Case in point: these five honeysuckles are planted about three feet apart - one row of three, and one row of two in front of the row of three on the east side of our house. They were moved there from the back yard according to the landscapers plan. This was done more than thirteen years ago, and they're a bit large to move to a better spot now.
My husband was pretty skeptical after this severe pruning. But I know honeysuckles are tough shrubs. Part of me was hoping they'd just die. There are so many more suitable pretties I can envision growing here. But I knew that wouldn't happen.
This shot was taken about six weeks after the honeysuckles were cut down to stubs. They may not bloom next spring, but I'm confident they'll look much better. Now we just have to remember to keep them trimmed. There are many beautiful low-growing, low-maintenance plants and shrubs more appropriate for foundation planting. Why, oh why are most landscapes of a certain vintage planted with shrubs whose mature sizes are completely out-of-scale and inappropriately tall at their natural height for planting along foundations, especially in front of windows, as these are? For that matter, why are even new homes still so often being landscaped with yews and other inappropriately-tall shrubs? I don't know if it was the previous owners' idea to put these here, or if the landscapers came up with the brilliant idea.
Besides ugly yews and junipers, what kind of crazy landscaping did you inherit? Trees too close the house? shrubs the size of honeysuckles growing past your second floor windows? Don't you wonder what they were thinking? or if they were thinking? Did you take it out, or do you just deal with it? Oh, and let's not even talk about the ivy. or the burning bush hedge. or the front foundation plantings. Those are whole other posts.
