Pics of small ranch houses (60s or 70s) that look great inside?
finz2left
12 years ago
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Comments (42)
birdgardner
12 years agolast modified: 9 years agoclax66
12 years agolast modified: 9 years agoRelated Discussions
Ideas for foundation of a 70's contemporary ranch
Comments (13)I have dial up and I didn't have any trouble with the pics. I loved the woodland setting of your house. If it were me, I'd fill up the area in front of the chimney with a woodland type island. A small group of trees as ilima said. I don't know all the southern ornamentals, but dogwood, serviceberry, redbud, fringetree, silverbell, are all small trees that are easy care. Even some magnolias I guess. A friend of mine recommended sweet bay magnolia as an easy care small tree. Some shrubs to consider are witch hazel and spicebush, winterberry holly, perhaps elderberry. These are all natives, and personally I think a native grouping is your best bet for low maintenance. I've grown all of these plants and you can basically forget them once planted if you place them properly to start. Of course all the rhododendrons and azaleas are gorgeous options too. I'd throw in a dwarf hemlock because I just personally love them. But anyway, I'd opt for a natural arrangement with my selection of trees and then some shrubs and then groundcover under that, with bark mulch around it all. Then basically that whole area would become "maintenance free" as far as mowing. You will have to watch the weeds and do some pruning now and again. As far as how to arrange it all, I would have a hard time describing it. If it were me I'd get the combination of textures and foliages I liked and then move them around a bit until I came up with something that looked nice. So then instead of having this big blank space at the corner of your house you'd have a lovely woodland garden that blended your home with the surroundings and took care of itself. Plus would attract lovely songbirds to serenade you! I am not couching this in "design" terms such as line of sight, etc., more in terms of the "look" or style I would go for. Of course you may not like this and your style might be more formal. But to me, a native small tree/shrub/groundcover option looks great and is low maintenance. Oh yeah, and I'd try and find a small maple, I don't know the japanese maples that survive in your climate. If the area is still shady (don't know how it looks without the trees you dropped) then I'd try and find a mountain/striped/goosefoot maple 'cause I just love the bark. Acer pensylvanicum or something like that I think. I've seen them in the mountains of NC, but again, I'm not familiar with the flora in GA....See More60's ranch - first plantings in almost 50 years
Comments (12)The house faces West - so afternoon sun. I should have included that in my first email. The house faces west, and the busy street i'm concerned with borders my house on the north. There's a good sized side yard and a brick wall. So, it's angled, and we don't need the whole wall. It's just hard to visualize without the Photenia's! Thanks for the note on the Photenia's! That's exactly the kind of advice we need. Could you explain what you mean by curve the bed near the street, so it's deeper? I'm trying to visualize and having a hard time. With the photenia's gone, I'll have a semi-circle to work with. You're suggesting a more random smattering of bushes, with ground cover in front and back? If I'm in the street looking at the house, I see ground cover, then shrubs -- behind that is the drive way, and on the other side of that the tree on one side and crepe myrtle on the other. God thought on the planter boxes. There are a lot of creeping/spreading plants that would go perfectly there. Do you think I need to build beds out in front of that, then That's where I really get confused, planning multiple levels/layers. The way the planter boxes are situated, they're nearly full sun with the roof extending completely over. I can have something that drapes over the front but doesn't get much height, so as not to cover the windows. Thanks for the door comment - we do in fact have white sheets (no rod on the bottom), but we're still looking at curtain fabrics. So, there are white sheers with nothing in front of them - and you still wonder about dark windows. That says something about my shade situation! It's definitely brighter with the live oak. How does the tree look otherwise? Your root flare question concerns me. I've raised the soil level perhaps 1-2" in aggregate. I lost a lot of soil over the summer during a series of rains between the house and the tree. My gutters weren't functioning properly, and I ended up with a small stangnant lake between the base of the tree and the house. I had some guys move soil from the front to the back, which helped some, but with rusty gutters, there's only so much you can do. I've been reading up on soil amendments and plantings, and have added compost and expanded shale and topsoil down 6", and mulched over. Net result is more soil around the tree, but every rain since then has taken more away. I was hoping that the wintercreeper would creep out and work to contain the soil. Alternately I've considered building a brick border around the 'bed', to act as a mini retaining wall. the bed is big and I'm not sure I like seeing no break from house to driveway. The circular driveway splitting my yard into thirds is really throwing me off! Thanks for your great tips. K...See More60's Yesterday & 70's Today
Comments (11)Fantastic Dax!! You've been busy, and I know you're having a great time. You've got some beautiful specimens there -- love your 'Bush's Lace', and that 'Viola' is gorgeous. Did you just get the 'Viola', or did you move it from your old place? It has a great shape and color. I've got a small 'Bush's Lace' coming later this month -- been wanting one for a while now. I'm curious how you're deciding what to put where -- are you laying out all your plants in what will be island beds, or borders, or will they be individual specimens, or ?? I've found it really difficult to decide on placement when working on a blank slate. Really nice that you can get all these plants in before planting grass -- much better than planting all the grass then digging it back up -- which is what we have been doing :( That's tough work. Oh, and the birds will be thrilled with all your plantings. We planted a large Norway Spruce a week or so ago, and within 3 days a Mockingbird had built a new nest in it! Have a great day planting!! So happy for you. Keep the pictures coming! It's going to be 70 here today and it sucks to have to go to work -- I want to be planting, and weeding, and mulching, and ..... Kim...See MoreSmall exterior makeover on 70's house
Comments (28)Shutters. Yeah, I was an early adopter of the size-appropriateness, but there's more to it. Hinges, dogs, latches, and this: if they are louvered, the louvers need to be pointing up when they are open, so that they point down when they are closed, letting water run down them. But, since very few people ever close their functioning shutters in the US, the louvers need to point down when they are open so they don't rot. Personal family story: a relative visiting from the old country told my grandfather his shutters were upside down. He flipped them accordingly, but the next year he noticed trouble with the water running behind the shutters. So back they flipped. Incorrect but not a problem. So, don't get into the math of the shutters. They are decorative. Just make for a pleasing proportion. Your house is charming. Consider putting a cement or limestone cap on the planter, put non-living seasonal decor on it, maybe something on the wall behind, and enjoy. My personal presence for metals is brass, but that's just me....See MoreFun2BHere
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