Shrubs, trees near house become overgrown

Where to begin with our backyard … there are so many terrible places. Should we start at the sun-baked south side, where a narrow "garden" between our house and the property line grows out of control each summer? What about the beds that begin every spring hopeful that maybe this year, someone will care enough to do something nice with them? Or maybe we should focus our attention on the patio that never gets used in spite of having a (not pictured) very lovely view of a neighbor's barn.

We have underutilized our backyard for years and would love to turn it into a livable space, but my husband and I are overwhelmed with the work it would take to transform it into something amazing. I have dreams of hosting a dinner party back there someday, but right now it is an eyesore. We need help getting it into shape and would prefer a focus on sustainable, low/no maintenance plants/grass. (We both hate yard work - can you tell?)

Design by Land Escapes Inc.

Expert: Dean Strom, landescapesinc.com

Budget: $1,000-$3,000

Strom, president of the Barrington-based landscape company, says the cost would vary depending on whether any pruning, trimming or removal of any existing shrubs and trees would be needed. "The main problem I see with the backyard is the amount of shade. The home has three large trees located in the backyard in close proximity to each other and the house. There are also several shrubs next to the house that are overgrown. This is a common problem for many homes, especially in older communities. I can't tell you how many times I hear, "My landscaping looked great until a few years ago."

Suggestions

• I always tell homeowner to look up, because that is usually where the problems starts. Every year the trees grow taller and the canopy grows wider. More and more leaves and branches mean less and less sunlight reaching the ground below. Eventually, the landscape and turf reach a point in which they start to gradually decline. The grass cannot survive with the reduction of sunlight so it starts to thin out. My recommendation in this scenario is pruning of the trees or in some cases it may be necessary to remove and replace the trees.

At this particular site, heavy pruning is needed and the homeowner should consider removing at least one of the three trees. Planting a shade grass would only have a temporary fix and would need to be reseeded every year, if no pruning is done.

• As far as the beds go, many of the overgrown shrubs should be removed or drastically cut down. Some shade tolerant plants I would recommend are azalea, rhododendrons and boxwoods. Some hydrangeas can tolerate shady areas. Also, most hostas do very well in shade and there are many contemporary varieties that are quite pleasing to the eye. Pachysandra ground cover make a great plant to cover large areas.