Sky Pencil Holly Landscape Suggestions

gmagic911x · Sat Mar 31, 2012 11:49 am

[img]https://i41.tinypic.com/162ykm.jpg[/img]

Where the arrows are, I want to plant 5 Sky Pencil Hollies on each side of our patio/screened porch (10 total) for some privacy. As an after thought, to bring things together, I bought 6 more to put 3 at each corner of the house where the question marks are. Would 3 be too many? Maybe 1 at each corner would be enough. Any suggestions before I do the shovel work?

WildcatNurseryman · Sat Mar 31, 2012 3:12 pm

I would prefer a grouping of three, as they would have a more visual weight initially and will eventually grow into a clump that will have a more scultural feel than a single plant will provide.
Word of warning- The Sky Pencils that have been planted in Lexington for several years took a real beating winter before last. I personally lost three, and two on jobs. I also witness six die a slow death at a farm entrance, that had been planted and doing well for at least six years. I'm not sure how wet and harsh your winters are but it may be a good idea to diversify your planting a bit in case the same problems hit your holly plants that we have gone through. Losing a hand-full of plants at once would be a lot less painful than a few.

gmagic911x · Sat Mar 31, 2012 7:34 pm

I placed the 5 Sky Pencils on the left where they split the distance between the windows. Do you think it would look better if I put them as close as I can to the patio?

WildcatNurseryman · Sat Mar 31, 2012 10:02 pm

I think the way you have them is best so that you have some flexability to plant some lower growing plants between the hollies and patio, add to your patio in the future, or plant some herbs like thyme so that you could use them to cook and walk over them with-out damage. I think you have done a nice job of placing the plants.

gmagic911x · Sat Mar 31, 2012 11:28 pm

[img]https://i43.tinypic.com/148diqt.jpg[/img]

Maybe this is what it will look like some day (less pots).

gmagic911x · Thu Apr 05, 2012 7:15 pm

The finished project
[img]https://i44.tinypic.com/11ijrb7.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i43.tinypic.com/5ed3k7.jpg[/img]

WildcatNurseryman · Thu Apr 05, 2012 10:24 pm

Nice consistant plants. One strong suggestion would be to connect the plantings with a singular mulched bed for each grouping. Remove the sod and build up the area where the sod is removed with a good 60-40 topsoil/compost mix and them mulch the entire area. This will benefit the plants greatly and cut back on your maintenance tremendously. Weedeating in such a tight space would drive anyone crazy and weedeater related injury to your new plants would be very likely. By removing the sod, water and nutrients will go to your Holly plants and not the turf. Much better growth will result. The added topsoil/blend will allow better and quicker root-penetration.

gmagic911x · Mon Apr 09, 2012 5:15 pm

I followed your suggestions. Thank you!

[img]https://i42.tinypic.com/ay7iow.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i39.tinypic.com/1gadt.jpg[/img]

WildcatNurseryman · Mon Apr 09, 2012 9:17 pm

Very nice job. If you're ever in Lexington, and need some cash, I've got a job or ten for you. No kidding, you did a very nice job.

WildcatNurseryman · Mon Apr 09, 2012 9:19 pm

Meant to ask what the semi-circle brick structure in the corner is?

gmagic911x · Mon Apr 09, 2012 10:10 pm

That's a wrap around that I made to disguise the propane tank for our gas log. Natural gas was recently run in to our neighborhood, so as soon as the tank is empty, it will be hauled away. Thanks again for your critique, but landscaping is hard work that I wouldn't want to do every day.