Evergreen Yard

Hi Anne,

My husband and I have just built a new house in downtown Raleigh. We are now starting to tackle to front yard. As you can see from the photo, we have a lot to do still. The 2 of us just put in a front walkway with 100 year old salvaged bricks and now I am trying to figure out what to line it with. I was hoping you could suggest something evergreen, big, crazy, drought-resistant, and full sun loving. I love the idea of two giant Rosemary bushes at the bottom. I am not a fan of monkey grass much and people keep suggesting it. We are not planting grass in the front yard and were hoping for a more natural landscape.

Thanks for your input,

Lorraine

Anne’s Response:

You could try your rosemary plants for a tall spot of interest - and in keeping with the herb theme you might try a combination of thyme plants as an edging groundcover. There are several cultivars that would give you a variety of colors and plant shapes for something more interesting than mondo grass. Combinations of ornamental grasses, herbs and perennials are gaining favor as a substitute for turf grass. Fine Gardening and Horticulture magazines have had articles recently on such gardens and there are some display gardens at the perennial nursery, Niche Gardens, which is near Chapel Hill.