How to dress up front of home ?

Discussion in 'Landscaping' started by hillsguy, 22nd Oct, 2018.

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  1. hillsguy

    hillsguy Well-Known Member

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    Hi all, looking for some low maintenance plants to cover up fairly ugly front yard in my PPOR.

    Something ideally that does not grow high but would cover the ground and enhance curb appeal.

    Again not looking for a full time gardening job on the weekends !

    Any input / ideas much appreciated.
     

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  2. Propertunity

    Propertunity Well-Known Member

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    I'd plant some Australian native - westringia. It's drought tolerant once established and covers areas like you have there, very well. It also has small flowers. Here's one I've got growing in a dry, hot location in summer and wet, cold in winter, at home.
     

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  3. Lizzie

    Lizzie Well-Known Member

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    Giant Kangaroo Paws, Grevillias, Rosemary ...
     
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  4. JacM

    JacM VIC Buyer's Agent - Melbourne, Geelong, Ballarat Business Member

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    I love that there's a kookaburra sitting on the retaining wall judging the situation too :p
     
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  5. JacM

    JacM VIC Buyer's Agent - Melbourne, Geelong, Ballarat Business Member

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    Aussie Rambler (Carpobrotus glaucescens CAR10) is a succulent type of plant with mass displays of pink flowers. I've seen it used quite a bit on council land, gardens and naturestrips and it looks great! pic1.JPG pic2.JPG
     
  6. wylie

    wylie Moderator Staff Member

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    Do you want a low green look (choose a nice ground cover that needs no care) or do you want something like shrubs? What will a taller shrub hide looking in and looking out?

    One will become a lush but low green lawn alternative and the other will become a feature.

    It’s hard to judge without seeing the whole facade. Do you want to look “at” something in that area? Do you want to look “at” something from the rooms inside or will shrubs get in the way of a view?
     
  7. geoffw

    geoffw Moderator Staff Member

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    This is one of a number of varieties of pigface - other varieties have different colours, but all are strong colours. This would go well on the space you have pictured. This variety has much larger leaves than many of them. It is very hardy. It will grow well, extending itself over a space, but easy to trim back. It's an Australian native.
    Carpobrotus glaucescens - Growing Native Plants

    However, according to this article, pigface grows well with goats-foot. As the article was written by an intern, I'm not sure that they weren't taking the mickey.

    The smaller leaf one may be Mesembryanthemum crystallinum, I'm not sure of the relationship between the two. This is the variety you would find at Bunnings
     
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  8. bob shovel

    bob shovel Well-Known Member

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    Do not pay money for pig face. I just ripped out a heap of it from father in laws garden and chuck it in. 75% took off without green thumbs. Great low maintenance option

    Get a gurney onto the sandstone wall and freshen it up. Then natives per above
     
  9. geoffw

    geoffw Moderator Staff Member

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    If you don't have an obliging father-in-law, you can sometimes find it free or cheap on gumtree or Facebook marketplace.
     
  10. The Y-man

    The Y-man Moderator Staff Member

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  11. Lizzie

    Lizzie Well-Known Member

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    Or take a pinch from someone's front garden
     
  12. geoffw

    geoffw Moderator Staff Member

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    Forget gardens. There are coastal areas with acres of the stuff. It's great for binding sand dunes.

    You might have to do it in the night though.

    You will need more than a pinch however.
     
  13. gman65

    gman65 Well-Known Member

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    If you like the shrubby look, grevilleas are ok too, low maintenance.

    Get the jet blaster on the sandstone? wall as well, will look a 100x better.
     
  14. geoffw

    geoffw Moderator Staff Member

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    I've got a lot of dirt as a result of my landscaping activities - many many barrowloads. It's unobtrusive where it is, but I'd like to stabilise it. I don't have a father in law or a neighbour who can help me out - I bought a whole heap of cuttings from Facebook marketplace. Forty of them, 20 to 30cm, for $30.

    I've had cuttings before, in poor soil - although not this sort of quantity - and they've struck well, despite initially looking like dying.
     
  15. magpieseason

    magpieseason Well-Known Member

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    First thing i noticed the walls dont match . If it was my property and i had lots of money id sandstone face the top wall, if i had no money id find a wall climber to cover it.
     
  16. Angel

    Angel Well-Known Member

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    Gazanias are long-lasting low-spreading desert flowering supposedly unkillable plants. I'll let you know after Christmas if I can kill the ones I planted yesterday on one of my embankments. Councils plant them on traffic islands.