Right side next to stairs

Right side of driveway

The photos you've provided seem more like supporting photos. What's needed is a view from front and center that shows the whole width of the lot. You might take a look at the recent thread by megs1082 and see how she stood in one spot and took overlapping photos aiming left, center and right. These were put together (by me) to make a single, wide view. When looking at megs1082's thread, the only suggestion I'd make is to stand closer to the house so that details show up better once the pictures are assembled. (For some of your pictures it looks like you're standing at the edge of street and that seems about right.) And don't use a computer program to make them into a panorama as it distorts too much.

I've tried getting some better pictures.

This post was edited by media529 on Sun, Oct 12, 14 at 12:41

Right

Left

Close left

Fuller left

Close right

In the first illustration, I would get rid of the two trees I've marked with a red X. They are too close to the house and both look as if they have the capability to become large. With the already existing street trees, the yard is in danger of being overwhelmed by dark shade. Instead, I would place a small tree, made from a large shrub (a lilac or dwarf burning bush for example) at or near where shown.

The rock wall/edge looks like stone dumped, not placed. It would be good to either rebuild this so it is tidy and thicker, or use the stone as a mowing strip, set flush into the ground as a flat, not sticking up edging. Reconfigure the bed line to sweep around the corner of the house. Presumably, the landscape bed will continue along the side of the house.

In the second illustration, I have drawn clouds in red around the lower foliage of the trees. It would be best to trim all of this off so as not to obscure the view of the house and to lift the "ceiling". A head-scraping low ceiling leans toward feeling oppressive and gloomy.

I would seriously consider removing the limb circled in blue now, due to its low position on the trunk. Considering that it's growing evermore vertical, it's going to turn into a competing trunk. It would look better to have all the major limbs emanating from within the canopy. If you don't remove it soon you will be forever stuck with it since it will turn into 1/3 or greater of the whole tree.

I'm not asking you to re-take the pictures as the central one will probably suffice. But to clarify, I was asking you to stand much closer (like at the distance in your first picture that shows the garbage can.) Then, while standing at a central position (like the red spot in the illustration, directly opposite the front door) take 3 overlapping photos aimed left, right and center. Instead of moving to different spots for each picture, you would take them all from the same location, pivoting the camera for each shot. (When you move to different locations for each picture, the pictures cannot be re-assembled into a wide view.)

The front yard is small and, more or less, shady, so you might consider removing all grass and having a low groundcover instead. If you want to keep grass, consider dividing it from the bed as shown in the illustration.

I think you should remove the plantings from the right edge of the drive.

Close right

{{!gwi}}

Close right

{{!gwi}}

Thanks for your advice! I definitely agree about the trees closer to the house. You may be able to see the stump of the Japanese cherry blossom I just had to cut down because it was so close to the house, it was laying on the roof.

The tree out by the curb is a little more difficult. I'm a little wary about cutting off the large lower branch. It's hard to tell from pictures, but that branch is already making up a very large portion of the tree and I feel that cutting it off would make the tree very lopsided. The branches coming out toward the street are all stemming from that branch.

I really like the idea of a neater wall and extending it further around the side. It's all haphazard right now. I held off on cutting down the small tree close to the house because I felt it would make it too open on that side. The large shrub would look much better and is better placed in your illustration.

Ground cover may be an option. If you don't mind, what kinds would you recommend?

Do you think that there should be any bushes around the bottom window?

Rather than me suggesting a low groundcover, observe what's growing in your area and doing well. Or consult with a local garden center. Or maybe someone from that area will make a suggestion.

With the window being so low to the ground, I wouldn't place any shrubs too close to it. In the illustration I place one shrub to the side and the rest is low groundcover. Further to the side is a taller "groundcover," like Hosta.

You are saying is that you are already stuck with the low limb that turned into a trunk and is now a substantial portion of the tree. In making the evaluation, consider whether future growth of the tree would compensate for the loss.

Thanks so much for your ideas! I really like the design you've shown.

It looks scrunched a little tight at the left side of the house @ side yard, but I didn't know how much room there really is.