George,
The first thing that screams at me is that your employee has a very lovely home with altered roof pitches, a porch, and probably many other architectural details that are hidden from my view. The curb appeal of a three bay garage needs some softening I would begin with a smaller deciduous tree planted on the left side of the drive closer to the street. The second thing I would be very careful of would be diverging too far from the homeowners largest landscape statementthis is a wooded lot. I would urge you to work with that rather than using many bold colors (tempting when dealing with full sun). Using large swaths of smaller softer colored plants usually found at the edge of your woodlands would connect the woodland that the homeowner has chosen to keep close to their home and the rest of the property. I like the stone sitting on the rise but would avoid the temptation to allow the area around it to become too fussy the stone it self is beautiful and adds to the overall statement. Full sun without consistent watering during the first two years is a deadly combination. I might like to suggest the home owner purchase a roll of (Toro?) soaker hose with direct tubing leading to each shrub this can be attached to one of their silcocks and turned on and off by the home owner. I am on a well and this worked for me in my more woodland areas and now that the plants are established I only turn it on during long periods of draught. Sounds like a fun project best of luck. kt

George --

- Storm drain on the left of the driveway means the pitch of the lot will allow runoff there. Water may not be as much as a problem as you think on that side.

- Agree with kt that rocks should be degrassed and left basically alone.

- Don't know if this person is a gardener at heart, but I "see" a border of one perennial (Coreopsis 'Moonbeam' immediately comes to mind) running along the left side of the driveway with a 4' wide "broken" border of shrubs behind that so as not to cut off that side of the yard from the rest of the lot.

- I, too, "see" a bed on the curve but it'll need a good-sized architectural element (read: large obelisk; lightpost) to center it against the lines of the house. Since this area is also pitched away from the house, perhaps a raised bed with stone wall to the right to level it out would work. While the curve is a nice touch and was probably put there for drainage reasons, a bed might get lost in the pitch if it isn't leveled.

- Plants -- WOW! I 'see' lots of soft yellow and apricots (ground cover roses!!!) with punches of color here and there to hold the length of the drive. Since they won't be changing the color of their home, soon, I'd stay away from a lot of pastel pink which would get lost. "Purple Wave Petunia" pink/magenta would work with the yellows. The woods are very close to encroaching on the house and I'd take those back another 10' or so and put in sun-liking shrubs to match those along the driveway -- Viburnum is an easy choice with a few others mixed in.

- This looks very much like my yard when we started -- an absolute blank slate. Best thing I stuck to was "hardscape first, plants second." Perhaps color the walkway so it's not so bland; put in a really nice mailbox; till, edge and mulch along the driveway ... Do that this year and plant some foundation (to the garden, not the house) perennials. Add a tree to the left of the driveway and perhaps one as a foundation plant in the curve/raised/walled bed.

Most of all -- HAVE Fun!! Take her shopping with you. Give her books and let her pick out what full sun plants she likes. Will her interior be conservative or more funky? Does she like clean lines or more "homey" feel?

Again, the plants come after the overall view ....

I'm jealous -- lucky you!

Martie

Martie

George, I think much depends on what type of "look" your employee desires for the house. For instance, do they want to maintain the open nature it has now. Or, are they hoping to create privacy and intimate areas within the whole space? they don't have a lot of back garden area so I'm wondering if they hope to create a sheltered perennial garden up close to the house where they could sit and enjoy being outside without feeling so exposed?

I agree with the thought of planting a low perennial hedge along the left side of the driveway that would front a mixed shrub border. But, rather than coreopsis...I'd take the opportunity fall planting presents and put in a daffodil/daylily border using all the same type of daylily. That would also address the watering situation since the daffs enjoy a hot summer baking and the daylilies will settle in with fall/winter precipitation and then be fine on just natural rainfall going forward.

I'd love seeing a double-file viburnum like 'Shasta' behind the rocks allowing plenty of room for the shrub to mature without encroaching and smothering the rocks.

Dogwood trees would be nice along the tree line behind the house. A series of five pink dogwoods back in that part sun/part shade would be spectacular, IMO.

Not knowing what they want to accomplish with the landscaping, I'm reluctant to make any other suggestions. So much depends on whether they want to shelter the house from the street or leave an open vista. I do think the area where the driveway meets the walkway to the front door needs softening. A clump white birch would be beautiful there if borers aren't a concern.

It's a large area. Using multiples of the same plant/shrub/tree, etc. would help bring the scale down to a more intimate level as well as provide continuity for the eye.

Then, maybe, they want a tree-lined driveway on both sides...it's just hard to make suggestions without knowing the "look" they want.

Hello.. :-)

I am not a designer and don't work in the field. I've simply tended my own property for the past 25 years on a small lot with mostly part sun/shade conditions. I have always wished I had more full sun, so looking at your friend's yard, what I immediately was struck by, was how lucky she was to have such a large piece of property and an actual full sun from 'sunup to sundown' area. There are so many plants that require that full sun placement, that I always feel deprived not being able to grow very many of them. So, perhaps you could explore with your friend some of the full sun plants and get a feel for what some of her favorites are.

My first choice for full sun, would always be an attractive kitchen garden, but since the area is in the front yard, and your friend might not be into vegetable gardening [g], then my second choice would definitely be a meadow. If you have ever read the book Meadows by Christopher Lloyd, there are a number of properties in that book that have the most gorgeous meadows you could imagine. Lots of inspiration and if you have any doubts it could be done well and look right, this book will quickly dispel them. If it were me, I would be seriously considering putting in a gorgeous meadow in that area to the right of the driveway. You could use some natives and once established, it would be pretty low maintenance I would think.

Unconventional for sure, but just something else to consider.

Good luck! :-)

Thank you, folks.
I really appreciate your input and see a lot of 'pearls' to consider in everyone's thoughts.
Please keep'em coming.

As usual, EGO, I have trouble viewing your pictures. It takes them a long time to load completely and I can't scroll up through them without this weird, freeze frame effect goin' on. So it's hard for me to really study the pictures and give you more than simply my "impressions". Let's talk about snow and its removal FIRST... how much, how often, where?

Nobody has yet mentioned GRASSES. If ever a site screamed for them this one does! Full sun, OK soil, and utterly drought-resistant, they would be magnificent along the left side of the driveway. In a breeze they'd be handsome and they'd be great well into winter, too. They get tall (provide some quick vertical interest), the "flowers" are pretty, and they require virtually no care aside from cutting them to 6" in early spring and dividing them every 4-5 years. You could even use that pretty varigated "ribbon grass" that is so invasive in borders as a seasonal "hedge" along the pavement. We use it here in the same context. It looks great and the lawn keeps it check on one side, the driveway on the other; who cares if it gets nipped by the mower or a weedwacker? When it gets almost too tall and begins to flop, weed wack it down and it comes right back!

This could be a nice site for bulbs, too (they like to dry out as the season progresses). Other things that like the conditions you've mentioned are German iris, Echinops, Echinacea. All of these can be cut down to accomodate snowbanks if required.

Weird driveway, though... there doesn't appear to be quite enough room to comfortably back a full sized vehicle out of the garage and execute a 3 point turn in front of the garage bays. (late FIL was an architect with a specialty in LA, and poor driveway layout was his pet peeve). Maybe I'm wrong, but it looks skimpy in that respect.

I have to agree with Chelone, the driveway is weird. The first thing I would do is widen it at the curve on the front lawn side by at least half the width it is to match the width of the part in front of the garage. Then the 90 degree angle needs to go. It would look and be better at a curve. Then there should be room for a 3 point turn to get out of that long driveway onto the street. I sure wouldn't want to make that drive out in reverse.
Chelone mentioned snow removal. How is it going to be done?
It's a very long driveway. Will there need to be room for a plow to remove the snow or a snowblower. Makes a big difference in how to landscape. Plows make a disaster of landscaping, so if a plow is going to be used you wouldn't want to put anything to close to the edge of the driveway.
Another thought since it is such a long one, relective markers would be a good idea to mark the angles for snow removal. They make some nice ones I've seen that can be incorporated into landscaping.

Can you give us a front view pic of the house, that would help in ideas and once we have some idea about the snow removal I can come up with some other suggestions for plants.

Like the idea of daylilies along the side of the driveway but truly believe that it'll need to be season-long color there. Daffs and daylilies are a few-week wonders.

Also really like the Grasses idea -- particularly something with a strong maroon base so as not to get lost in the view of the woods.

Looked harder at the pics and now am convinced that the driveway is the way it is because of drainage. It obviously was leveled off and there are probably drainage pipes running under it somewhere. Otherwise, the whole left to right pitch would become a waterfall. The drainage basin is there for a reason ....

I hesitated before, but now will go full tilt into the idea of an herb garden on the slope near the garage just to the right of the big bare bark tree. If your friend has any gardening instinct at all, she'll appreciate plants such as Baptisia (bright blue in June and great foliage the rest of the year) as a basis. From a distance it looks like a true shrub for three seasons and three could form the basis. Lavender would do really well, there, because it undoubtedly has great drainage.

There are 20 different plant suggestions and design ideas I could provide for that spot, but again, it's important to know the "feel" that she wants. If it's formal or not, the use of the same plants is just done differently.

That would also be a great spot for a bench to look over the rest of the lot.

How about a mural on the garage doors reflecting the plants you/she chooses?

Waiting for Saypoint's ideas to come forth :-) .....

Martie

Thanks again to all who replied.
Everyone's thoughts (plus my own) were passed in unedited form to owner and I got some feedback.

A lot of ideas that was expressed by you was accepted and we both, Jennifer and myself realy appreciate your help and welcome all comments and criticism for our future plans.

Project most likely will be done in a two stages:
-stage #1, fall'06.
-stage #2, spring-summer-fall'07.

stage #1. One large free form bed will be created on a right side at the curve of the driveway, which is coincidently at about middle of it, 90' from the road and 100' from the garage. Tentative lenght of this bed is 45' and at widest point it will be about 30' while majority of the planting area will be in 15-22' width range with 3' clearance (meaning no shrubs) from the edge of the driveway for the snowplowing provision. It will be slightly (6-8") raised bed with some medium to large size rocks incorporated mostly in the back side of it to serve practical purpose of sort of retaining wall and to match another 'rock composition' they already have there.
Jen and her husband will start work on a bed preparation ASAP as time and weather permit and they hope to make it ready this fall. Then they'll plant some spring bulbs, namely daffs and tulips and call it a year. They (we?) will have a whole winter to plan and think of what they'll plant there next year during the stage #2.
Also, they both (and me too) like the Martie's idea of planting one medium sized tree at the bottom of the driveway on a left side.
I suggested something red/burgundy leaved and idea was accepted. What would you think would be better, Bloodgood maple or Prunus cerasifera (Purple-Leaved Plum, Cherry Plum) or something else?
Tricia's idea about clump of the white birch to the right of the garage was met with a round of applause and despite birch borer potential problem it probably will be implemented this fall if they'll found decent speciman (I suggested Young's as a first place to look for it.)
For the privacy in a backyard I suggested to plant 2-3 viburnums (V. tomentosum 'Shasta' or 'Mariesii') to the left of garage line to the woods leaving at least 8' space from the side of the house for the future gate or arbor to backyard. As those large viburnums will grow they'll provide protection from the westerly sun and in a future could be underplanted with hydrangeas from the backyard side.
Any objections to this idea?

stage #2.
Despite runktrun's warning about avoiding temptation to use bold colors, I brought to them idea (and even named easy to find and care for plants for this sceme) of yellow-burgundy/purple bed and for now idea stands, but I could easily divert them from this direction. They still have the whole winter to think about.
Meadow....I didn't mentioned that before, but on a left side of the driveway starting from the edge of the woods and going parallel to the driveway there is a huge NATURAL meadow though it's partially ruined by construction activity and need a restoration.
Jen visited yesterday Whie Flowers Farm to see their C. Lloyd-inspired meadow border and came back with all inclinations to do 'the same thing or better'. LOL, she's a brave girl!

One more time thanks to everyone and I'm looking forward for comments and criticism.
TIA,
George

I did a full sun, low water narrow driveway garden in CT. I put miscanthus zebrinus, sinensis morning light and variegatus along the back. Interspersed are sedum autumn joy (does best in dry conditions), rudbeckia goldsturm, helenium, monarda jacob cline, amsonia tabernaemonte and coreopsis moonbeam. I've recently had some daylilies added; so far, they seem to need a little more water. Bulbs can be added for spring color but this seems to work for a hot, dry summer-fall border.

Hedy

Hedy,
No shrubs or trees?

George,

I didn't realize White Flower Farm has a C. Lloyd inspired meadow and now I will have to make a point of getting there someday to see it, so thanks for sharing that.

I love the idea of the rock raised bed. That should be a project they can easily do themselves. We just added a raised bed to our backyard and also bordered it with rocks. It is under 12" deep. We didn't have the rock and didn't know anyone who did. We posted to freecycle and were able to find a number of people trying to find homes for theirs, so our cost was zero.

Whatever plants they decide on, there may be many plants that can be started by seed in quantity by the winter sowing method. It is really easy and fun and saves tons of money. If they are interested in going that route, they will find tons of information and support on the winter sowing forum. We tried it for the first time last year and it was amazingly successful.

Love the idea of the clump of birches! Also love the viburnum Mariesii idea. Last year we added that to our backyard for privacy too. As a matter of fact George, it was your photo of your Viburnum that inspired me to do it. What a gorgeous specimen you have!

Thanks for the update, it will be fun to follow along with their progress. :-)

This border is on a rise; behind it, sloping down are existing pines and 2 budleas. The border curves towards the mailbox and ends in a full stop with a yucca 'color guard'.

Hedy

I just got done reading the latest garden book by Piet Odoulf published by Timber Press. He has some wonderful ideas on natural plant design. He did help with the design at the Battery Park Esplanade in New York city. He uses a lot of grasses, which I would have suggested as well. I would love to have more sun in my garden. See the attached link, then check out your local library or bookstore.

G.- You had asked about dark-leaved trees ... I'd go with an Acer. The Prunus selection has been pretty weak lately, and Bloodgood Maple is just stunning everywhere I've seen it. Also a lot easier upkeep. Shallow roots will be good in that spot, too, as water will have a tendancy to flow over rather than sink in.

Martie

George...I wonder if they could use a smaller dark tree...like the Cercis canadensis 'Forest Pansy'?

hostas...They had all of those books at my library and just reserved a few of them. Thanks for the suggestion. I love natural gardens and I have seen Odoulf on HGTV at some point and his gardens are very different with lots of ideas in them. I love how he combines a little bit of formailty for structure to all the flowing natural beds.

Ken Druse's Natural Habitat Garden also has some lovely photos and great thots on meadows...and woodlands...and seems quite wise. I am sure you've read his books already, but maybe Jennifer hasn't?
ML

late to the party, but a couple of thoughts popped out to me.

Being the owner of a beige house myself, I avoid yellow bigtime. I only put it where the woods are the background , not the house. Maybe its me, but beige & yellow make me gag.

Not having read that meadow book, my inclination would be to go with the woods as the guiding factor. With the woods as background, seems that bringing some of that wooded "look" into the landscaping would give a more integrated look than a meadow look. I would go for several trees and shrubs. (1) goes with background; (2) creates shade in time (which is more user-friendly gardening as the gardeners age) (3) less maintenance. Its a good sized lot and if they are new gardeners, they might need to ease into the amount of work involved. (not like we plant addicts can handle!)

Having said that, whenever I think of full sun plants, roses and lilacs comes first to mind, with clematis growing up the lilacs for more summer color. yum.

re Acer Palmatum, if you can find 'Emperor 1', it holds its summer color better than Bloodgood.

Are the woods fully deciduous? You may want to add an evergreen tree here and there for winter interest. I love blue spruce (Picea 'Fat Albert') in the winter.

For large trees, one I just planted this spring that I have high hopes for is Nyssa Sylvatica 'Red Rage'.

I thought cercis canadensis was not a full sun tree??? Forest Pansy is beautiful.

Re drainage: it might be wise to see how next spring plays out with melting snow and runoff. Find where the wet spots are and plan/t accordingly.