Can't see your photo. Can you copy and paste the url in the box below where you enter your message so we can link directly? You have to name the link or it won't work. Or you can copy and paste the "tag" right in the message body.

Here is the house in question:
{{gwi:41443}}

I can't comment on the porch question except to say that I never met a porch I didn't like. The large tree to the left (silver maple?) has to go, no question. It is leaning toward the house, and as you said, it is too big.

I removed 3 shrubs this spring. I had the same pangs of guilt you do about the maple. I am glad I yanked them out (2 Phitzer junipers, and a Wichita Blue juniper). I now have more opportunity to plant things that are more suited to the area and are more aesthetically pleasing to me. It was actually a very liberating experience for me; and I've shovel pruned several plants that have underwhelmed me, too!

We've also taken down a number of trees over the years. And the improvement has been marked. So many trees are actually giant weeds, poor shape, poorly located. I would take it down, personally. And I'd probably have the stump removed or at least ground down to below soil level. Go for it!

I sympathize with the survey and the possibility of being denied a permit for your porch. We have a low lot and a town that is notoriously "tough" about building permits... we've been struggling with garage ideas and where to site it for over a year now!

I wouldn't paint the fence... I wouldn't want the long term maintenance of it. But it's screaming for some plantings. What you plant will depend largely on what you decide to do with the maple as that determines the available sunlight and soil moisture.

I wouldn't go to the expense of adding a porch you're not going to use. Definitely get rid of the Silver Maple. Do you need to replace it with a more appropriate tree for shade? Which direction does your house face? What part of the country do you live in? You won't get any suggestions without this information, your state and USDA zone is enough info.

How tall is the fence? Do you need a solid privacy fence in the front? Do you need a fence there at all? I wouldn't scallop it, you'll only make it stand out more than it does already.

I would start with painting the foundation and steps a neutral color that blends well with the blue siding, sort of a brownish gray, the color of stone. When the maple is gone, you'll have a lot more light in the front, and you'll be able to consider some low foundation plantings.

You can't put a garden on top of blacktop, you'll have to remove it first.

You might be able to add some depth to the front of the house by creating a small "courtyard" effect in the front, maybe a low stone wall or short picket fence (either of these would probably require removing the fence out front) to enclose a small garden with a stone paver walk and wooden bench. A low hedge to enclose an area is another option, boxwood is classic, but someone on my street has used a Spirea hedge that looks good, though not evergreen.

Hi,

Sorry...I'm new here and to gardening. I've read a lot of books and, quite frankly, feel overwhelmed with decisions. I almost hired someone to do a plan for me, but money is a little tight (as the modest house may suggest).

I'm in Nashville, TN--zone 6. The front of the house faces East. I had my *lawn* soil tested and they said the Phosphorus was high (at 84) and Potassium was low (at 46). Water PH was 7.

The **front flower bed** water was PH 6.2, phosphorus was 120+ V and Potassium was 130M. I don't know what that means, really...just that they didn't recommend much for me in the way of ammending the soil. I mean, I know that some plants love acid and some don't.

The fence is funny, isn't it? It was here when I moved in. It's about knee high...maybe 18"? (I can measure if you like.) At first I hated it, most of my friends love it and have yowled at my suggestion to rip it out. It sort of blends in, I know... On the plus side, it does allow me an extra week's time to cut the lawn as nobody can see how high it's gotten. Also, while I love the kids next door, they play soccer all the time--it even goes over the back high fence...so a fence is a useful tool at this point and I think I'd like to work around it.

I would add that there's water drainage at the front of the house...so people would have to walk into the side yard to get to the door unless we built a little path over the ditch. (Ideas for making this prettier???)

Another option is, I think, to take out a section of the side fence and make it a gate...so there is a bit of a winding path to the door rather than going up the driveway and taking a right to the door.

(BTW, the trash can is in the front as I'm currently tearing down a wall!)

So the blue base is no good?

Thanks, all!

Andi, I know where you're coming from, it's overwhelming when there are so many projects you'd like to do and money is tight. How to prioritize? That's what you need to think about. First of all, I am not among the silver maple haters in the world and I don't think cutting down that tree is the emergency you might think it is. Yes, you may want to cut it down eventually, but removing a large tree like that safely is expensive. I've never had it done but I would hazard a guess that it is around 500 dollars although it may be more. You are absolutely right that you will loose the shade and that will affect your cooling costs, which I imagine in Nashville are a considerable part of your home budget. I'm not saying don't cut down the tree, but if you want to save money over time, think about the effects the tree has on the environment around your house and yard. You can grow pretty cottagey flowers in the shade.

IMHO, you've got something that doesn't work against your house immediately, which is a large tree providing shade to the front of the house and yard. Right now you can't afford a porch, so I'm sure the shade is welcome. Meanwhile, IMHO, the fence isn't very attractive and detracts from the cottage charm of your house but I can see how it might "blend in" and be functional. There's also nothing wrong, IMHO, with an ecclectic mix in a yard. But you do need some element then to tie it together, the rustic fence and the blue cottage. Just a thought, but how about colorful flowers? Blue, white, pink and yellow. A pastel pallette seems like it would be adorable. Or red white and blue. Dress up the fence with a flower bed in front of it. You've got sun out there. Add a big sun face sculpture to the fence, or hang some pots from it, make it fun. Not too much as that would be kitschy, but you can do a lot easily to dress up the fence.

Then decide if you want a porch or not. If you think you're going to sit out there and really enjoy yourself, then go for it. But if you're planning on doing it just to "dress up the house" I think the house and yard looks fine as it is. Sometimes less is more. What don't you like about it? If the tree bothers you, spend the money cutting it down and plant something nicer, like a fast growing red maple. But then plan for the loss of the shade. I don't think the present tree looks "out of proportion," I think it looks like a nice big tree shading a little house. I think there's no absolute aesthetic working against you with your house that you have to address, but perhaps others here might disagree. In other words, I think you house and lot looks GREAT! So the question is, what functions would you like to add? If you want flowers, then either cut down the tree or go for a flower bed in the front. If it were me, I'd do a front flower bed because I'm not crazy about the starkness of the fence, and I'd rather have a cool shady house. If you want it open and sunny by the house so you can grow bright colorful flowers, then go ahead and cut the tree down. I would feel a little guilty myself, but I'd compensate by planting another tree somewhere else where I would like to see a tree in my yard. So not a big problem. You can replace the tree but not the shade it provides in your lifetime. That's the real issue. If the tree is healthy as it appears, it shouldn't be a problem unless you don't like it and the service/function it provides.

Thanks so much for your detailed comments. I feel like the house isnt nearly as cute as it could/should be. Perhaps I am overly criticalsome days I feel like all I do is think and think and think about this stuffand its driving me a little batty.

I thought about doing flowers in front of the fenceand/or some compact shrubs for winter "interest" or at least softness. II have a tiny bit of phlox therebut some didnt make it and, of course, its only spring interest. Would you mind suggesting a few? Perhaps some climbing roses mixed in with some compact boxwoods and bulbs or.? My colors are pink, purple, white..with a dash of red here (and some yellow mums at fall). I think these shades go best with the pastel blue of the house. One questionthe ditch is pretty slopedand theres not that much ground by the fence thats flatis it a problem to plant into the slope?

Im not sure if you saw the back yard in the photobucket pageI have 4 more of those blue bucketsand some silver ones, too (a roadside find!) and I thought of putting them up but couldnt figure out the best display. Maybe a few nice fence caps in copper or something?

What about the houses flatness? Could/should I do a faux gable of some kind just to add a "peak" (if thats even possible)? Ormaybe just a tiny peaked covering rather than the flat aluminum thats there? I have loaded a few possibilities onto photobucket since we last "spoke." (I prefer the yellow house option, but since my door is so far left, Im not sure it would workbut if it did I could avoid the surveying and put that money into plants! And, its something I could do now. But Im trying to be smart in the long hauland wonder if a cute step/stoop covering (as in photobucket) would be as effective for curb appeal as a porch (albeit one we dont plan to use).

I thought about buying some software to attempt to draw it and see for myself. Its hard to picture in my minds eye what the different options would end up like. Think it would be worth it?

Ohand I have a nice light thats going up and a cute welcome sign to give more life to the front.

As for that tree, if I did cut it, I'd be tempted to put something pink...like a red bud tree, tulip magnolia, etc there. Cute, compact, flowering...Still, I hate to lose the environmental effect of the tree...and it seems so mean to cut it down after it's long life.

Thanks so much, everyone. Please keep your suggestions coming!

OK, I got into your album through the photo of the front, and added the link below. You've done a really nice job on the inside of the house, I can see you have a good sense of style. Colors a bit dark for such small spaces, but sometimes you have to work with what you have and go with "cozy" instead of trying to make it seem more spacious, and I think you've pulled it off.

If you mean the gold colored house with the large front porch that juts forward, no, I don't think it would look good on your house. I don't even think it looks good on their house, and it wouldn't be cheap to build, either. If you get someone to do it cheap, it will likely be a shoddy job, and won't do anything for the house.

The smaller gabled overhangs are nice, but your door is so close to the end of the front wall, that I don't think you have the space for something like that. A couple of your examples are well built, with good detailing and substantial construction, which on your tiny house would be too much, IMO. A small shed roof with pretty brackets at the sides to support it would look nice and be more in scale.

I'd make the window boxes wider, they're pretty easy to make yourself, and the store bought ones are usually too small to grow any serious plants in anyway.

The fence in front is really odd, IMO, but if you need to keep it, I'd plant a shrub border in front of it to break it up a bit. Old fashioned shrubs like Weigela, Hydrangea, Abelia, disease resistant landscape roses in clusters, maybe, with a few evergreens for winter interest. You don't need software to play with ideas, a printed copy of the picture of your house and some colored pencils or markers will work just as well.

The large tree is southeast of the house, if I'm not mistaken, and will give you some morning shade. If you want to keep the tree, have an arborist look at it to assess it's condition, and check to make sure your homeowner's insurance will cover the damage if it drops a limb on your house. Otherwise, I'd replace it with something that will not get as big, the Redbud is a nice choice. Place it where it will shade the house early in the day.

Saypoint - the photobucket address works for me if the period is left off the end when copying.

I see you just discovered that. :)

Would it be odd to keep just the side fence then...that separates me from neighbors?

I'm not sure what a shed roof is...just a flat thing?
How deep are you thinking? Without a survey I'm not supposed to come out further than the steps which seems a bit narrow for one of these...but maybe not???

I'm going to attempt to post a link to the photo bucket page where I've uploaded a local photo of what I think you mean. Is this is? I really like the blue one but maybe it's the overall cute details on the house.

BACK UP LINK:
http://s77.photobucket.com/albums/j49/andi956/?sc=1&multi=1&addtype=local&media=image

Thanks, all!!

Thanks for the link Saypoint! I agree, Andi has obviously done a good job of making the most of her little house. And I also agree that "less is more" with a little house, don't try to make it something it is not. And I can see why you might want to keep the fence, it is substantial and looks well built. So if you want to spice up your house a bit, I would take Saypoint's advice, put some nice big flowering shrubs along the fence. If it's a wet ditch, you might think swamp azalea, spicebush, grey dogwoods or redtwig dogwood, small arborvitae, joepye weed, clethera, fothergilla, Virginia sweetspire, inkberry and winterberry holly, some of the viburnums.

I highly recommend the "picture of the house and colored pencils" method of envisioning things. You can also do the same kind of thing with a digital photo using something like Microsoft Paint program. Use the drawing tool. Try it, it's fun!

Also, go to a reputable nursery (NOT a Big Box store) and they can help you pick out suitable shrubs. Saypoint's suggestions are good too, and if it's just wet in the ditch, plant the shrubs above it and they will grow alongside it.

Stop watching those landscaping shows on the Home Channel! :-)
Your house and yard are lovely. Take time to enjoy them!

If you're dying to do a big home project, how about a pergola over the back deck for shade? :-)

I just wanted to post that you should check at city hall and see if a survey on your property has been done already by previous owners. If so, it's still good and can be used for planning/approval purposes. Also, check for surveys on neighboring properties. You might get lucky.

Andi,

Off-Topic: Your furniture style is similar to mine. BTW, I love your couch. Can I ask the brand?

On-Topic: I think the major aesthetic issue with you house is that it looks like half a house because of the placement of the front door. Any landscaping or hard-scaping you do needs to address that issue, whether by de-emphasizing it or re-working it somehow. I have stared at the above photo of your house now for sometime and here's what I think:

1.) If no one typically uses the "front" door, then I would eliminate it and make it a window. Position the window to the right of the current door so that you can add shutters.

2.) If you wish to keep the door, perhaps a pitched roof over the door. Importantly, though, for balance is to make the front step wider and the entrance wider by perhaps putting a line of side lights to the right of the door. Think about putting a triangle over the door, but slightly wider than the step. Kind of like this

{{gwi:41444}}
Then you could do some nicely sized shrub to the right of the new entrance with a curved "welcome garden" directly in front of that.

I have some other thoughts for later.

Patty

The blue house is very Victorian and the porch is perfect for the style of the house. It would look silly on your house, IMO. Your house has very simple lines. Patty's little porch drawing is cute, but I don't think you have enough space to the left of the door to accomodate the overhanging roof, and the steps are so small that the posts would be in the way.

A shed roof would be pitched, but flat in the sense that your existing awning is. If you made the front steps wider, you wouldn't have to step back to open the door. It could follow the original roof line, and be suported by two substantial posts (don't make them too spindly) or triangular brackets. This would give you a more welcoming entrance, and space for a couple of pots of annuals.

{{gwi:41445}}

Lpinkmountain, spunkyma, saypoint, and barefootinct

Wow thanks so much for the cool drawings and plant suggestions. I hadnt imagined I could really plant out front of the fence except a few bulbs, perhaps. I just went out and measured and its about 12" between the fence and the slope, but its not a horrible slope. Thats exciting!!

Soforgive my "newbie" thoughts/responses/questions:

1. I dont really know the shrubs that were suggested but Ill get online and start looking. I looked a bit I really liked how the Joe Pye Weed lookedbut some of these plants get really wide. Will the fence be a problemor do I plant more towards the middle of the bed to give them room to grow back? Are you all envisioning bushes that eventually come as high as the fencemaybe with some little plants here and there in front??? I mean, Ive read about staggering heights in regular beds, but since this is a ditchwould it just be a straight line of plants? (SorryIm trying to imaginemaybe I can look things up, try to draw it, scan and repost??)

(BTW, Its not really a wet ditchits built for when theres flooding, but in 3 years Ive never seen it get much of anything to speak of. )

I will take your list and head to the local garden shop and see what theyve got/can suggest.

2. I will try the "picture of the house and colored pencils" method of envisioning things or a photo shop. Can I ask What scale do you recommend? Do you copy it on graph paper or anything?

3. What a *great* idea to check with city hall on the survey. They did the fence 3 years ago so maybe somethings there already! Crossing fingers, toes, etc!

4. I got my sofa at Sprintz in Nashville. The tag says its Home Wear. It was the smallest sofa I could find in town that I could afford. I like it, too, because in the next interior redo, I can change things outgo with bright colors, pastels, whatever. (This is not as sturdy as my last sofaa red camelback, but the kitty started to do bad things to it, so.)

5. Funny you should mention the front door. We just started using it as were converting the tiny kitchen into a larger galley kitchenwhich meant blocking off the side door! I wish we could move it, but then youd walk into the dining room. So, stay it must.

6. Patty/Barefood Can I ask what you mean when you say to put "a line of side lights to the right of the door." Side lights? And, can I ask how deep of a "welcome garden" youre thinking? What we have now is, perhaps, not deep enough. I was thinking of something in a teardrop shapewell, not exactly, but something where it curved..maybe more like a yin/yang curve. Would that cut into the yard too much? (Im gonna try painting it onor using a hose guide for a visual.)

7. I like both of the porch drawings. How on earth did you do them? Saypointhow deep are you envisioning this porch? Would I be extending out (depth) not just widening? Would any construction person know what angle to pitch the roofit wouldnt feel too claustrophobic, would it? (I mean, I guess not since youre suggesting itIve never actually been on a porch with a real one of these!) I do think I like the wider steps and could even put a cute chair or something thereHmmmOhand when you say substantial/not spindly, could you offer a dimension. One persons spindly isanothers substantial, I fear.

8. What the heck, since Im herenormally, Ive been rototilling the yard and amending the soil. Could/should I do this on a slope? Also, when you amend in later years, how do you dig it into the ground without hurting the plant roots? Do you just add it on top? I cant seem to find any book to really answer this questionthey all just say amend as if I know how to do that! And, would anyone offer tips on numbers of plants. Ive been planting in odd numbers, mostlybut dont want the plants laid out to be X y X y X yor XX y X yy X or XXX yyywhats most natural? Does that make sense?

Thanks, again, everyone. I feel inspired and hopeful! And dont I wish the garden store was open right now!!

Can you believe that I just found this Web site article called "Energy Savings With Trees," that explains how trees can and cannot save energy near a house. I was not looking for this, I was doing some research for work, honestly! Anyway, a lot is involved. Trees can cut energy costs up to 25% if properly placed. Trees on the west side of the house cut the most heat because it is the afternoon sun. East is also good. South is good in the summer, but if trees make a big branch imprint they can block warming winter sun into the house. Ideally you want trees that leaf out late and have sparse branching. Maples were judged good, and red oaks and ash and sweetgum and zelkovia. Those trees have pros and cons in other areas though. Great article, skip the techie jargon, lots of suggestions in the end. Also good to plant some evergreen shrubs on the northwest side to block winter winds.

I don't know the scale bits, I just took the photo, opened it up in Microsoft Paint and had at it with the drawing tool when I did my mock ups. Save what you like but rename it as a new file so you can change things about over and over again if you mess up!

Take the plant lists to the nursery and you can see what you like. You can also try out arrangements. And at a good place you can always take things back if you get them home and find they don't look right. Plan for a mix of looks for different seasons. Also repetition is good so that you don't have just a drib of this and drab of that for zero impact. At least this is what I learned from struggling to create a shrub border against my fence!

You know when my girlfriend makes her new beds in the yard, she just lays newspaper down to kill the grass, and then just covers it with a layer of compost soil mix and then covers it with mulch. The newspaper stops the grass from growing and it decays into soil eventually. I've helped her and been skeptical, as I am a big one for the garden shovel and "bed amending." She's done all her beds that way and they seem to do well.

Good morning,
Thanks for the info on the sofa.

A sidelight (or sidelite) is a panel of stationary windows to the side of an entry door. Usually there are two, one on either side, but it is not uncommon for there to be one side panel. If you click on the link below "System D" is what I had in mind.

BTW, I asked my dad (a builder with 50 years experience) and he said that the option of the little pitched roof in my drawing could work. It would involve expanding (replacing) the front steps so you have a wider and deeper landing. A skilled builder would know how to work this.

An entry garden is a little perennial garden right next to the front door. It spills out of the foundation plantings and connects to the walk. Here is a picture of mine:

{{gwi:41446}}

You could add a curved walk from the driveway to the front door and tuck your welcome garden between the curve of the walk and the foundation plantings.
Patty

Go to the New to Gardening forum and read the whole thing. Go to the UConn website and enter the site conditions for the area in question, and you'll get fairly detailed info on various trees and shrubs.

http://www.hort.uconn.edu:591/search.html

Do the same thing on the website of the Missouri Botanical Garden.

http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/Search.asp

Lurk on the Soil and compost forum here, forget what it's actually called, but you will learn a lot.

Plants look best in odd numbers of staggered groups, not straight lines, unless you are making a formal hedge.

I have no idea if your front steps will accomodate a roof of that type, you'll need a builder to look at it in person. Can't tell from a photo.

If you're contemplating a porch couldn't you simply move the front door to the gable end of the house for a lot less money?

chelone - I'm not sure what you mean...move it to the side?

Really what I'd like to do is find the least expensive way to give the house some curb appeal. Since the house is so "flat" and there are no gables visable from the front view, I was looking to add a gabled porch or something for depth.

What do you think?

I understand your desire to add some dimension to the house. But I'm not sure I'd be willing to pay for a porch that will be used seldom, if ever, to accomplish it. I think you have many options that you have yet to explore. :)

Yes, I would be more likely to move the "front" door to the side of the house and create a more welcoming entrance there. It would probably cost a lot less than a porch; unless, of course, you opt for a porch on a side of the house that would guaratee its use! But I don't know what the interior configuration of your home is and I don't know where other doors are located, so my immediate reaction may be all wrong for your circumstance.

Personally, I would be more apt to work on some plantings to create more privacy for your front yard, so you would be able to enjoy that space, too.

We have a box-y house, too, but it's two storey and that gives it a little more "presence". We live on a very busy road (scenic drive!) and have worked to create plantings that largely block out the road and allow us to enjoy the front yard in even the height of the "summer season". If we get approval for a garage I would dearly love to relocate the driveway entrance to further block the view of passing automobile traffic to our front yard.

With so much to consider and so many ideas, I think the main thing is for you to remain in control of deciding what you want to do, how much you want to spend, and how much work you want to do.

A good motto is "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." It sounds like you've decided, rightly I think, that the fence "ain't broke." Same, in my opinion, with the blacktop at the side of the house - I think a potted plant gallery is a perfectly reasonable thing to have along there (might invest in some really nice pots) and there is no need at all to rip up the blacktop to meet some objective, and for your needs arbitrary, design criteria.

So hold on to your own statement "Really what I'd like to do is find the least expensive way to give the house some curb appeal" as you discuss your options here, or perhaps on any other forum more concerned with house construction. I'm not about to give construction advice, but would say that a walkway to whatever door you decide to use is a good starting point for any landscape design.

I couldn't agree more with Karinl.

Focus your attention on the things that have to be done before you can institute bigger plans. I maintain that the tree is key for you. Focus on that and then see what opportunities it opens up for you.

One of the things we came to appreciate with time was how our limited finances prevented us from doing too, much too soon, with too little planning. Our lean purse actually saved us from ourselves by forcing us to look at what we wanted to do objectively. We had to reduce any project to the least common denominator. Success begins with attention to planning and detail. Remember that!

Move slowly and deliberately. You'll be glad you did.

That front door is really WIERD ... so close to the side. It looks like there should be more house to the left.

I'd put a wrap-around, ground level deck (entry front deck and deck at side) to give more weight at the side, and maybe a gazebo or arbor at the side to balance the door. Might pass permits more easily. Ig that patio shot is your house ... something similar in front.

Agree with the "get rid of blue foundation", and that maple HAS to go ... it's unsafe. If shade is an issue, trellises on the house with fast-growing annual vines are almost-instant shade.

I also agree with Karinl. Keep it simple. If you put a nice path from wherever people are most likely to park, leading to the door, you've got a good start. A common mistake when putting in paths or walks is to put them so close to the house that you can't plant anything more than a couple feet wide in the pocket that remains, so keep that in mind.

There is a lot you can do that won't cost much, but take your time planning what you want to accomplish. I don't think a porch is necessary at all, and if the awning you have functions as it's meant to, that's all you need.

Spend some time learning about the shrubs and small trees that do well in your area first.

Hey Everyone,

Thanks, again. I have more comments/questions throughout at ***** and at the end based on your latest round of discussion.

lpinkmountain Thanks for the article. I hate for that tree to go, but think that it would look betterand I could replace it w/ something else like a cute red bud tree Ive heard about that newspaper planting. It sounds too good to be true! But, heck, maybe Ill try it. The ground in Tn is so hardso much clay!

BarefootinCT. I love, love, love your house/garden.

***Do you have other photos I could look at? (Yellow is sort of my "dream" color. They always look happy to me and if I had my druthersor money, more correctlyI would redo this house.) Is there a path between the foundation plantings and this welcome garden? You said it spilled out of the foundation, but I cant quite imagine it.

Ive attempted my first Paint drawing of what Im thinkingbutis the bed by the stone path a bedor just plantings? I dont want it to look like an island in the middle of the yard.

*****Can you (or anyone) think of another thing we could do to simulate sidelights or add interest/width? Im just thinking that a new door/cutting the house wider is a bigger task than I want to take on(Im having a hard time getting hand people/builders here!!!) Some people have door frames hereand I have about 10 inches on each sidebut I guess it would look weird to only frame part of it. I mean, the purpose of the sidelight is to add more width and give the door more presence and visually shift it closer to center, right? Can you keep the door and just buy a sidelight thing?

Saypoint Thanks for those links. I have spent a lot of time looking for plants. Its the deciding that kills me. Or deciding and then not finding it. I plan to go to the nursery today and just see whats thereand see what they might get in (Its hard for me, too, to be patient because Im a teacher and once school hits my life is pretty much over. I am trying to work less, however, but you knowyouth of the nation and all thatpretty important and hard to say "no" to!)

*****You said.."A common mistake when putting in paths or walks is to put them so close to the house that you can't plant anything more than a couple feet wide in the pocket that remains, so keep that in mind."

Sorry Could you clarify? The pocket that remains? Does the drawing I attempted work in this regard?

*******For nowuntil I see plant availI am thinking of 5 or 6 shrubs that are evergreen and have structure (e.g., yew, laurel), a large holly for the corner of the house (or something else green and tall, but that doesnt need loads of light) and some little annuals. Not sure what would go between the yew/Laurel and annuals maybe something like Nandina which does well here, but Im not sure those colors of yellow/red would do well with the house and other colors. On the tiny welcome plot by the walkway, Im thinking just things like daisies and some little grasses, maybe bulbs in the winter/spring and pansies in the winter. Would it be better to have something more substantial but compact like heather or compact laurel? I prefer not to use annuals if I cantoo much work, reallybut I do like the punch of color they bring!

Chelone Thanks for the encouragement. If you look at my photobucket links, you can get a sense of things inside the house. The house is smalland if we move the door to the side, people would walk in and have to take a sharp left as theyd "hit" the dining room table. Currently, you walk in the front and have an open path by the table. (I would add that I just knocked down a kitchen wall to open the sight line when you walk in the current door. We closed off the side door to create a galley kitchen insideor we willif any construction person ever calls me back.) See the photos at:

http://s77.photobucket.com/albums/j49/andi956/

As far as using a front porch, I doubt we wouldand I dont feel the need for privacy really as we pretty much live in the large, fenced back yard. The street is nothing to look at, you see. Make sense?

Karinl- Keeping me on task, are you? LOL. Thanks.
I appreciate being reminded to slow down. Ive been thinking about all this for so long that it makes me nutsand I want to have it now.

YesI dream of some kind of flagstone pathcottagey. (When I knock down the sealed up chimney that just into the kitchen the space will be used to house the fridge which opens up space for a row of cabinets opposite.)Its likely that I could use the chimney brick for a "grilling station" in the back.)

****What color stone would be best with my house/plant colors? I tend to like the sandy colorslight brownsmaybe with some gray, but all gray feels a bit cold to me. Yet, maybe thats better?

Lazygardens Well, it looks weird on my house, but is common in my neighborhood. For some houses it looks ok, cute even. I just cant figure out why mine doesnt seem so cute. Hopefully the landscaping will help. And we may build a mud room or something onto the left side of the houseone daybut its low priority, mostly due to money and because we need a bath on the *other* side of the house first. (In fact, its possible well move!)

OK would you all indulge me in a few more thoughts:

1. We are now feeling like the tree will goand perhaps, in its place, well plant a red bud tree.

2. I am thinking of the best path to the front door. Many people park in front of the house, some park in the driveway. I had put this little bed by the side fence because the concrete/blacktop there was so patchyand its not a dream, obviously. Maybe next year I can add lots of flowers (e.g., daisies, purple cone flowersomething that can stand being next to the blacktop but its tricky because then it will grow into the driveway In fact, I wish the fence line were set in a bit more!).

Now Im thinking that it might make sense to take off one the far left section of the fence to widen that space so you dont have to zig zag around it to get to the steps.
Maybe Id hang a bucket of flowers right thereor something to designate the entrance.

3. Can folks recommend colors for house trim and why certain colors would "work" or not. The blue is sort of happy to me, reallybut is bright, I admit. I thought about something that would match the siding, but I hate the house color, soo

4. Out by the fence in frontIm not sure how I would mulch on the slight slopemaybe try those plastic edging things that hammer into the ground to keep the mulch in its place?

5. Final votes on porch shape? A small gable or a flat but wider porchand why?

Gonna try to add a link, but here's the photobucket page in case
http://s77.photobucket.com/albums/j49/andi956/

Thanks, everyone!

Well, I hope I don't get plants thrown at me, I'm new and learning, but the one thing I do know is color.
My background is a BA in Fine Arts as a painter. One of the cheapest ways to give curb appeal is paint. Paint the door forest green, match the shutters with the same color and go a shade different for the overhang above the porch using the darker shade on the door. Loose the blue foundation, pick a sandy color. I used forest green as an example, but many greens, some reds and black would also work depending on your taste. It is cheap, in comparison to reworking a porch and gives you some "living time" to see if you might just eliminate the door and go to all windows with boxes. Get a couple of tall thin plants for the stoop and maybe decorative brackets for the awning (can't see real well if this is plausible). Although this is cheaper, buy the best paint you can afford, it will be worth it when it comes to maintance. As an aside you can paint aluminum with the proper prep.
Can you tell, we deal with the priorities of projects all the time and what will get the money!
Kudos on the interior! We take our plaster out in brown bags, fill it up and toss in dumpster- much easier to haul that way. Love the curve in the back deck- wow.
Heather

My comment about not putting a path where it will leave too small a planting area may not apply to you, if your plan is only for a path from the front steps to the driveway. In cases where the path passes close to the wall of the house, it is a very common mistake to leave 3 or 4 feet of soil between the walk and the house. You end up with a difficult spot to plant, as most shrubs will be too wide, and you need to leave a little space between the shrubs and the siding, so you'd be very limited in what you could plant.

If you aren't going past the wall of the house, it doesn't apply here, I just offered it as general information.

If you're planning on planting the shrubs you mention in the area directly in front of the house, be careful to consider their mature size when you decide where to put them. Also, because the house is small, tall shrubs near it will make it seem even smaller, so consider the height of the plants you choose.

Andi, thanks re. my house, but you are only seeing a small section. It's very much a work in progress! Today I have to reglaze some windows...geez.

Yes, you can certainly purchase stand-alone sidelights.

Re. the roof shape: I think you should get a good builder/carpenter out to your home and ask his/her opinion about if it will work, how to make it work, cost, and so forth. You can say, "here are my two ideas, what do you think"

A "welcome garden" spills out of the foundation planting in that the planting area, or bed, gets wider just near the front door and extends to the walk. I've included a small pic but somehow it's a very small pic...can't seem to make it bigger...with the general idea.

{{gwi:41447}}

I absolutely agree with Saypoint to keep plantings right near the house in proportion with the size of your home.

Thanks for the info on the couch...I'll definitely check it out.
Patty

Hey Patty,

Beat ya to it--went to Lowe's yesterday and found a sidelight that I liked (and also a transom light...). Just plain glass.
I will have to do more research on welcome gardens...sadly, I can't see your photo. I will keep the plants in proportion...I would trim the yew, etc...as needed. I'll see what's at the garden center and email back...but yes...smaller ones. Sorry if I didn't communicate that well. I would think I'd want something that gets just a few feet high or that can be trimmed. I have some Peris Japonica on the side and love it. I just think I want something a little more dense. Happy Tuesday, all.

Hey ya'll,

We've done a ton of work on the house including adding this garden path and welcome sign. There are new shutters on the sides and cut glass lamps on the door, but I don't have a photos yet.

You can see some of the "befores" by looking at the "viewall."

Still tons to do but it'll have to wait until summer as it's officially back-to-school!

Thanks, everyone!
http://s77.photobucket.com/albums/j49/andi956/

Andi, I found a book last week that reminded me of your problem with trying to put a garden where you currently have blacktop beside your house. It is called "Gardening on pavement, tables, and hard surfaces," by George Schenk. He asserts you don't need a jackhammer, and proves it with pictures!

Very nice new sidewalk, by the way. I really like the placement and the look.

KarinL

About the tree... you could take off the big leader that hangs toward the house. (If you cleaned up the branches, probabally realitivaly inexpensive to get a tree guy to come make the cut. Get a free estimate.) Plant a climbing hydrangea to grow up into the tree if its too naked too low.

Hey, Thanks you two! I'll look for the book.

School started in Aug so I have been MIA...drowning in work about 80 hours a week. Am going to try to do *something* in Dec but maybe indoor work.

Am thinking, possibly, about moving the door to the right...maybe a foot or so. Am trying to think through this a bit...if that would be enough space to give the door a more central feel and if it would allow us a peaked roof of some kind. Still need to talk it over on this end.

And, of course, still have landscaping to do. (I was a fool to think I could do it in the fall during school.)

Anyway, thanks. Will keep ya posted!

Andi - Check out the Cottage Gardens forum and also do a search there for "lasagna". There are a lot of postings for lasagna gardening which give good instructions. Some sound complicated, but it's really very simple and saves a lot of backbreaking work. I did it last fall and had wonderful results this spring. You do NOT have to dig it up. Good luck!

Carol