It's great that you are using this tough setback to plan a different approach.

The posts and shutters are a good idea, but skip the railing. Your open porch looks awesome. A curving path will add a lot also.

If you sit out there a lot you could expand the porch with hardscaping right in front. Since you are starting anew, I would not put shrubs against the house or along the porch in a line like a "builder's special." You have an opportunity to be more imaginative here.

Now some questions. Do you have a photo of the look you are going for? If you can find some photos of gardens you like it will be a lot easier to help. They don't have to be Texas gardens, just a general idea of what you like.

Which direction does the porch face? Is the photo from the street?

We never sit out there, I just didn't have anywhere else to put the bench. Here is a picture I took this morning facing directly.
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The front of the house faces east, and this photo is from the street. You can see that there is no curb, the grass just plays out at the edge of the street. Most of the front yard grass is Grama grass, and even though I don't like it, it may be the only grass that survives this drought without water. Every summer the grass goes dormant and looks terrible, and I'd just as soon get rid of it and get something that looks better, even dormant.

In my inspiration photos and you can probably see that I like a natural, flowing look, with flowers, and I want to replace everything with natives this time. I'd like to have more trees on each side to frame the house, shade the house, and provide a little privacy. And I know if I ever get a shady yard, the plantings under them will have to change as they go from sun loving to shade loving. I realize that ALL the inspiration pictures are yards that get a lot of moisture, but I haven't been able to find a single xeriscape landscape picture that doesn't look like a desert yard. Nothing wrong with that, except big expanses of gravel and yucca wouldn't fit with my neighborhood, I don't care for the look, and we get enough moisture that weeds would infiltrate the gravel in spring and fall. I have to stay on top of the one gravel area I have, and it was the same when I had started the front bed with mulch in the bare areas, and I'd rather go with a ground cover that will crowd out weeds if possible.

I would also like to move the mailbox to the other side of the driveway because the mail carrier tends to drive through our yard on the curve. There is a bar ditch about 5 feet from the street and nothing good will grow there. Water sits for days there after a big rain, and we are on limestone and don't have much topsoil anyway, much less there.

Here are my inspiration pictures:

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Oh, wow, you've got a blank slate! If it was me, I'd go with the Texas toughies for sure. But I am getting to be a nut on the native grasses and trees that just seem to laugh at our high temperatures.

Right now I'm planning a 70' bed in my backyard that gets a LOT of sun; plan to plant a lot of the ornamental switch grasses, among other types, as well as a few vitex trees, old garden roses as well as some desert marigold, etc.

The Texas A&M Extension Center on Coit Road is having a class on Sept. 8 on native plants, I plan to go, should be interesting; at this point I need the drought resistant plants that can withstand this heat, as water bills are getting too high and I hate wasting it...

I just found this photo. So even though I said I don't like cactus, I love this one.

I missed your post ogrose. Are you taking the morning class or the evening class? It sounds interesting. I think my desert marigold is still blooming, or it was the other day, but it's not very showy.

Thanks, the extra pics really help.

That second picture has a lot of good ideas that would work great for you. It's pretty close to what I pictured in front of your porch area. Notice the open feel and no hedge or rail. Even if you don't sit there, you want it to look as if you do.

The first pic is great for incorporating a tree into the front yard. Create a tree peninsula instead of an island.

The other pics have some good ideas you can use too. Notice how the last house doesn't have a line of shrubbery along the front of the house and still looks great.

Agave, yucca and succulents don't have to mean a desert look. You can incorporate them into any garden and they will help anchor it better than a green shrub if done right.

Drifts of ornamental grasses like Mexican Feather would really look nice with all the great space you have there.

Marti8a, I'm taking the morning class; this instructor is good, I learned a lot from the water barrel class I attended this spring. Tell you what, being retired has its benefits during the week!

If you might plan on going to the morning class, would love to meet up with you!!

I think I will. It's just the right price for me too. ;)

I've heard her talk before and she is good.

Marti, I don't have any thing to offer, but just wanted to say I'm enjoying reading this thread and am excited about how your yard will develop :-)

Great - morning class it is - Yep, the price is right!email me when the time gets close and we can get together!

That spiral aloe in your picture will not grow anywheres in Texas. It likes cool summers. I have seen cottage gardens done with Texas natives. It is all about choice and how you handle the flowers. No one said you had to have gravel mulch. One can use the desert willows and tecoma stan and couple them with sago palms and mexican oreganos and get color and and foliage. My Iron weed looks tropicasl but is xeric as hell and so is wandering jew and you can match them with the silver of artemesia and the dark greens of rosemary and get something that has not one prickly pear or Yucca or agave in it . BUT hey I love the architecture and carefree nature of agave. The Agave bracteosa loves filtered light and sun and has such a nice look with the sago palms. I have xeric wildflowers that bloom through the drought. All together they get quite un deserty.the tall leaning spires of standing cypress need no water but is at home in any flower garden.

Keep your xeric grass. I think things should look like hell in this weather. It means you don't have to water, you lucky dog.

It's a deal ogrose. Roselee, I was getting excited about it until I started trying to place stuff where it would look good. Gee, no wonder my yard looks so bad. I am much better at finding something and copying it than thinking up something.

I've been playing around with Paint, and posted pictures on the Decorating Forum if you want to look, but dh & I are fairly settled on the paint colors in the photo below, and the porch posts too (unless I can talk him into pushing at least one bedroom wall out to the edge of the porch).

I added trees to the picture, and then started on ornamental trees and shrubs and they just didn't look right.

I had a Carolina jessamine on the trellis between the two windows on the brick wall, but it didn't make it through last winter. Should I replace with another vine, or put an ornamental tree or large shrub there? I'm thinking evergreen there so it doesn't look barren in winter, but then does everything around it need to be evergreen so it isn't standing by itself all winter?

And there was a yaupon holly on the right side of the brick wall, and we lost it with that 12" snow in 2010. I got really tired of trimming back suckers on it, so if I plant another, it will be a shrub, not an ornamental tree. It's roots were also lifting the sidewalk and I wonder if it was doing anything to the foundation.

In the area inside the curve of the sidewalk beside the porch, I'd like to put some rocks, maybe a disappearing fountain, and some blooming flowers. It gets full sun until about noon and then the shade starts covering it. It's probably wanting too much to have some trailing flowers planted in the rocks? I don't know if they could survive without daily watering, and I would like to avoid that since the water faucet is on the other side of the house. Would it be a good idea to have the tallest thing closer to the door, hiding the fountain until someone walked around the curve of the sidewalk, or at the far end? BUT, if I put anything tall there, it will block the view of the door from the street, so maybe I should put the tall stuff against the wall and shorter stuff in front? Argh!

Oh, and on the trees I painted in... too much or not enough?

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What a cool looking house. As far as the trees go, do you want just looks or shade? I'll assume shade so, since your house faces east, go outside now at mid-morning and stand out in your yard. Where exactly does your shadow fall? Depending on the type of tree you get and the size it will be at maturity, pick the spot that will provide the most shade to your house and mark it with a big rock or stake or something so you will know where to plant it this winter. I agree to leave the grass as native as possible. I also have little soil on limestone and it is brutal this year. The plants I have that are handling the heat are: dahlea, oregano marjoram (low-growing, spreading plants), ornamental grasses (muhly and feather grass), shrubs (yaupon hollies) the chaste tree and carolina jessamines. My oak trees are doing much better than the pecans and the others I have. You might also consider (before doing any expansion of your flowerbeds and filling them up) how to create a watering system for the beds. Can you run some pvc pipe to the beds and use soaker hoses? Just asking because lots of beds and dragging hoses is just a real pain in weather like this.

Good ideas cdp 716. In the past few weeks, I've made some of those above ground sprinklers from pvc, and after I get the sidewalk done, I plan on putting in a system just around the foundation. I've done soaker hoses, and I've just about had it with them. They last about 2 years and then get splits or ants eat holes, and I have to replace them. I still have a couple of places where that is my only option. And you're right, dragging hoses in this weather is a pain, especially when I have to go around corners to get to the front yard and the hose invariably hangs on something.

I would put a tree so shade would fall on that rock part of the house and obscure the a portion of the tall peak, or all of it. It needs to be de-emphasized and the shade on your house must be welcomed. Maybe a deciduous leaf tree so one has light and warmth in the winter.

I wish I had planned on the water system before I put in a lot of things, so I'm pretty much stuck with dragging hoses for some of it, regardless. I would definitely look at the toughest native plants. Even the antique roses and salvias I have look burned to some extent. For ornamental trees you might consider another chaste tree or maybe a redbud near the driveway. Both are doing ok with some water. I'm sending you an email as well.

Carla near Austin

Carla, I didn't get an email from you.

marti, I don't have an artistic bone in my body and was totally nervous about trying to plan flowerbeds. Finally I just started putting plants in (taller in back, shorter in front, there's a start, lol!). Actually some of it came off pretty well, and remember, a lot of stuff can be moved (trees not so easy), and remember, this is supposed to be fun and it doesn't have to be perfect!!

It's funny, I've tried to do that too, and sometimes I hit on one that works, but I've ripped more out than left in because they just didn't work there. But I guess everyone has a degree of that.

When we moved here, there were 3 yaupons on the outside corners of the house, planted under the soffit. I don't know the the builder or original resident thought they would keep on top of the pruning, but by the time we bought the house, they had grown up and were partly crushed against the soffit, and part had started growing forward to reach the light.

And the previous owners planted red tip photinia in the two foot beds between the house and sidewalk. Luckily, they were still new and even I know they would grow too large, so I moved them right off.

Carla, the email just came through. Weird, it popped up in the middle of all the read emails, just where it would have been if it came through when it was sent. Must be a gardenweb delay.

Copper Canyon Daisy has not even blinked in this heat and sun.
Pieces root on top of the soil and I have transplanted a couple.

Another plant that does pretty good is canyon creek abelia. It wilts once in a while, but is doing good with water once a week. As you can see, it is blooming now. Last week I cut some of the blooms and put them in a vase to dry. They have done well, like dry hydrangeas.

Here is a link that might be useful: copper canyon daisey

Thyrallis is another that is handling the heat pretty well. It does wilt in the mid day heat, but perks up later.

Here is a link that might be useful: Thyrallis

I have a Texas native xeriscape. It must be watered. It just needs LESS water than a traditional landscape AFTER the first 3 years of normal watering. Nothing with establish in this heat. I would wait until fall. Shrubs and trees tend to be hardier than perenials and annuals. I noticed in your last picture the garden was mostly shrubs and trees with mulch. That is the bulk of my front yard. It's 1/3 grass, 1/3 shrubs&vines, 1/3 trees (doesn't look like I have a plan! fooled ya! lol.) Once the native/adapted trees,shrubs and vines establish they have very deep roots. Low water line watering works well.
You'll also notice in the last picture (of your garden choices) the trees and shrubs extend all the way out to the street. This is important for depth. I notice a lot of folks cram all their plants by the house and leave the rest blank. It looks flat to me that way. Whatever you decide find out if your city offers free mulch and put down 5-6" of it down. The ground doesn't freeze here, so I'd do all the changes in winter.
Also, I'd stick with light paint choices. The dark colors absorb heat, fade in sun and if it's hot enough (like now!) can warp.

I already know my city doesn't have mulch. Our city has almost no services. There is some undeveloped property near us, and if dh is up to it tonight, I may see if he will walk it with me and see what is surviving there.

I'm also thinking of putting a rain barrell at the end of the porch if I can figure out how to disguise it.

Talk to a tree service. They will either give mulch to you cheap or free. They have to pay to dump it.

It's a good idea to scam the fields for plants. Just make sure you don't bring anything home that you're not SURE what it is. Take a cutting then spend the time to hunt out what it is on line. Some pretty wild plants are awful in a suburban setting. The plants I've collected that way are looking pretty good in this heat. It's also a good way to expand your plant knowledge.

True. A tree service has left chipped trees and limbs for my use as mulch several times. And they have been happy to do so.

They will be very happy to do so as the dump charges them a great deal of money per load dumped. I had five large truckloads dumped in my pasture a few years back. I am still using some of it for mulch, but underneath is the best black soil you could ever want to plant in......one of the best things I ever did for free.

We're going to have drought for another year or two, so if I were you I would:

-install hardscaping: extend the patio, re-do sidewalks, etc.

-install a sprinkler system

-plant one or two drought-tolerant trees and plan on watering them regularly for 2 years

No point in planting anything during the drought, except maybe trees to get them established if you're willing to baby them.
Yes, the front will look a bit bare, but a new hardscape will add curb appeal, as will some colorful pots with succulents.
Drought=plants dying. I just don't have the heart to watch anything else die in my yard!

ogrose, I just my confirmation email. I had completely forgotten about the class. My fil had a stroke 2 weeks ago, then fell and fractured his spine, and I've been scrambling trying to find a nursing home for him, and appts for mil. Luckily, she cancelled the one I made for Thursday, and I just talked to dh and he doesn't think there is any reason I can't go to the class Thursday, so I'll see you there.

I'll be wearing jeans, tennis shoes, and a black, paisley-ish t-shirt.

ogrose, sorry I missed you. I put my name & phone number on the cancellation notice on the front door but either you got there and left before I got there, or that group of people standing around the door told you it was cancelled and you never saw it.

marti, what a bummer, they cancelled, then when I got home I saw their email, stating they'll have the class this evening, which unfortunately I can't attend.

Would loved to have met you, just remember, I have stuff to share when you get ready to plant!
Sheryll

It's too far for me to even think about going back. Thanks for the offer, I may take you up on it.