What does your front yard say about you?  Anything at all?  Does it reflect who you are, or does it mirror every other front yard in the neighborhood?  Does what’s outside your front door have any relationship to those who live inside?

            After settling into a home, most people eventually make their living space an expression of who they are through choice of wall color, flooring, furniture and decoration.  Yet the outside of the home, particularly the front yard, often remains exactly as the former owner or the developer or landscaper designed it.  Or even as the homeowners themselves designed it – 30 years ago!

            People usually use their backyards for recreation, socializing, gardening and relaxing.  Many front yards do nothing more than take up space between the street and the house.  Sometimes the only person who spends any time out there is the one who cuts the lawn.  Add all the unused front yards together and that’s a lot of wasted space.

            What could your front yard do to earn its keep?

            Well, it could break out of its evergreen shrub-barberry-spirea-hosta-maple tree boringness to something welcoming that reflects the personality of the family inside.

            Any nature lovers in there?  Why not plant some native shrubs with berries  and perennials with nectar and seeds to attract birds and butterflies?

            Is someone a good cook?  A vegetarian?  Many vegetable and herb plants have beautiful forms and flowers and make wonderful additions to ornamental landscapes.

            Got a creative or crafty type?  Grow annual or perennial flowers and even vegetables and fruits that can be dried for floral arrangements or other art projects.  Many plants and vegetable and fruit juices can be used to die yarn for weaving or fabric for art quilts or clothing.

            A social type?  How about a semi-private seating area with a bench and a tree or a few shrubs or container plantings so that you can sit in your front yard, not quite on display, but ready to greet those who pass by?

            How about a gardener?  Several years ago my husband mentioned to a neighbor that I was a Master Gardener.  Her response was, “She must do all her gardening in the back yard.”  Embarrassing, but she was right.  I needed to give some attention to the front yard.

            Perhaps you don’t want your front yard to “do” anything.  Maybe the street’s too busy or you just aren’t comfortable being out there for some reason.  In that case, you’ll want to make the landscape as low maintenance as possible. 

            To do that, mulch around the plants and shrubs to help control weeds and conserve soil moisture and make the landscape look cared for.  Replace grass with ground covers so less time is spent mowing.  Let the grass grow to 4 1/2 inches and cut it to 3 inches.  Taller grass shades out weeds and doesn’t dry out as quickly as closely cropped turf.

            If you aren’t going to rethink your front yard, at least give it a first thought.

      Gardeners are continuously experimenting and learning and hopefully gaining some wisdom from their mistakes.

      The gardening mistakes I’ve made over the years basically fall into three categories:   planting in the wrong lighting conditions, spacing plants improperly, and not recognizing that a plant is becoming invasive quickly enough.

      When I first started gardening, I planted a lot of things in the shade that should have been in the sun, and vice versa.  For example, I planted dogwood in full sun and mugho pine in full shade.  Neither did well until they were transplanted to a spot with proper lighting conditions.  Then they prospered.

      Placing plants in the wrong spots can cause expensive problems.  For example, ten years ago, we foolishly planted an apple tree right in our septic field.  So far, with fingers crossed, there haven’t been any problems, but trouble is inevitable in the future. 

      About the same time, we planted a maple sapling too close to a mature maple.  Even though my grandma warned me that they were too close and that the branches would touch some day, I couldn’t imagine that happening.  These two maples are almost 50 feet apart!  This year the branches of the two trees met.  Compounding that mistake, we built our pond about 15 feet east of the younger tree, and in fall all the leaves end up in the pond water. 

      Five years ago, we planted several white pines in the backyard.  Now that they are getting a little taller, I’ve realized that in a few years they will be casting shade on my vegetable garden.  In addition, one of the pines is too close to the brush pile that we burn every spring and that tree gets burn damage every time. 

      One problem that has become serious this year is that I’ve allowed invasive reed canary grass to grow on the part of our property that is unmown.  There was just a small patch about five feet in diameter for 15 years or so.  I didn’t know what it was for many years, and had an emotional attachment to it because my niece just loved to play in that patch of very tall grass when she was a little girl.  About three years ago I identified it as reed canary grass, but it seemed rather benign and I had those good memories of my niece.  Well, this year there are patches of reed canary grass everywhere!  It is completely out of control.  So far, what I’ve done to control it is to cut the seed heads off before they could spread seeds even further, but I think that next year more drastic action will need to be taken.  It was totally irresponsible of me to let that first patch of grass grow once I realized what it was.

      Even long-time Master Gardeners can make mistakes.  I hope you can learn from a few of mine and avoid making the same ones.

      My vegetable garden is a large rectangle running east–west along the northern boundary of our property.  Over the years, the open field north of our fence has grown up into a wooded area.  In mid-summer, even though the woods is north of the garden, it casts quite a bit of shade.  The garden once got 14 hours of sunlight a day but now gets only 6 hours, not enough for good vegetable production.

      After considering several plans for moving the garden to a sunnier spot, I decided to rotate it 90° so that the rectangle runs north-south.  It will be exactly the same size, so it seemed at first a simple matter of lifting about 2/3 of the fence and changing the shape.  Well, the fence doesn’t come out so easy.  I don’t’ know why we thought we needed rebar posts with anchor plates to support a chicken wire fence. 

      While my husband struggled with moving the fence, I laid down large pieces of cardboard from every appliance we had ever bought over the grassy area which is to become garden.  Over the cardboard I spread a thick layer of straw.  The cardboard will kill the grass underneath and in spring the whole area will be tilled.  Meanwhile, I am tossing items which would normally go in the compost into the new garden so they can compost in place and improve the soil.  After I rake in fall I will shred the leaves and spread them over the straw to add even more organic matter.

      The part of the old garden which will become lawn next spring holds three raised beds.  The boards holding the soil in place will be moved to the new area this fall, but some of the plants inside them will have to wait until spring.  There is a yucca plant, the herb lovage, some pretty Asiatic lilies, strawberries and a small blueberry bush.

      I will move the soil from the old raised beds to the new ones and with the soil will come seeds of flax and calendula which will germinate next spring.  There are wood chips surrounding the raised beds, so those will be raked up and moved to the new pathways.

      On the west edge of my current garden are peonies, raspberries and rhubarb.  After the move, these three will be orphaned in the middle of the grass.  The rhubarb can be moved in early spring just before it starts to grow.  June-bearing raspberries are biennial plants, so the ones growing now will produce next year.  The producing plants will stay where they are next summer, but any new plants will be moved to their new location as soon as they sprout up.  After raspberry season, the old plants will be cut down and then that area can be planted in grass.  Peonies should be transplanted in September so they will stay where they are until next fall.

      Moving my garden is a year-long project but eight additional hours of sunlight will be the reward!

      Unless your landscape is very informal, it will look better with definite and neat edges between the lawn and the plantings.  There are several ways to do this and they vary in cost, effectiveness and ease of installation. 

      In our area of the country, the edgings that work the best are cut edges, dry-laid brick or stone, and wood or timber.  Anything made of plastic or rubber that is inserted into the ground will most likely frost heave in winter or twist and break easily.

      The easiest time to install an edging is after the soil is prepared but before the bed is planted.  In an established bed, the best time is in spring before things start growing.  Edging an established, growing bed is more difficult but it certainly can be done.

      A no-cost option for straight or curved edges on level or sloped sites is a cut edge.  To make a cut edge, lay a hose or rope on the ground to mark where you want the bed edges.  Cut along the line with a sharp spade or edging tool.  Lift away any grass or plants that grow into the cut.  Make a shallow trench on the bed side of the cut.  Keep the trench empty – don’t let it fill up with mulch.  You will have to re-cut the edge at least twice a year – probably each spring and late summer.

      A brick or stone mowing strip makes a neat edge for straight or curved areas on level or gently sloped sites.  Dig a trench about 8 inches wide and 4 inches deep around the edge of the bed.  Measure the length of the trench and divide it by the length of the bricks to determine how many bricks to buy.  Fill the trench halfway with sand or gravel screenings and lay bricks on top, setting them level with the soil on the lawn side.  Sweep extra sand or screenings between the bricks.  The tire of your lawn mower rides along the bricks, eliminating the need for separate trimming.  Some grass or plants may grow under, between or over the bricks but it is easy to pop one up to get at the weeds.

      For straight edged beds on level sites, wood or timber edging works well.  Landscape timbers make for a formal look, while tree trunks or limbs set a more rustic appearance.  Sink the wood partially into the soft soil of the bed so it doesn’t roll or tip sideways.  There is no need to nail the ends, just butt the ends of the timbers together.  Wood edgings are subject to frost heave but can easily be pushed back into place.  Natural wood will decay after several years and need to be replaced.  Pressure treated timbers last for decades but should not be used near food crops or herb gardens where you might use the herbs for food or cosmetic use. 

      Other edging possibilities are decorative stone and brick, and iron, wire or vinyl fencing.

      The Perennial Plant Association has named Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’ (golden hakone grass) its perennial plant of the year for 2009.  It derives its name from “hakone” a region of Japan, and “chloa” the Greek word for grass.

      The Perennial Plant Association describes their choice:  “Golden hakone grows 12-18 inches tall and 18-24 inches wide with an arching form that resembles a cascading miniature bamboo.  Individual blades are ½” wide and bright yellow in color with very thin green stripes.  In the cooler days of autumn the golden foliage becomes tinged with shades of pink and red.  Hakonechloa is used mainly for its golden foliage, although it does produce tiny, inconspicuous flower spikes from late summer through mid-autumn.”

      Does that sound good to you?  Here’s what you need to do to grow it successfully.  Golden hakone grass is hardy to USDA zone 5, so we are right on the edge of where it will thrive.  It would be best to locate it in a somewhat protected area, i.e., not in the middle of your open one-acre lawn.  It grows best in moist, humus rich, well-drained soil.  It will not do well in heavy clay or very dry soils. 

      Full sun to part shade is best as deep shade may reduce the golden leaf color.  It requires very little on-going care.  Just cut the dead grass back in late winter or early spring.  It grows slowly so it won’t crowd out its growing companions.  The slow growth means that it won’t need dividing for many years.  If you do divide golden hakone, do so in early spring just as new growth begins. 

      Golden hakone grass has very few insect or disease problems and is not favored by deer.  However, in Wisconsin we know that deer will eat anything if they get hungry enough. 

      The Perennial Plant Association suggests that golden hakone makes a good companion to hostas, especially those that have a golden edge or a bluish cast.  They also recommend planting golden hakone with any plant that has purple or dark leaves, like heucheras or bugbanes.  Other suggestions for nearby companions are astilbe, wild ginger, bleeding heart, epimedium and lady’s mantle. 

      This versatile grass can even be grown in a container on a shady deck or patio.  It will cascade over the sides of the container providing a tropical look and feel.  It can also be used as a ground cover, in front of a border or in a mass planting.

      Golden hakone grass will light up any area that is dark or drab.  And just wait until you see the breeze rippling through the leaves!

      There are four requirements that must be met for a plant to be selected Perennial Plant of the Year.  The plant must be suitable for a wide range of climates, low maintenance, easily propagated and exhibit multiple season interest.  It seems they’ve picked a winner this year!

      My dairy farmer neighbors sold their herd last June and have turned their attention to landscaping their farmyard.  A year ago they hired a landscaping company who at great expense installed a small pond, put some plantings around it, planted a mis-labeled tree, and then went out of business.

      I’ve been asked to revive and replant the area.  Many of the landscaper-installed perennials have died and weeds have taken over the bed. 

      Here’s the problem:  the area is almost entirely in the shade all day long and I am admittedly weak in knowledge of shade gardening.  Hosta, violets and lily-of-the-valley are the plants that come immediately to mind and two of those have a tendency to get out of control.  The third, hosta, is not a favorite of my farmer friends.

      At the library I checked out every shade gardening book on the shelves.  The internet is also a good resource, but I prefer books.  I quickly paged through the books and chose the two best, based on good photos and growing information. 

      I went through the chosen books more slowly, keeping in mind that the homeowners like the colors pink, blue, lavender and white, and made a list of all the possibilities for their garden.  I immediately eliminated anything that wasn’t hardy in our area. 

      Some of the things I had to keep in mind were: 1) the pond –it is the focal point and the plants around it should look natural, be low enough so the pond can be seen, and draw the eye to the pond   2) the tree – plants grown under the tree need shallow roots so they are not competing with the tree roots.  Also, tall plants won’t look good in this bed with the tree nearby.  3)  the location – the flowerbed is in the middle of the front yard and is viewed from all directions.  Taller plants will need to be in the middle with progressively lower plants toward the edges.  4) the plants already in place – the homeowner likes these, so we’ll get more of the same.  Some may need to be moved.  5)  deer – always a problem.  The whole list had to be cross-checked with lists of plants deer like and dislike.

      If the flowerbed was in my own yard, I would have spent several days or weeks just looking at the area to be planted, turning various options over in my mind before making any decisions.  Since this flowerbed is a couple miles away, I have to rely on photos I took last fall.

      Though I have photos and measurements, there is nothing like looking at the real thing.  As soon as snow melts, I’ll take my books and my lists to talk with the homeowner and make a tentative planting design plan.  The final decisions on what to plant will of course be determined by which of the listed plants can be found locally or through mail order.

      Its name is rather off-putting for someone who wants to grow a nice plant, but dead nettle is a pretty solution for the oft-asked question, “What can I grow under my trees in the shade where grass won’t grow?” 

      Nettle implies something prickly or spiny, and dead, well dead implies dead.  Dead nettle is neither prickly nor dried-up dead.  Although the leaves have a superficial resemblance to other nettles, the “dead” part of its name refers to the fact that there are no spines or prickles.  Maybe they ran out of good names by the time they got to this one!  In any case, the Latin name is Lamium pronounced “LAY-mee-um.”

      Silvery or gray-leaved plants are useful in the garden.  Their neutral colors can balance and unify many different colors and provide a sense of cohesiveness.  There are very few silvery or gray-leaved plants that thrive in the shade, but there are some dead nettle cultivars whose silvery leaves provide a spark of brightness to shady areas.     ‘Herman’s Pride’ has green leaves with heavy streaks of silver and small yellow flowers.  Leaves of ‘White Nancy’ and ‘Beacon Silver’ are silver with a thin green border.  ‘Nancy’s flowers are white and ‘Silver’s are pink.  ‘Chequers’ has green leaves with a wide silver stripe down the center and purplish pink flowers.  ‘Pink Pewter’ has pink flowers as does ‘Aureum’ whose leaves are variegated with yellow instead of silver.

      Dead nettle thrives in spots where nothing else will grow.  It competes well with tree and shrubs roots so it is good for those dry shady spots.  It also does well along the north side of buildings, even in poor post-construction soil.  Dead nettle is a ground cover that grows 8 – 18” tall and spreads slowly but indefinitely.  Most dead nettles, except for ‘Herman’s Pride’ are on the shorter end of that range.

      Propagation is easily done by division in spring or fall.  No need to be careful; these are tough plants.  Just dig up a piece with some roots attached and move it to where you want it.  Stick it in the ground, give it a good watering and watch it grow. 

      Dead nettles are in the mint family so they can become invasive in moist, fertile soil.  They pull out easily, however, if they happen to grow where you don’t want them. 

      Dead nettle dies to the ground each winter and comes back again in spring.  The leaves of the young plants are edible and can be used in salads or stir-fries.

      Some gardeners love moss.  Some gardeners hate moss.  Some gardeners love moss in some places but hate moss in other places.

      Moss growing in your lawn is actually a symptom rather than the cause of a poor lawn.  Moss grows in shade where soil is compacted and has a low pH.  Poor drainage and mowing too closely also encourage the growth of moss. 

      The kind of moss growing in your lawn will actually tell you what the problem is.  Mosses with an upright growth habit, green growth at the top and brown stems at the base indicate dry, acidic soil.  Trailing mosses with a flat growth pattern and pale green foliage and stems are symptoms of a shaded lawn with poor drainage.  Cushion mosses have tiny upright stems and a compact, dense growth habit.  They appear in lawns mowed too closely to soil level. 

      If you don’t like the moss, remove it using Safer Brand Moss & Algae Killer, a soap-based product that does not harm the environment.  If the underlying problems are not corrected, however, the moss will return.  Power raking will take care of all the above problem conditions.  Top dressing with compost, aerating the soil and raising the mower blade will help as well.

      Some people enjoy the beauty of moss and want to encourage it in their lawns.  Just looking at the green color of moss reduces stress, and a shady, mossy area can add a degree of serenity to any landscape.  Growing moss is becoming an increasingly desirable low-maintenance alternative to grass lawns. 

      Moss is best in areas that are not high traffic as it does not stand up to heavy wear.  Moss lawns may be planted in spring or summer.  Work compost into the soil, water, then lay down cushions or mats of moss, including some of the earthy matter in which it was growing – pine needles, rotting wood, forest litter.  Press the moss down firmly.  If you do not have access to already growing moss that you can transplant, it can be ordered over the internet.

      Spray the moss with 1 quart buttermilk mixed with 2 gallons of water in mid-spring to encourage growth.  To start moss in a new area, put a clump of moss in a blender with buttermilk and water and mix together.  Spread it where you want moss to grow.  Yogurt can be used in place of buttermilk.  You can give terra cotta, metal and stone pots and even rocks newly added to a landscape a prematurely aged look by spreading the moss mixture on their sides.  A few ounces of potters clay added to the mixture in the blender will help it stick better to rocks.

      Mist the transplanted material and new growth daily and do not walk on it until it is well established.  Occasional weeding is all the maintenance needed.

      Every year about this time, when the garden is planted, the flowerpots are blooming merrily and I’m caught up with weeding, I get the urge to “do something with bricks.”  The itch intensifies when the Sunday Menards ad proclaims a sale on bricks at 4/$1.

      There are many places in a typical yard or garden where stone or brick can add a finished look to the landscaping.  My yard came with a stone retaining wall protecting the walk-out basement and a matching stone raised flowerbed on two sides of the utility shed.  In the 16 years that we’ve lived here, tons of stones and bricks have been imported to our acre.

      A flagstone path now leads from the back door of the garage to the two sets of deck stairs.  That path is edged in brick laid level with the ground to present a neat edge and provide a level place for the lawn mower wheel.  We also laid a curved line of ground-level brick along the flowerbed that runs the length of the front of the house and another bed on the opposite side of the driveway that leads around the side of the garage.  This is an unobtrusive way to keep the lawn and flowerbeds in their respective places.

      Several years ago we built a pond in the backyard – the ultimate fun with rock.  Though the pond isn’t overly large, we used a tremendous amount and variety of rock.  Some of the smaller colored river rock was purchased; some rock was scavenged from farm fields soon to become subdivisions, and some was piled behind our neighbor’s garage for several years before I tactfully asked if they’d like me to take it off their hands.

      We searched a long time to find the perfect bench for next to the pond and finally settled on a concrete one cast to look like a slab of stone atop two piled stone legs.  The bench is extremely heavy and needed a strong level base.  About that time, the chimney needed replacing on my late father-in-law’s home and I was the lucky recipient of some of the old bricks.  Laid on a bed of gravel screenings and sand and framed by old cedar fence boards, the bricks make a lovely and meaningful setting for the bench.

      Just inside my vegetable garden gate, I’ve laid a narrow path of bricks leading to the wood-chipped paths around three raised beds.  Even when the ground is saturated, I can always get into one end of my garden to weed or harvest.

      In the utility shed I have several five-gallon buckets of various sizes of leftover rocks and in the side yard is a pile of larger rocks.  Last fall my 97 year old grandpa died, leaving about 20 bricks of various designs and colors in his garage and basement.  I don’t know what he was saving them for, but now they’re waiting for new life in my garage.  I have no plans for them yet, but I’ll think of something!

      My neighbor erected three ugly plastic storage buildings along our shared lot line, just in my line of vision from the lawn chair on my deck.  Even though the buildings aren’t straight off the deck, my eye was constantly drawn to the eyesores.  What to do? 

      Discarding the illegal and impractical alternatives, I was left with three landscaping options.  The first was to plant something tall around the deck so I couldn’t see over to the buildings.  I rejected this idea because I didn’t want to cut off the view to my own yard and pond and didn’t want the deck to feel enclosed.  Besides, as soon as I stepped off the deck, the problem would still be there.

      The second option, the one I ultimately chose, was to plant something along the lot line to screen the buildings.  I simply transplanted a medium-sized red-twig dogwood from elsewhere in the yard.  In two years, my view of the sheds was completely blocked, at least for the part of the year that the shrub has leaves.  If it was important to block the view in winter as well, I could have planted a large evergreen shrub or tree.  In fact, there is already an intentionally overgrown evergreen shrub blocking the view of the same neighbor’s garage which is adjacent to the storage sheds.

      My third option would have been to plant a specimen plant somewhere between my deck and the lot line.  A specimen plant is a plant placed conspicuously alone, usually in a prominent place, to show off its ornamental qualities.  It provides a focal point, drawing the eye and distracting it from looking further.

      Landscape plants serve many purposes other than just looking pretty.  Blocking a view is one function; providing privacy is another.  All three of the above eyesore blocking options could also provide privacy for my deck.

      Fences, of course can also provide privacy, but hedges or tall plants provide visual privacy when noise control is not necessary, although leaves and needles do absorb some noise.  Unlike fences, plants allow air to circulate.

      Some shrubs that make good privacy screens include bayberry, privet, chokecherry, oakleaf hydrangea, roses, lilacs, serviceberry, many viburnums, winterberry, cotoneaster, bridal wreath and dogwood.  For year-round privacy, some evergreens you could use are arborvitae, yews, junipers, boxwood and hollies.  If you have a little patience and privacy is needed a little higher above ground level, plant small trees like redbud, flowering crab, tree hydrangea and tree lilac.  For shorter-term privacy, there are many tall annuals and perennials.  Many of the native prairie plants grow to eight or ten feet or more.  Even container plants can be moved around to provide temporary privacy.

      Always take into account the view from inside the house as well as the outside before making changes to your landscape.  And be sure that the plants you choose are suited to the conditions in which you are placing them.