this post was submitted on 09 Jul 2026
33 points (97.1% liked)

Gardening

6611 readers
19 users here now

Your Ultimate Gardening Guide.

Rules

  1. Be respectful and inclusive.
  2. No harassment, hate speech, or trolling.
  3. Engage in constructive discussions.
  4. Share relevant content.
  5. Follow guidelines and moderators' instructions.
  6. Use appropriate language and tone.
  7. Report violations.
  8. Foster a continuous learning environment.

founded 3 years ago
MODERATORS
 

There's a small bed in the corner of my landscaping. It's separated from the landscaping coming down the side of the house by a stone drain for the downspout. Behind it is the back porch and it's edged by grass on two sides. I want something in the corner of the bed. Currently there are three English lavender along the curve of the two open sides with a red double knockout rose at the center of the curve. There's a catnip in the center of the bed and catmint filling in around it. The corner closest to the house has orange canna. I want something on the other corner that's out against the yard. I'd like it to be in the five to ten foot range with a spread of no more than three feet. A little taller would be better because I want it to provide some color above the lavender and rose as well as a little privacy for the porch. Along the back of the porch are orange rocket barberries so the plant would be a transition between the barberries and lavender. I'm not overly particular about the color but yellow or orange would stand out from all the purple or red would match the rose. A dwarf tree would be great there but I'm concerned about how close it would be to the concrete porch. My best idea right now is a to put a trellis there with a clematis, there's already a sturdy upright that I could connect it to. I would really like something with a longer bloom season though. It's full sun, zone 6b, with rocky clay soil.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] Keilik@lemmy.world 3 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Some of the dwarf varieties available from Mr. maple are wild (not just maples) so it could be a good option for trees, especially if you just put one in a very nice pot instead of planting it directly anyways. You can actually get trailing nasturtium to climb rather well so that could be a good option too.

There’s also some dwarf trumpet vines I’ve seen that should stay compact enough as well, but make sure you don’t plant the full size ones unless you enjoy constant pruning. I cut my (wild? It’s outlived the memory of anyone near this house at least) trumpet vine to the ground every year and they still start climbing the roof by the end of the year.

It’s probably not that terrible honestly, I just have asbestos shingles on my house so it gives me anxiety watching the vines yearning for them.

I had looked at trumpet vines but was concerned about how big it grows. I hadn't run across a dwarf variety. Summer Jazz Sunrise Gold looks really good.