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sorry I was not able to insert the pictures in the earlier post. These are the pictures of the front yard.

I think you are right to want to avoid having basically three rows or "walls" of plants. Your foundation plantings are pleasant and should be seen.

I think staying low to the ground is a good idea on the "upper" bed. The armeria (seathrift) should stay nice and low. How about adding in some creeping phlox (phlox subulata) and perhaps lambs ear (stachys) or silver mound artemisia which are both gray to play off the gray of the house. Another low grower I've become particularly fond of is callirhoe (poppy mallow). It has a great red color that will pop, but it has rather a looser growth habit.

The dwarf daylily (I'm assuming Happy Returns or Stellas) and the veronica will be a bit taller so I would put those in the bottom bed. although I'd stay with fairly low growers there as well. Use the spirea to anchor one end of the bottom bed. You can also echo some of the low growers from the top bed in the bottom bed. You can add some sedums and perhaps some RED (not pink) dianthus which can be nice companions for the daylilies.

Also, I think you will be happier with the overall look with a crisper edge. A spade will work fine.

Have fun!

Seems like there are too many horizontal stripes...lawn, bed, wall, bed, sidewalk, lawn, curb.

Unless you feel you need something blocking the view from the street, I'd turn the upper bed into lawn all the way to the wall, and have the lower bed extend from the wall to the sidewalk. Then plant that bed with an assortment of small shrubs and perennials that won't completely hide the wall.

You can get some plant recommendations at the perennials or shrubs forums or at the forum for your region of the country. (Next time you mulch, a darker natural color mulch might look better...one that will turn gray as it ages.)

What a fun gardening project! The wall is beautiful.

hi, barefootinct and treelover thank you so much for your suggestions.

I am wondering...was the wall there when you moved in or did you build that yourself? I really like stone work, including dry stacked walls, but I have to admit that I do not care much for the look of your wall. Maybe it is just me or maybe it is the picture. Just think about how much you like this wall before basing your design around it.

I like the suggestion from treelover. The lower are looks like it has just enough grass that you have to maintain it but not enough to really be useful. A green lawn on the top and a mixed shrub and flower garden on the bottom seems nice.

- Brent

The stonework wall is fine as is the foundation planting, but it's the Vegas showgirl lipstick colored mulch :-) that serves only to accentuate the look of too many horizontal lines in play in one yard... 10 of them: street, curb, grass strip, walkway, grass strip, red mulch strip, wall, red mulch strip, grass, foundation planting in red mulch.

Some things that creep and spill planted among the dots of tulips would go a long way in blending the main lawn to the wall. Besides the usual creeping junipers like 'Bar Harbor'. 'Blue Chip', 'Prince of Wales', 'Wiltonii', there are sedums like 'Dragon's Blood' or low growing stonecrops, sempervivums like hens & chicks, or there's kinnickkinnik or phlox subulata, - all manner of creeping ground covering plants; a selection of which any good garden center should carry.

I'd be tempted to work from the house outward, concentrating on the area at the top of the wall since it's something you can see looking out the windows. Then work on softening up the lines, eliminating some of the useless narrow grass strips, tier by tier.

I think you need some height in there, too. Maybe a nice ornamental tree (even a multi-stemmed.) Also, how about some pots for the entry. A color that complements the front door would be nice.

Yep, and the red mulch needs to go. It is just not natural looking.

I really like your wall. I don't like the red mulch, but I would think some of the red toned foliage plants like purpleheart would look nice with the wall and echo the color of the front door.

I'd like to see it again when you are through with it. (As if that ever happened)