I have a small front porch (5 ft. by 5 ft.) with to huge bay windows on either side of the entryway. I need a recommendation of what to plant near the house the will soften the look of the the huge square windows and nicely frame my front door. I prefer something that will not block my address that is embedded in the brick about 8 ft. up from the ground. I do not want something that needs trimmed every two months, but I don't mind trimming something twice a year. The soil is loam, and it drains well. It needs to be something that has medium to low watering needs, because I tend to get neglectful with plants. Any recommendations or information you could provide would be much appreciated. Thank you!
Try a variety of nandina. I have two varieties in my yard that I LOVE. I never have to trim them and never have to worry about how much water they are getting. Their colors are stunning - bright red in the winter, bright green in the summer. There are a number of varieties that grow to various heights and widths, so ask your local plant expert (like Calloways) for advice.
Take a photo of the area to your local Calloway's. They are great!
Try these websites www.txsmartscape.com and click on the star for North Texas and www.aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu. A dwarf Abelia might work nice. I recently planted some. They are evergreen, only reach a height of 3ft., flower with little white/pink flowers and seem to handle the heat fine. Also possibly a dwarf indian hawthorne they flower in the spring, are evergreen, and keep a mounded shape nicely. Maybe think about putting a dwarf grass (Liriope) or some annuals (begonias full sun, impatients for shade) in front of the shrubs too.
