesh I just checked, and we're a little over 4 hrs from Danville...we're reeeeally southern illinois. So, I think we should chance mailing it - be cheaper for me to buy a bunch than the gas money we'd both spend getting together! Though I hope to be going up that way one of these days when I go back to NY to visit - may be we can get together then...I'll plot out my route on here, and get together with anyone that wants to on my route like Loz did - I think that would be so cool

You should be able to send them in the mail. Get a start like you did for your garden. I am assuming it has roots? If so place them in a baggie with some soil to protect the roots and wet it to keep it moist during mailing. Seal the bag around the stem and put it in a box and send right away. Oh and I would put some shredded newspaper to keep it from getting tosseled all over the place.

I don't see why that would not work. I am going to have to look up passion flower and maybe I will beg you for some too!

Triss if you want some just holler at me!

I have an orange trumpet vine. I love it! The hummingbirds love it! It does send up shoots all over, but if you can mow around it, you just mow them down. It does need a post to grow up, will grow 40 ft tall. It does take a few years to get started but once it does, you will love it. Petuna

Where are you coming in NY? I live in Genesee county, near Batavia,NY Wondered if you would bring me a passion plant also? Petuna