Deejay,

I am a complete landscaping novice but I face a similar issue: how to make a 1950s ranch feel more inviting, more grounded, less stark. Here are some of my thoughts, but hopefully some of the really talented folks on this site will weigh in.

First I think you could make a fantastic front entrance garden to the right of the front door, where the path curves. You could use a small fence and go for a real "cottage" feel there since you seem to be drawn to cottage garden type shrubs/trees. I can imagine some nice roses, small ornamental tree, lilac, lavendar, phlox...y'know the feel. (And check out the Cottage Garden forum). You'd have to remove that shrub and you could probably relocate it.

Not sure how wide that strip of grass is between the walk and the house but I'd probably lose it totally...filling in with mulch, perennials and annuals.

Also, I would definetly add some evergreen. I'm not an evergreen fan, but you'll lose an winter interest and the landscape will look quite bare without any. Even rhodies will help.

I agree that the right side being out of balance. I'd probably go low and evergreen under the window and then do a nice vertical tree, either conifer or deciduous at the corner.

Some thoughts. Have fun.
Patty

Patty,

You're so right with your take on what I'm trying to achieve. You even got the age of the house right!

I love your idea about losing the strip of grass. Never thought of that. Here's another picture of that from a different angle:

{{gwi:24700}}

If we got rid of the strip of grass, (or even if we didn't) would you add something to the other side of the sidewalk?

Agree with you about the evergreens. Gotta have some. Actually, I think we could use something on the left side also...just not sure where.

Thank you so much for your ideas. You've given me some new things to think about.

By the way, did you figure out what to do with your ranch? Any pic's?

Thanks,
Dee.

I think you should do a search on this forum for "foundation planting" and read at least the two threads started by janandalan on the subject, which I'm sure will come up. Foundation planting is sort of a subset of landscape design and I don't really see that you've focussed on much other than the foundation so far, and you're doing too much there, and not really hitting the right focal points as far as I can see. It's a cute little house and it sits well on the property, and the walk frames it nicely. I don't really see any need to bury it in shrubbery. Move the focus outward to enhance the way the property and plantings frames and embraces the house, and I think you'll be a lot further ahead.

Dee,
My front yard is a work in progress. A few years ago, however, I did remove a huge yew to the right of the front door and replaced it with a small "welcome garden" (coreopsis, may night salvia, russian sage, daylillies, shasta daisies, yarrow, dead nettle, and speedwell) Right now there isn't much going on in it, except tulips about to bloom, but in a month or so, maybe I'll post a picture. Honestly, this little garden gives me more pleasure than any of my others, because I see it everyday, several times a day.

Also, we planted a katsura tree in the front yard right after 9/11. I have a lamp post with a great clematis on it, surrounded by tulips and grape hyacinth in the spring (my clematis blooms in the summer so it looks rather sad right now..the spring bulbs distract from it, I guess). Also I have two flowering trees...a good size crab apple and a Kousa dogwood. Other than that, I've largely ignored the front to the house til this spring. We are now removing three huge evergreen things that anchor the corner of the house and a little bump-out. I've also had to remove one large mountain laurel, but there are three others left. I am working out how to prune those, along with the rhodies, japanese andromeda, enkianthus and japanese holly also as part of the foundation plantings. I am playing around with curving some beds out...I've got some white azaleas, a redbud tree and a lilac to plug in somewhere...but my mind is constantly designing and redesigning. Right now I think I will add some heath too, as it is an ericaceous shrub like most of the others I have. I would love to also put a viburnum in somewhere.

Today, while thinking about this topic, I drove around my Connecticut town (a nice, fairly well-to-do suburb) to get some ideas but found most ranches really lack anything wonderful regarding landscaping. It's like those folks with victorians, colonials, capes and cute bungalows find it easier to landscape and therefore do...while ranch owners are perhaps at a loss and just throw up some boring shrubs and conceed themselves to having lack luster front yards.

Our issues, with these 1950s ranches, are many and I personally would LOVE a lengthy discussion of how to deal with them. Aside from the architecture of our houses, there is just the plain length of them to address.

Patty

I agree with Barefoot (I think). I'd remove all of the grass between the sidewalk and the front of the house and plant... well, I'm not sure what but it wouldn't be grass. At our house, we did something similar. We planted a row of small evergreen shrubs near the house and planted the rest in daylilies. Then, on the far side of the sidewalk, we planted a low-growing hedge of boxwoods. The idea was to partially hide the daylilies from the street, so that you didn't really see them until you parked your car and walked up to the front door. That way, it gave the person a pleasant surprise when walking to the front door.

For more than that, I think you should ask yourself how much weeding and maintenance you want to do. If your answer is "more", then I'd look at creating a bed in front of the sidewalk by playing off the sidwalk's outside curve. I'd extend that curve into the front yard, along the sidewalk, maybe 1' deep at the start, gradually creating a wider bed as it gets near (within 10 feet?)of the driveway. Then, I'd put a sharp right turn in the bed, taking in the lamp post, and continuing the curve until it reached the street. Think of this curve as a Nike swoosh, or a french curve. I'd move the boxwoods I mentioned in the first paragraph to the front edge of this new bed and plant daylilies on both sides of the sidewalk. I'd probably plant some sort of moderate-sized tree between the lamp post and the sidewalk, such as a nice crepe myrtle.

What do you think about removing the foundation planting and moving the "shrub line" out to the sidewalk- maybe even to the street side of the sidewalk. (might have to get rid of some shrubs; some might be moveable) You could create a little sheltered walkway to the door with a garden between the sidewalk and house. The "shrubs" need not be a dense impenetrable mass that hides the front of the house too much or blocks your view from the window. The "shrub line" need not extend all the way to the door, either. If you did this, you could get rid of that meatball yew at the corner of the house...

I like the idea of a crepe myrtle on the ride side of the house. Can you take a closer picture of the bushes on the right side to help us identify them.

I know zones 5 and 9, so I don't know how ornamental grasses do in zone 7. How much of the year are they attractive?

(Somewhat off topic, you mentioned that you would have to sandblast the white paint. I can't tell from the picture, but I'm assuming that the lower part of the house is brick. If that is the case, have you considered painting the horizontal siding above the left of the house? If it's paintable, that might be a way to add some color without a lot of work.)

Thanks to all for suggestions! I was just about to go to bed, but decided to check (for the first time today) to see if any new posts. Must admit, I was getting a bit discouraged at the lack of interest in my "ugly front yard". But now, I'm all excited again! Only problem is, it's sooo late and my brain is done for the day. Can't wait to come back tomorrow and really comprehend all of this new info. Will post a close up pic of the bushes then also.

Dee.

Upon further review, I'd change one comment I made about extending the (new) bed on the right side of the house i front of the walkway to include the lamppost. I think that is too much bed. Instead, I'd extend the bed to the driveway, approximately 10 feet wide in front of the walkway where it reaches the driveway.

To me, the bed on the left side of the house is too curvey. I'd suggest going out 15 feet, at a 45 degree angle, from the front left corner of the house and plant a nice large crepe myrtle. I'd draw a circle with a 8-10 foot radius around the crepe and make that a bed. Then I'd extend this new bed to the right, using one big curve in front of the left side of the house (taking in the existing curvey bed), connecting the bedline to the bed immediately in front of the sidewalk that I proposed in my previous posts. That would help connect the the walkway bed to the bed on the left side of the house.

I'd remove the large tree in the front yard and return the area to grass.

karinl-

Regarding your suggestion to "Move the focus outward"...I wonder if we are thinking the same area? The dirt? While that sewer line collapse was an annoyance and financial burden at the time, it may prove beneficial as it is forcing us to do something with that area. I think this could make a huge difference. What do you see in that area that would "enhance the way the property and plantings frames and embraces the house"? What do you think about building it up some in an effort to gain some privacy? Can you picture doing something with 3 small trees...redbuds maybe, with something under them...not sure what, yet.

Patty-

I, also, have driven around in search of a ranch owner who has figured out how to enhance his ranch home. So far, it doesn't exist. I imagine there would be many others interested in a discussion focused on landscaping the ranch home! There are many other "very specific" forums on this site...why not one devoted to landscaping a particular style of house? But maybe it's only us ranch owners that have this problem...Some houses do seem to lend themselves more easily to a great looking yard.

stevied-

I read your second post this morning. Your thoughts must have stayed with me while driving to work. I noticed a house that had just what you are describing...it looked GREAT! Nice idea...thanks.

annebert-

Do you think that "meatball" would survive if moved? Have had differing opinions on that. Regardless, it's gotta go. Like your idea of a "sheltered walk"...this yard needs some shelter! I need some shelter...feel like I have to change my clothes with the lights off for privacy...our bedroom and bathroom are on the front of the house.

lynne_melb-

Yes, the house is brick and we have talked about painting that siding. What color can you see with the stark white paint, though? What do you think about a light grayish sage green? I have no problem decorating the inside...some brave colors others might shy away from, but something about the outside scares me! Maybe because I haven't had an oportunity to choose exterior colors before...certainly didn't choose this white! My last house was all brick too, but not painted. Any opinions on color choices welcome!!!

Here's some more pic's of the bushes on right side of house. Recognize any of them?

This is the so called "meatball" on the end :)
{{gwi:24701}}

To the left of the meatball, are three of these
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Same...closer up
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All the way to the left...(on the right side)
{{gwi:24704}}

Same...{{gwi:24705}}

Thanks to all...you have no idea how much I appreciate you taking the time to offer your thougts!

That Snow Fountain cherry is going to get 12 to 15 feet wide. I'd move it, not only farther away from the house, but to a different area, either on the left side out closer to the road, or to the back yard. The left side bed is too wavy, you might want to think about a more gradual, sweeping curve than you have now.

The photos of the plants on the right are a bit blurry, so I'm not sure what they are. The meatball could be a Japanese Holly or Boxwood, the one to the left of it maybe a sheared Abelia? Once you've identified them, you may find that you can do some remedial pruning to reduce their size and give them a more natural shape.

I know that rules are meant to be broken, but here's what I've learned about the front, public space, in my design classes. Trees stay off the ends of the house so they don't block it visually, with the smallest nearest the road, tallest nearest the house, and none inside of imaginary lines extending from the house to the front property corners. Save the Oaks and Sugar Maples for the forest, and use smaller trees more in scale with the house and property. Choose trees whose ultimate height will not be more than 5 or 10 feet taller than the top of the roof line.

Unusual or one-of-a-kind plants are not used in the front, because they become focal points that take attention away from the house itself. The cherry is a focal point.

Accent gardens and shrub plantings can be used in the lawn to add some privacy at the sides and add interest. Use the same plant in several parts of the landscape, better if they're in groups of three or more for more impact.

Foundation plantings, if you have them, get shorter as you near the front entrance, with the tallest at the outer corners. The planting can extend out beyond the ends of the house, and rounded shapes are used to make the vertical outer ends of the house less pronounced. Plantings are in scale with the house, a ranch will look even shorter if half the height of the house is hidden by plants. They should not block the windows. If you need privacy, use blinds.

Perennials in the front plantings in masses add short term spots of color, limit annuals to a couple of containers by the door to add a bright spot.

None of these rules are written in stone, and there may be many instances where breaking them is the right solution to a design problem, but these are the basics, and may be a good place to start if you have no idea what to do.

saypoint-

THANK YOU!!!
As much as I have read lately about landscaping, nothing has been as clear and concise as this. It all makes so much more sense now. You should write a book!

Saypoint has indeed provided a marvellous summarization of foundation planting principles, and your house provided an excellent example of why most of those principles exist (no offense, I hope, as you obviously didn't do most of what is there).

But her advice contrasted with your question also captures the mental transition that is necessary for getting from mere gardening or dabbling to doing effective design, and it sounds as if you are making the transition. Being an avid plant collector myself, it has been (and still is) really hard for me to consider design without thinking about individual plant names and what plants you want to have. But what it seems to me that what design does is look at plants in terms of their attributes - mostly shape, I suppose, but many others - and the relationship between those attributes and the environment. And it sometimes creates a better environment (or setting) for the plants...

Good luck!

saypoint, I recently broke the basic rule about single trees being focal points in the front, and to avoid that.
There are four. I do see what you mean, though. We just went through the "constraint" thread or threads, and just as I was beginning to put more disparate things in the front, too. It will be much easier and more satisfying to add more small shrubs and ground covers like the ones already there.

A while back when you had just begun here, or after an absence, someone noted that "saypoint" is a good choice for your screen name.

I have also been a plant collector, and while I find that I enjoy watching individual plants grow and thrive, I found that I prefer a certain amount of order, and that it was more important to me to have the yard look pleasing as a whole, than to satisfy my urges to try new plants. I reserved an area near the veggie garden for experiments, plants from the local swap, and divisions too small to make an impact in the border. This allows me to play, and those small divisions have a chance to increase in size so that if and when they make it into the "big" garden, they will have some presence.

The principle of Unity in landscape design is very important, and one of the ways of achieving it is to repeat plants, not only by planting together in multiples, but by repeating them in other areas if possible. A visitor to your garden may not consciously remember that they saw a specific plant in the front border or near the driveway when they arrived, but the brain will notice that the same or similar plants exist in the back yard or near the patio, hopefully creating a feeling that the landscape functions as a whole.

My user name comes from where I live, rather than from any personal characteristics. :o)