Foundation Plantings

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Jacob Pearson
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In the past, most homes had unsightly foundation walls or were built on stone or blocks with the areas open under the house.

1 Foundation Plantings Figure 1. This evergreen foundation planting is formal and in scale with the home. (Photo: Shelaine Pennington) The foundation planting in today s landscaping world has evolved from its original function. In the past, most homes had unsightly foundation walls or were built on stone or blocks with the areas open under the house. A foundation planting was designed to hide the foundation walls or conceal the open areas. Contemporary homes are not built this way. Most have attractive siding or brick going all the way to the ground. Contemporary landscape foundation plantings are now viewed not so much as camouflage but as an integral part of the overall public area of the landscape design. To many homeowners, this is the most important part of the landscape because it is the first impression of their home for a passerby and contributes to the curb appeal. Foundation plantings can be part of this public entry area to your home. To be effective, they should complement the home and provide a transition between the home and its natural surroundings. Foundation plantings should not be massive or overpowering, so avoid the tendency to overplant. Plantings should frame and anchor the home to its site. It might help to think of the home as jewel in a ring. The plantings are the setting that surrounds and accents the jewel. See Figures 1 4 for examples of foundation plantings for several styles of homes. Today s foundation plantings, when thoughtfully designed, can be part of a dynamic landscape that can be used and enjoyed. Some landscape designs actually blend the foundation planting into an entry court or garden that provides seating or some other functionality (see Figure 5). As you think about how to develop an effective foundation planting for your home, keep these objectives in mind: 1. Accent the main entrance. Create an accent by using plants and architectural details that attract the eye and hold attention. It should be clear to someone approaching the home where the homeowner wants visitors to enter. Accent plants should have an interesting color, shape, or texture. Architectural details such as light fixtures,

2 door knockers, glass panels, carved doors, painted doors, and planters are frequently used to create an attractive entrance accent. See Figures 6 and 7 for good examples of accenting the entry to your home. See Figure 8 for an example of an unsuitable entry accent. 2. Avoid competing elements. Competing elements can ruin the effectiveness of the accented entrance. 3. Avoid using scattered plantings and specimen plants in the open lawn area. 4. Plant for visual balance. Study the appearance and style of your house. Imagine the entrance as a pivot point for balancing. The house may appear heavy on one side and lighter on the other. The lighter side needs more massive plants to balance the visual weight of the heavy side. See Figure Avoid the congested, overgrown look. Mature plants should be in scale with the height and width of your house. Avoid plants that obscure windows, doors, and other architectural features of the house (as in Figure 9). One-story houses and houses with tall, steep roofs can accommodate larger and taller plants. In general, the mature foundation plant should be one-third to one-half the height from the ground to the bottom of the roof. Corner plantings may be slightly taller. 6. Create unity. The basic foundation planting has greater unity if it is a continuous planting bed with a defined edge. Edging material could range from an elaborate brick edging to something as simple as a small trench dividing the bed area from the lawn. Bordering the bed could be a line of low-growing shrubs or ground covers that would contribute to the unity of the planting area and provide a visual line to direct the eye. Planting individual and separate plants in the lawn next to the house creates a choppy effect (see Figure 10). 7. Use low-maintenance techniques. Choose plants and construction materials that require the least maintenance. Plants that require constant watering, pruning, and spraying are time-consuming and expensive to maintain. Try to use improved varieties that resist insects and diseases. Native plants, which require less maintenance than some introduced plants, are a good choice. Also, mowing or trimming is easier when you use a continuous bed planting with an edge. Selecting Plants Using a combination of evergreen, deciduous, and herbaceous plants will make the planting more interesting and attractive. A traditional rule of thumb is 80 percent evergreen and the 20 percent deciduous and herbaceous. Ultimately, you should choose the plants and plant combinations that suit your individual tastes. After all, it is your home and should reflect your individuality. Plants should be well adapted to your soil and climate zone. Choose plants that will mature at the desired height and width, or be prepared to prune and maintain them so they will fit into their surroundings and be in scale with the house. Plants should have similar cultural requirements such as ph, moisture, and light. Create unity by selecting plants that complement one another in form, texture, color, or other characteristics. Avoiding Common Mistakes One common mistake is planting too close to the walls of the house. It is important that plants have adequate space and light to develop. Allow at least 3 feet between the wall and the planting. Do not put mulch against the house as it can invite pests, especially termites, into the structure. Avoid planting directly under the roof s drip line by moving plants slightly forward. Avoid planting under large roof overhangs unless supplemental irrigation is provided. Another common mistake is placing the small, new shrubs too close together. With a few years growth, the plants will fill out and form a nice foundation planting. 2

attractive planting. (Photo: Shelaine Pennington) Figure 3.

3 Figure 2. This country estate home has a mixture of evergreen, deciduous, and herbaceous perennial plants to create a balanced and attractive planting. (Photo: Shelaine Pennington) Figure 3. This is a simple but effective landscape design for this small home located in a small-town neighborhood. The asymmetrical architecture of the house is visually balanced by using the mass of large shrubs on the left side to counter the heavier weight of the gable over the porch on the right side. (Photo: Shelaine Pennington) 3

The foundation planting around this home extends out at the

4 Figure 4. A well-executed landscape frames this two-story home. (Photo: Lelia Scott Kelly) Figure 5. The foundation planting around this home extends out at the front door to create a lovely and effective entry garden. (Photo: Shelaine Pennington) 4

The light-colored monkey grass brightens the entrance and draws attention to this area, as well.

5 Figure 6. This homeowner used a beautiful stained glass door to accent the entry. The bright pink-blooming geraniums also draw the viewer s eye to the front entrance. The light-colored monkey grass brightens the entrance and draws attention to this area, as well. (Photo: Patrick Poindexter) Figure 7. An oversized door with elaborate decorative hinges draws attention to this front entrance. The beautiful urns planted with large ferns contribute to the effect and enhance the entry. (Photo: Shelaine Pennington) 5

In this example, the plants are completely out of scale with the home and should be removed and replaced with more

6 Figure 8. Choosing plants that will outgrow the scale of your home is the wrong way to draw attention to your front door. In this example, the plants are completely out of scale with the home and should be removed and replaced with more appropriately sized plants. (Photo: Lelia Scott Kelly) Figure 9. Using plants that obscure windows and doors gives an overgrown, cluttered look to the home and blocks the view from inside the house. (Photo: Lelia Scott Kelly) 6

7 Figure 10. The shrubs around the base of this home look choppy and disconnected. Maintenance also is more difficult because the homeowner will have to mow the grass around the base and between these shrubs. (Photo: Lelia Scott Kelly) 7

8 Other Extension Resources for Home Landscape Planning Home Landscape Design (Publication 2698). This 28-page booklet gives a step-by-step explanation of developing a home landscape plan. Selecting Landscape Plants (Publication 666). This publication gives an extensive listing of plants suitable for Mississippi with their characteristics, including optimum ph requirements. Selecting Landscape Shrubs: With Special Comments on Invasive and Native Plants (Publication 2651). Selecting Landscape Trees: With Special Comments on Invasive and Native Plants (Publication 2679). Ornamental Grasses for the Midsouth Landscape (Publication 2532). Other good information is listed here: A series of online Gardening through the Seasons videos is available here: These short instructional videos are designed to provide seasonal tips and techniques for the home gardener. The Home Landscape section of msucares.com features numerous ideas and tips on creating successful home landscape environments: com/lawn/landscape/index.html. Publication 2727 (POD-08-15) By Dr. Lelia Scott Kelly, Extension Professor, North Mississippi Research & Extension Center. Portions of this publication were taken from a discontinued publication, IS209 Foundation Plantings. Copyright 2016 by Mississippi State University. All rights reserved. This publication may be copied and distributed without alteration for nonprofit educational purposes provided that credit is given to the Mississippi State University Extension Service. Produced by Agricultural Communications. We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Extension Service of Mississippi State University, cooperating with U.S. Department of Agriculture. Published in furtherance of Acts of Congress, May 8 and June 30, GARY B. JACKSON, Director

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