Hi Bill,

If that were my place, I'd do the opposite and leave grass where you have the hose. I'd want the plants on the left to give a sense of privacy to the patio--maybe 2-3 ft high so they don't completely obscure it and the front door.

Eventually, I'd do the parking strip as part of the garden, too.

{{gwi:656660}}

I didn't draw it, but I assume there's a path of some sort from the patio to the driveway. You could add a short path from the circular lawn to the sidewalk out front, too.

Have fun with your project. Nice that you've got the two trees to work with.

If that were my house,I would put a white picket fence around the front yard,In the front I would put an arbor with a gate and a walk area to the front porch.I would then plant roses on the arbors,lots of daylilies and perennials on each side of the arbor.I would put beds on the inside and outside of the fence.I would make it the cute cottage that it is.There is so much potential there.
moonphase

I think the long, low architecture of your home is very "Florida" and you should take advantage of it. I like the stucco too. You could go as Moonphase suggests, or take it into a more tropical cottage garden type effect. Instead of a picket fence, you could use plant materials to make a "fence" and then add cannas - you have a nice palm already, and on the left and right against the house I'd try something taller. Because the house is very "static" - boxy sort of, I'd stay away from lollipop shrubs. Going "naturalistic" will help the house blend into the surrounding trees and landscape more.
To "cottage-ize" tropicalesque plants, I do things like grow tiny little morning glories through the canna lilies, throw in bright punches of things like Calla lilies, and my favorite, grow a cactus and a rose together (Dirt, a radio host and Southern Gardener does this and I think it is so fanastic!).

GGG

Thanks so much for the advice and ideas. I'm definitely going to consider planting higher plants around the porch area, as Treelover suggests. I'd never thought of that before, and I think it could look great. it would also help me deal with the septic drainfied (which covers basically the area outlined by the hose).

GGG, I do want to emphasize the Florida theme, but that raises the question: what is Florida? The idea of FL as tropical? Or the pine savannas that once covered this area? (Or what I see around me now, which looks like neither?) I keep changing my mind on plant materials. I like them all. I hope to eventually arrive at some kind of synthesis. But I'm definitely going to have cactus.

Moonphase, I'm thinking about the arch and fence.

Thanks again.

Bill

I think you could do a lot with paint color to help the house stand out more as well. The earth tone looks nice but it also blends it into it's surroundings more too. Perhaps even just painting the wall of the porch a different color would help it show more and make it look less shadowed. Just a thought.

MeMo

MeMo I was thinking the same thing. A different paint color to give it a bit more cottage charm and stand out a bit more. Yes,the earth tones are nice, I love earth tones, but on the outside it tends to blend in with the ah...earth.

I like the idea of a path perhaps flagstone going from the sidewalk right up to the front door. I also like the idea of the plants around the patio for privacy and a bit of a grassy area where you have the hose but I also think that if you did a path going up to the front door that a small plot of grass an the otherside would be nice as well. I would then fill in with flowers, shrubs, and roses all along the edge of the yard in curving beds with low plants along the path way on either side. If you are afraid of plants swallowing up the house keep the taller plants to the right and a bit in front of the patio and med.and small along the front yard. A fence and arbor are also a good idea like moonphase said.

Oh and if your not going with the tropical cottage look then I would (if it were me) take out the palm and in the space between your front windows (hidden behind the palm) put a trellis with a climbing rose up it. Even if you are going with the tropical look I would take it out as it is low and blocking the house. Put in maybe some taller palms if you want a tree there.
Meghan

I would leave the house color as is, but paint the pillars a contrasting color to give some vertical emphasis. Not a dark color, and not too bright, but something that will stand out. maybe the door should be the same color. Then the window frames could be a third color - something that will stand out in the shadow of the porch.

I don't care for the big palm where it isl but right now it's disconnected from everything else. Either make it part of a garden around it or get rid of it. If you get rid of it, you might consider a narrow, upright trellis where the muffin shrub is at the end of the house with a vine that will be interesting all year. If it were my house, I would not go for the English - New England cottage look with picket fence and wood arbor or trellis, but use a more severe trellis - very plain painted wood or possibly copper. I would play up the rectangular lines as elegant severity of design, not try to make it "cute." You could still have billowy and spiky shapes in the plantings, and I would keep them fairly low. I don't know enough about Florida natives to know what in particular to suggest.

My house is long and low also, but the ground slopes down toward the house, so it REALLY looks like it's sinking!

With the brown roof, I think you should stick with earth tones at least until you are ready to replace it. I would, however, paint the door a brighter color and maybe the window trim. I can't tell by the picture if you have room for shutters but they tend to lend a cottagey charm.
I would remove the palm. As you are facing the house, to far right side near the sidewalk I would put in another crepe myrtle instead. I would do what treelover suggested which is to keep the middle part of the yard lawn and the outskirts could be varying sizes of perennials and shrubs. If you planted lowish in the front and higher on the sides, and perhaps something tall and narrow in between the two windows, it could help break up the horizontal lines of the house.
Now if it were ME, I woulod do the picket fence and arbor as moonphase suggest, but I don't have earthtones. I think Elisabeth's ideas are more in keeping with YOUR house.
Theresa

I like the palm out front but it would look better if it was moved to the right, towards the corner of the house, to soften that hard line. Right now, it blocks the eye and interupts the field of view. If it was closer to the house and not out front and dead center, it would serve more to draw the eye forward.

I also like the Florida tropical look of your house. Just because it sits kinda low, you shouldn't worry about it being overpowered by plants. It's solid enough to stand out, and the light color will shine through just about everything except a solid stand of trees. Everything seems to grow and bloom in Florida all the time and I think you could really take advantage of that.

I was in Tampa most of last year and I saw these shrubs that have sky-blue flowers on them that really look nice. I never knew what they were called, but you probably know. Lots of people use them for hedges. Elephant ears give any home a lush, tropical look thats really pretty too. And since they can get fairly large, they make a nice backdrop for more colorful flowers and hostas.

I think you have a fun project ahead. Cheryl