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Just my 2 cents/first impression - the pots are too big, and how about just one (smaller) pot. Personally I don't like even numbers. I'd be inclined to put it to the left side/porch. Which would also tie in with your bench area. Brick holds a lot of heat - you'd need to plant something that can take the heat and the sun.

Love your house.

Meant I would put a pot near the edge of the porch/left side versus next to the door.
Maybe that is what I don't like about the pots - that they are right next to the door on each side.

I like the urn idea, but I also like your pots. I would paint them black and move them to the outer edge of the porch rather than right next to the house. Have you tried geraniums in heat? No wait forget that make it pampas grass that would be magnificent.

Just to address the wind tunnel problem, (if I 'm overstepping please forgive and ignore) what about a med. height hedge. I'm thinking start it against the house b/w the door and teh window and continue it curvy along side your mulched border stopping when you get to the wider part of the garden.

This would also provide some shade.

I'm not quite sure what a ram's head is but I'm thinking it's something above door? If so, I agree.

Beautiful house by the way.

Remember me when you find that money tree :-)

Print a nice big picture of your house.
Find pictures of stuff like pots, arbors, shrubs, trees etc on the net. Google images is a great place.
Print them in the correct size. Cut them out and place them on the picture of your house.
When your happy with the look head down to you local nursery with credit card in hand and go nuts.:)

Looks to me like you already have some nice bushes in place. They just need time to fill out. In the mean time, you could get a couple of nice urns and fill them with tough-as-nails annuals like petunias and annual geraniums and tons of other sun loving plants. You can buy water pellets at your local garden center. They hold lots of water and reduce the amount of time you need to babysit your urns.

On the lower right hand corner of the house, I would think about putting in a trellis for a nice climber. Any climatis would do well in your climate, but a climbing rose would be formal enough to compiment the traditional style of your home (whatever your tastes are, obviously:). That way you have some interest in that corner without inhibiting the growth of your conifers there.

Since all of your bushes are so new, think about getting a vertical structure to compliment the height of your gorgeous home. An arbor, a fountain or a nice statue would work. Maybe even a tree in a pot that you can bring inside during the winter like a nice hybiscus tree. A less exspensive route would be a hanging basket on a shepherd's hook. I could see that near your bench or your front door.

Hope this helps. Nice house.

You can find beautiful sedums of almost any shape and color that will take a real beating from sun and heat and still look great. I like the idea of a hanging pot, and many sedums have trailing habits that would work fine for that; then there are tall upright varieties that would work well in an urn.

"Adam's Needle" or yucca is another selection that is tough as nails and has gorgeous tall stalks of scented white flowers.

You do NOT want to paint those pots black. Black retains heat. But rather than the beige, a bright white might look good and brighten things up. But I think mainly what your porch needs is many different textures of vegetation that can take that environment, to soften the straight lines and provide dimension. Check out the Xeriscaping forum, I bet they'll be able to recommend plants that can take the dry heat and look great.

Kristin

Do any of these inspire you?

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Great stuff Homemaker
Photo Garden Designer is cool.
I have a whole bunch of landscaping software but have no use for them.

Wow! Lovely Home!!! Looks like you are on the right track, home improvement is sooo much fun!!!

I was going to suggest something over and around the door like the last picture,so that the front door looks recessed.But not posts or anything out to the front edge of the porch.I don't really like the pointed thing over the top though.Maybe leave that off.I saw on one of the HGTV makeover shows where they did that to a front door and it made a world of difference.I like the urns sitting off the porch and the landscaping in the first picture.I think the plants in the other two are too tall and take away from the porch and door.I would also paint the door and the white side window frames a pretty color.Maybe an eggplant or burgundy or maybe even a pretty green??? Make it pop! You have a beautiful home........Lillie

Forgive a stranger butting in...

Your house is charming. The wind and sun are problematic, especially with a black-painted door. Got to lighten up that door right away, as you plan to. Blue will be very pretty! I would invest $70 or so and get a 6- or 7-foot tall Japanese maple on sale and plant it just off the southwest corner of the porch. Better yet, ask on your local freecycle if anyone has some redbud saplings they can part with -- we all have redbud volunteers.

Pots, no pots, that will all work out -- you've got to solve the wind/sun problem before anything else. Best of luck and enjoy!

-- Zinniachick

Which direction does your house face? If the sun comes from the right (in your photo) you could plant a shading shrub to the right of the porch. There is something about the symmetry of your home that suggests a seating area, or birdbath or waterfeature would look charming on the left side under the small tree. The right side with the drop off would be perfectly OK left as is and not look off balance. Or you could plant the right side with small airy light trees like japanese maples to provide some wind break. Heavier plantings on the right will give your home a more confined look. That isnt bad if you want it to look solid and substantial. Redbuds would be pretty on the far right in the drop off, but you will be watering them for years to keep them alive in the sun until they establish.

It would be nice to get some color near the porch. I like the idea of something tall in the pots - like ornamental grass, and something low and colorful near the pots. Perhaps small colorful collection of pots on the front edge of the porch filled with trailing colorful annuals or geraniums, which of course you will be watering every day in summer to keep alive.

A windbreak solution I am considering for my back porch is to put a trellis, or woven screen on each side of the porch. They could be supported by a simple arbor frame of a vertical post on the right and left front corners of the porch, a cross piece on top connecting them like an arbor, and some simple framing going from the front, to the wall of the house to support them. A roof isnt needed, but abviously makes the whole thing easier to put up. You wouldnt change the front appearance of the house much, but you would have an enclosed feeling when standing on the porch. White painted wood framing with white wood trellis or black wrought iron trellis would be compatible with your home.

Your house is really nice. The good thing about sun are the brilliant flowers you can show off, once you get the whole thing set up right. Shade just doesnt produce the cheerful colors like sun.

Paint the front door!!! You need color!

I love your home. I like the idea of the pots flanking the door. I agree I would change the color because they are highlighting the cement step rather than the brick, the windows, or the shutters. I feel like you need to anchor it, though, with topiary or small angular spruce trees. I would angle the park bench toward the front of the house rather than the driveway. It brings your attention to the garage. I would choose plants that complement the color of the brick rather than compete with it. I see more of a formal gardening style with this house rather than a cottage feel, so I would keep my plant material consistent and organized. I would also plant a tree on the right side to soften the corner. Although the wreath is nice, it does give enough color. I would choose something with a punch of color to bring your eye to the door. It would be nice to see some numbers on a tiled entry plate and a brass kick plate. And perhaps it is my New England roots, but it would be great to see some kind of moulding over the front door. The pediment is beautiful, but it blends with the windows. Y

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:629}}