I think that a water wall would be cool on your future front porch/deck/stoop. It may be the water feature on the wall you are looking for. Nice sound, looks good and doesn't take up much space.

I'm still stumped on the shade part. I love our pergola, but isn't the evergreen tree which is still alive going to fit that bill? It looks like it'd flourish with nothing blocking it's growth. Unless you just wanted to yank it for a porch. So a new porch with shade and water? Try a portico. Of course, this is a reverse of what yours would be. Yank all the plants and start from scratch. Why not, it's not ideal anyhow.

{{gwi:2101556}}

Here is a link that might be useful: Portico at the botttom

I like the idea of doing over the whole area. From the looks of the house you live in a very nice area and need to keep in mind "blending" with the existing stucture. Perhaps it would be wise to have an architecht give you a drawing........yes you have to pay for it, but it would give you a good idea of what direction you want to go in.

That's just a beautiful home, Michelle. How is the available light in the room directly behind the poor tree? Do you want it brighter, or do you like it like it is? That would be the first thing I'd consider, unless it's a seldom used room. If you like the effect of looking through leaves, and the shaded room isn't an issue, then a vine covered pergola would be a useful and pretty addition to that space, since you could set chairs under it, and enjoy it in summer, and then get more sunshine when the leaves fall in winter.

If you would like more light in that room, then there are any number of more delicate trees perfect for that situation, a little more long-lived and slower growing than a redbud.

I honestly think that the present tree is ill situated, from a landscaper's point of view. It's much too close to the structure and actually not balanced as to perspective. I would have installed a larger growing tree, right about where the lamp post is now.

That being said, I still would have enjoyed at the one you have. Peeked at birds through it, watched it bloomed, and miss it when it's gone. LOL. But it really hides the architectural details of your front entrance.

I wouldn't hire an architect, I'd hire a landscape designer. Just to get a prospective plan on paper is very economical.

BTW, twenty years on a redbud is about average.

Thanks for the feedback.

We've met with two landscape designers in the past week, both have heard our wants/needs, and both will be drawing up proposals for us to review when we get back from Bulgaria towards the end of the month.

Calliope, the room on the lower level behind the tree is the dining room. I don't mind a lack of light in it, because we only really use it after dark anyway.

Rob, that arborvitae (and it's symmetrical partner not pictured but at the end of the lilac hedge near the driveway) are probably coming out. Both have multiple trunks, and when it snows, their ice- and snow-laden branches are nearly touching the ground. They're a bit overgrown, and if we don't remove them as part of this project, they're going to look awful when they crack and split on their own.

Weebus, I really am leaning towards either a water wall, a wall fountain, or something sculptural on the far left of the landing. I want a water feature, but don't want to take up "living space." One of the landscapers even suggested making the knee wall we want to surround most of the patio into an elevated, recirculating water trough. Interesting.

Linda, you're right about our need to do it right. The houses in our area aren't all "matchy-matchy" but there is a pretty cohesive look. I made a list of other patios I liked and why to share with the landscapers. I don't want them to copy them per se, but repeating certain elements in a neo-colonial way would be nice. I think we're shying away from pergolas altogether. Partly because we're having a hard time imaging how it would complement the architecture... and partly because Steve freaked out that I wanted to plant Wisteria!

I really am looking forward to opening up the front of our house. It's like getting a hair cut and getting rid of unruly bangs that cover one's eyes. I'll be able to soften everything with container plants and some built-in planting trenches, but it won't look overgrown to the point of being haunted anymore.

Snow splitting trunks. Now there's something about which I need not worry, and so, I didn't think about it at all! :) If you build a porch (under the pergola, portico, etc.) you won't have to hurt your tootsies. Be sure to show us the plan when you return. I would say have a good trip in Bulgarian tongue, but I don't even know what they speak there! More than that, I'd love to know what you ate while there. Tell us all in your appealing way.

They speak Bulgarian. :o) It looks and sounds a lot like Russian to me, but I know better than to say that to a Bulgarian!

We're going with a couple good Bulgarian friends, so I'm going to get some kitchen time with one of their moms to learn how to make baklava (with walnuts from the tree at their country house) and moussaka... We'll mostly be in a friend's apartment in Sophia, but we're also planning a side trip to the Black Sea. (Russian tanks can't go underwater, can they?)

I've become somewhat familiar with Bulgarian food... lots of lamb and pork, roasted peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, and cucumbers... distinctive feta cheese (nuttier and saltier than the Greek variety)... Very interesting spices, most notably "chubritsa" (summer savory), which is often blended with salt and other herbs and sprinkled liberally on everything. Ya want I should bring you some back?

I once made the (serious!) mistake of calling it "Greek yoghurt" when referring to a recipe and I got a fifteen minute lecture on it being Bulgarian yoghurt (look at the ingredient list: active culture = lactobacillus bulgaricus).

They have their own bacteria?! I'm amazed. Sure, bring it all back, swing by on your way into Madison. K? Safe trip g'friend!

Nice looking house. Very nice looking! And having said that, I think that tree being there was a mistake. I am sure it was beautiful and you will miss it, but, it made that part of the house look unimportant.

I would take out the tree and the arborvitae before I developed any definite plans. Once the area is cleared, you may see the exactly perfect solution.

Just looking at that blank side of the garage, I think about a trellis of something evergreen. (NOT WISTERIA. I am with your hubby on that) Or a big wrought iron thingie piece of art work up against the brick....Maybe worked in with a water feature????

I really envy you the trip to Bulgaria. It's a country one does not really hear that much about. Very mysterious, very Eastern, yet Western, very ancient. Gosh, the history. I'm gonna have to google it and learn more about it.

just a few quick thoughts....

do not get talked into paver seconds, color on top only, they are cheaper but one little chip or scratch and you see grey concrete right thru and the sides are also not colored. extremely eye catching, cheap looking, in my landscape designer opinion.

definitely look at drainage. that downspout must be run/routed under the walkway away from the house, that should be done whether or not you do a patio. not at all hard to do. any other downspouts in that section also need to be moved away. you must have gutters over the whole patio area unless you are doing concrete/mortar set on top of concrete slab. any water coming off the roofline will wash away and erode sand set pavers or bricks. especially if not set on top of concrete slab.

i like the idea of a patio in a co-ordinating color to your brick and even a small retaining wall edging it but i personally would not bring the wall to the sidewalk edge. it creates a bit of a stark look from concrete sidewalk to concrete retaining wall, not to mention being curved you will never get the retaining wall to meet flush to the concrete and will have tiny gaps where the wall block curve opposite of the curve of the sidewalk, just the spot for weeds and water to wash between the wall and walk. i'd set the retaining block back a bit giving yourself a border bed between the two. plant something maxing out at 2-2.5' you could even have pockets for seasonal annual change out there too.

if you do a patio, definitely butt that up to existing wall and foundation. do not attempt to put plants between what looks like a garage wall and a patio centered in the area. they will never make it w/ all the alkaline conditions plus would need irrigation and that could erode the patio. you can always have planters made in the paver/brick raised and add necessary low-flow irrigation or have large pots w/ drip irrigation to get plants in that area.

i would definitely put pots on the patio to break up the monotony of the straight brick wall (garage?). once the plant material comes out of the area that wall will seem huge and stick out. or even a professionally installed wall fountain, don't try to do it yourself. pro's can do an electrical punch out behind the fountain, and plumb it w/ an auto refill from you irrigation, not to mention there are much nicer fountains avail that are much too big for homeowners to handle.

do take into consideration how much room a set of chairs might take up, probably alot more than you think. i generally planned for 6-7' in diameter for something as small as an adrirondak chair for walk-around room.

good luck! hardscapes are one of my favorite features in landscape designs! ~ liz

Jaz,

Just a friendly reminder.
Whatever you decide, remember DON'T pick the leaves off the trees. : ' )