Create Space. Leave at least two feet of space between your foundation and the planting area.
You should always leave a foot of open space around the foundation to prevent moisture build up that can lead to mold and damaging dampness (and to avoid giving insects like carpenter ants and termites direct access to your home). Distance is good for the health of the house—and the plants.
Don't: Plant shrubs too close to the house.
Moisture deteriorates exterior cladding – The single biggest issue with regards to shrubbery growing near or on the structure is moisture, which will accelerate deterioration of practically any type of exterior cladding.
Laying gravel around the house as a foundation landscaping material helps ensure your foundation stays protected from outside elements. Along with its protective nature, gravel landscaping ideas and gravel provides a natural look that can be spruced up to fit your overall landscaping style and rock landscaping ideas.
Plant small growing shrubs at least 24 inches from the foundation wall. Smaller understory trees should be planted no less that 3 to 4 feet from the anchoring corners. Add spice along side your foundation plantings. Once you've planted your basic foundation plantings, add some color or spice to the area.
E.g.: Small shrubs should be planted at least 2 feet from a house foundation, medium shrubs about 3 feet, and tall shrubs 4 to 5 feet away. An 8-foot shrub should be spaced about 7 feet away from a 6-foot shrub.
Best Ground Cover Next To Foundation
Be sure to mulch on every side of your house using mulch or natural wood chips to enrich the soil. If you want foundation plants, consider an open flower bed with vining plants like sweet woodruff, periwinkle, creeping juniper, ivy, and liriope.
Rain gardens act like a sponge to absorb excess water that pools near the home, preventing it from seeping into the foundation. Plant a rain garden in a natural depression or dig a shallow depression at least 10 feet from the foundation.
Large shrubs and small trees like Viburnum, Dogwood and Stewartia go a minimum of 6′ from the edge of the house and preferably 8′.
Failing the placement on the boundary line, the closest that the bushes can be planted is between 8–9 feet away. This distance is larger than the requirement when planting trees on property line because the bushes can easily expand in both directions, encroaching onto the neighbor's property if care isn't taken.
To fix or improve the grading, you can add soil next to the foundation and slope away from the house, however, you should have at least four inches of your foundation (concrete, block, or stone) showing above the soil. The soil and vegetation should not be in contact with the siding or any wood.
A rough grade should have a minimum of 6-inches within the first 10 feet from your foundation. This is good enough to create a slope that allows water to drain away from your home.
Yes, you should be landscaping around your house foundation. Proper grading and yard maintenance can prevent water from draining toward your foundation, leading to hydrostatic pressure, bowing walls, leaks, and structural cracks. Excess water in your soil can lead to so many problems.
To solve patio problems like this, a landscaper will remove pavers and add new soil and pea gravel. As a result, water will run away from your foundation, and water pooling problems will disappear. In many basement water situations, a professional is the only person who can properly diagnose the problem.
Also, when using mulch for landscaping, ensure that you leave some space that's about six inches away from the house. This space creates a barrier that will make it harder for these pests cross over and invade your house easily.
Experts recommend not laying it any thicker than 3 inches. This depth will make it easier to put out if it does catch on fire. You can also leave a space of at least 18 inches between where you lay the mulch and the foundation of your home.
Loam – Loam is the ideal soil type: typically it's a combination of sand, silt and clay. It is dark in color and soft, dry and crumbly to the touch. Loam is great for supporting foundations because of its evenly balanced properties, especially how it maintains water at a balanced rate.
Type A. Type A soil can be anything from clay or silty clay, to sandy clay. Next to solid rock, Type A soil is considered ideal for most construction projects, including homes and small businesses. Most structures built on Type A soil will not be damaged by movement or expansion in the soil.
When adding soil, start by removing a few inches of topsoil. Then spread a layer of new soil, use a rake to smooth it out and create a gentle slope, and tamp it down using a hand tamper. Keep in mind that you want four to six inches of exposed foundation above the soil to prevent flooding.
Foundation shrubs are those that you plant near the base of your house to soften the hard edges of the building and screen the sometimes-ugly concrete block or other building materials from view.
You can put a garden against your house. You need to ensure that your garden grade is correct, that the soil is healthy, and that an effective drainage system has been implemented. The right type of plants needs to be selected, and most importantly, the foundation needs to be protected from moisture.