How to Landscape in Front of a Carport

Draw a diagram of the area in front of the carport to scale on grid paper. It does not need to be perfect, but it should be a good representation of your landscape in front of the carport. Add existing bushes and other objects that affect the landscape.

Calculate how much direct sunlight the garden area receives on a sunny day. Areas that receive six or more hours of direct sunlight are considered full sun. Areas that receive between four and six hours of sunlight are considered partial sun. Two to four hours of direct sunlight is considered partial shade, and less than two hours of sunlight a day is considered shade. On the diagram, mark how much sun the different areas of the garden in front of your carport receives to help you select appropriate plants for the space.

Consider how much ice and snowfall you get during the winter and if you commonly use de-icing products on the driveway or sidewalk near your carport. If you use a lot of salt in the winter, select salt-tolerant plants to grow near your carport.

Select plants with similar care needs. For example, choose plants that require moist soil conditions to grow or choose ones that need to dry out between waterings. This will make caring for the plants in that area easier.

Draw the plants or symbols of the plants on your diagram, spacing them out appropriately based on their mature width. You may want to grow tall evergreen shrubs closer to the carport and colorful perennials in front. When perennials are not in bloom, consider planting annuals in between them to add color to the garden area during those times. If you want to plant a tree, consider its mature width and height. Leave enough space between the tree and carport. Also, there should be enough space for the tree to grow vertically with no overhead lines obstructing the way.

Incorporate 3 or 4 inches of compost or another organic matter about 10 inches deep into the soil. Plant selected plants and apply 2 or 3 inches of mulch, such as shredded bark, to help suppress weeds and conserve moisture.