Lots of Very Small Evergreen Low Maintenace Plants for Foundation Planting - Under 2'

[@fattyslim96]

@Jim and @Steph. It’s truly impressive to see how this channel has grown and matured. Truly appreciate y’all!

[@JimPutnam]

Thank you so much for following with it!

[@kso808]

My 1950s ranch home still has windows (original?) that are located fairly high above the ground. I have rhododendrons and nandinas, some of which are 5-feet tall or higher, for which I’m grateful. One of my rhodies is as tall as my living room bay window, so that I can observe it at eye-level from indoors. I’m going to hate the day I’ll have to prune it’s height. In front of these shrubs I have Japanese plum yews growing as a understory, and love the total look. I’d have to say my go-to low-growing shrub would be my Japanese plum yews.

[@GardeningSpirit]

"plants don't read tags"- just perfect!

[@bethheerten1132]

I am appreciating these "lists" that give me options for a couple areas I am re-landscaping after having a couple old-trees removed. My front yard looked rather naked after the old maple went down in a storm last year. Lots of empty square footage to cover now. Your suggestions are most helpful. I especially appreciate your mention of some anchor plants that rest the eye and are backbone plants letting others shine in their season.

[@HandcraftedintheFoothills]

Lol my hubby just said I spend more time with Horttube Jim than him😮😎😊

[@GardenhoesATL]

I feel this

[@SMElder-iy6fl]

You don't have to feed Jim!

[@crystalgreen4401]

😂😂😂

[@anasclayhouse]

My very favorite is fire chief arborvitae. I’m in Georgia zone 8a and I have them in full sun. They are doing fantastic. I hope they stay small, so far I’ve had them for 1.5 years and haven’t had to trim them yet.

[@rachelsgarden]

Same! I’m 8A GA as well. Love the colors on this plant.

[@fionalindberg]

I just discovered fire chiefs and they’re so pretty. Planted 3 of them recently and hoping they stay small. I’m also in GA, 7B.

[@honeybee_492]

In April I planted 5 cinnamon girl distylium in zone 8a. Hoping they survive next winter with the deer. So far so good.

[@mckohtz]

Love my native dwarf Yaupon hollies!

[@urchinsushi2041]

Canyon Creek Abelia is CRAZY beautiful with it’s glossy lime green, orange, and new pink foliage, dark stems, and super abundant flowers that the pollinators love in the summer - literally stopped me in my tracks at the nursery a couple of years ago, totally outshone all the other cultivars that I was shopping for - I have 4 now in a hedge in front of boxwoods with carex by our patio - they are gorgeous, if you don’t have one, you need to get one!! Mine are thriving in full sun, zone 7A northern virginia - despite being listed as evergreen they did lose some leaves this winter but I don’t care!!

[@JimPutnam]

Canyon Creek is one that I grew for years. Dr. Dirr introduced it and rose creek.

[@urchinsushi2041]

@@JimPutnam That’s so cool!!! I really have enjoyed your videos with Dr. Dirr - would love to see more if you get a chance 😃

[@lorrainedurgee1761]

I subscribed to your channel cause your telling us in detail what to look for in plants - all zones to choose from .

[@valerieenlow6282]

Because I have a wet area with clay soil, I planted some dwarf inkberry holly in front of our house and they are doing great!

[@juliabinford6500]

Thank you for the pruning tip. I planted several Japanese gold touch Hollie’s last summer. Now I know how to manage pruning as they grow.

[@saraschoen9818]

I have been so grateful for these videos! Bought a house a few years ago with windows about 18inches off the ground in front and super hot sun on brick. Has been stumping me 😅

[@jenniferhooks2454]

I also have cinnamon girl distylium, great plant. I love its more branching habit. I also have purple daydream and radiance abelia. I do a bit of hand pruning on them to shape them without turning them into meatballs. These are great plants!

[@jannh29]

Jennifer, love that you aren't turning all your plants into "green meatballs."

[@twinfin8571]

I also like the more natural look. I don’t like bowling ball or casket boxwoods!

[@craigsummerville8823]

Having grown up in Charlotte, NC, (zone 7B) the go-to foundation plant for a long time seemed to be Nandina. When we bought our second house here in 1992 there was nothing but boxwood hedge all along the front of the house. The windows on our 1976 house are very low to the foundation and the boxwood, while neatly kept, was 2 feet above the window sills. We tore all of it out and have been rehabbing it to our desire with lorapetalum on the corners and Green Penguin dwarf conifer, Crimson Queen, Shishigashira, and Kurenai Jishi Japanese maples in containers. Our in-ground foundation plants have been Dwarf Firepower Nandina between the windows and heather under them. These two plants require virtually no maintenance and work well beside each other.

[@juliannetaylor9989]

Thanks for all of these ideas, Jim! I've turned into a plant- acholic. I've gone down the rabbit hole of hosta, and now, hellebores😳. I've got plenty of gardening space between my house and my son's.... So keep these ideas coming, guys! Will you ever put dragon prince in the ground?

[@JimPutnam]

I have one in the ground and one in a container. The one in the container will need a bigger container next season

[@zombiefukr626]

I've been in that hole for 30 years 😂

[@libbysingscontrezzo8419]

I am in south central PA 6b, and my go-to small evergreen would be Nandina Firepower. Had one at my old house that was in the ground at least 10 years and it never got above 2 feet. I pruned it exactly one time; a stem was sticking out funny and it annoyed me. I have two at the end of my front walk here at the new house that were planted about five years ago and they're about 18-20 inches at this point. Evergreen, but never the same exact color two weeks in a row. Right now they're mostly chartreuse and orange, but in winter turn all red. Kaleidescope Abelia is also great, but but abelias tend to drop leaves here in most winters.

[@harriettpavonrosado5175]

Love the Dragon Princess

[@ashley_wimberly]

Thavk you, Jim, for another great video! You’re always right on time with pushing out your new content. 🌸🍃

[@Luvyatilyouactup]

I just planted another ScentAmazing Gardenia because I needed smaller shrubs near the window and also wanted a pleasant aroma when the window’s open. I first saw it on your channel and it’s been easy, beautiful and amazingly fragrant. I get the best tips from you 💙

[@WrenCottage302]

Thanks!

[@soniab4811]

Please make a video demonstrating the pruning technique for youpon to size control it like the picture of knot garden, that was so pretty!!

[@judymckerrow6720]

Thank you Jim and Stephany. 🌸💚🙃

[@hammer86_]

I needed this. I'm new at this planting thing. Last year I put in two flower gardens. I don't get any color until June, and until then everything is a kelly green. I have recently realized that I need some evergreen shrubs! I really like the purple and golden shrubs together. Now I just need to figure out where to put them.

[@debradawson3051]

The front of our house faces East North East, Zone 7a, clay soil, stays very moist and partial shade. We took out Ilex glabra ‘Shamrock’ as it grew too large for the foundation and became quite leggy. We replaced those with Ilex glabra ‘Gem Box’ and are pleased with the foliage all the way to the ground, the color, ease of maintenance and limited growth. These videos are so helpful; thank you for all the great ideas ❤

[@annakasikkink7489]

I have a little pancake arborvitae in a flower bed for winter structure. I ❤ its blue green color.

[@amyp8833]

We bought some of those also. The rabbits love them! They prune them for us into a hot air balloon shape, rather than a pancake. Some of their favorite pancakes haven't gotten beyond the little ball stage. We live with nature. 🥲🐇

[@judymiddleswart9350]

I love my 3 fire chief arbs I’m pushing the zone I’m in zone 9 and in filtered sun doing well in ground since last sept hoping they will survive our heat in NW fl!!!

[@loriledner6528]

Great information- thank you !!!🌳

[@johnjanine5181]

You do a great job! Thank you for sharing this information!

[@Rougebasque]

Great info. I love evergreen shrubs. Lemon lime nandina and dwarf pittosporums are my favorites.

[@JimPutnam]

Lemon Lime is a good one. I put the pittosporum in the part shade video that is coming next.

[@MsEeTe]

I love my kohouts icebreaker korean fir. It’s got curly needles and a beautiful blue-white color.

[@judymooney]

Love this series. So interesting and helpful

[@user-ps6un5jk4x]

IMO, "Bordeaux" is a huge stretch for that first shrub. Someone chose a fancy name to attract certain buyers.

[@KateMaureen14]

I'm not sure if this is on the list of videos to do already, but I'd love a video on plants native to North America and/or SE NA.

[@LULC0759]

I don’t care for Boxwoods. Yes our new build has 6’ windows that come lower front and back. I went with Little Quick Fire Hydrangeas in the front and Ruby Slipper Oakleaf in the Northside back.. I know they can get up to 3-5’ high and I want to see them peek in the window a bit. I find that charming. Zone 6

[@rachelsgarden]

So many great plants in this video! I keep my rose creek abelia on the larger size along the side of my house & love them. For low ones I’m happiest with white shi shi, raulston viburnum, & dragon prince cryptomeria. Also white salvia greggii if seen as a shrub.

[@JimPutnam]

I almost put Raulston viburnum in this one and then I forgot 🤣

[@HandcraftedintheFoothills]

Thanks. Great options here!

[@lorrainedurgee1761]

I’m in zone 4-5 so I need small bushes - please do a video on these….their hard to find in Colorado .

[@rnguyen2516]

Hi Jim, i just planted a bunch of rose creek abelias in early spring. They grow spiky. If I prune rose creek abelias in the summer, am I sacrificing their blooms? Would I risk the shrubs burning? Zone 8B Texas. Thank you for the tip about pruning them 6 inches shorter than what we want to keep them.

[@OnceUponaNJGarden]

I recently planted some Green Gem boxwoods for a low growing hedge along the path leading up to my front entrance. The tag says 2’ x 2’. Hopefully they don’t get too much bigger than that. 🤞

[@kathrynmettelka7216]

This year I bought 2 pinus ‘Sea Urchins’ and will let you know how they work out. I’m concerned about the blights that follow monoculture so I’m trying to grow things nobody else in my neighborhood grows.

[@KaitlyntheGardener]

Hey Jim! Love your content, as always. Question for you: have you created a landscape plant name map for your garden? If not, that’d be a great project to do. That way, you’ll never forget what various plants are and if you ever move, the new owners will know what everything is (which is immeasurably valuable). Or perhaps even better than a map (or perhaps worse, depending on your viewpoint) putting durable staked labels in the garden.

[@RichardGilbert2727]

Although I have lost more than a few plants in our Zone 6B winters here in SW VA, the two Zone 7 yaupons I planted four years ago are doing fine. One is in the east-facing front bed of our house, and the other is out front under a dogwood in the driveway circle. The first one gets more sun and is much larger. I'm just saying some folks might want to risk yaupons in Z6B because I've lost or had damaged actual Zone 6 rated plants but not these generic Zone 7 yaupons! And we just had a brutal winter. It makes me wonder about their zone rating.

[@judgemenot.gardener6563]

Hi Jim! Great information and timing on this one. Is the Lorapetulum evergreen in zone 7a, and also, would it be best to wait until the fall to order and put in the ground? I cannot find any at my local nurseries. Thank you for all you do!

[@pharmkid02]

Love your channel but I live in Chicago zone 5 😢

[@inspiredtosoar3526]

Where can I find pine bark soil conditioner?

[@katiekane5247]

It used to be cheap & available everywhere, getting harder to find & of course, the price has jumped.

[@jenniferj.9973]

Lowe's has pine bark mulch (purple bags) in my area

[@inspiredtosoar3526]

@@katiekane5247 would it be used for orchids? That’s all I can find where I am.

[@jcking6785]

I have found it at my local central KY Walmart, early this spring (they sold out almost immediately) then again just a month ago, different brand with some shredded pallet wood included… 😠😡🤬 First time to find it my area in about three years!

[@HandcraftedintheFoothills]

Lowes definitely has it. Any good garden center should as well but it will be a few $ more

[@mavisjones4750]

I purchased 5 radiance abelias spring of 2022 but didn't get them into the ground until fall 2022. All 5, for whatever reason, are thin in the middle (no leaves). They had gotten this way by the time I got them in the ground. I thought they would bounce back but so far they haven't. Any suggestions on 1) what might have happened to them and 2) what I can do to get them to fill back out.

[@TeachMrsH]

I had to do some significant pruning to mine (also planted in Spring 2022) a few months ago because by last fall they looked the same. The December freeze defoliated all of mine, so I heavily pruned them early this spring and got out many of the weak stems in the middle. 2 of the 3 came back and flourished and look beautiful now. I might have to give up on the other one because it got hit by a late frost right after I pruned it and it was one that I also transplanted.

[@deannahaworth7666]

Do you have any experience with the native inkberry Holly ?

[@JimPutnam]

Yes, some of the named cultivars are very good garden plants. Probably hard to keep below 4 feet or so. The actual native inkberry grows in massive colonies that no one would likely want to garden with.

[@deannahaworth7666]

@@JimPutnam thank you very much I have seen it for sale at native plant nursery and wondered about it's habit and mature size

[@RichardGilbert2727]

@@deannahaworth7666 I bought a couple species form that have stayed small because they are in a dry area. I think they like moist soil! But while my dry location may have stunted them, I can't recommend it as a strategy because they don't appear to be thriving.

[@dorindajenkins7825]

🙋

[@kat-m1656]

Tater tot arborvitae