Curb Appeal - Landscape help please!
Thank you in advance for your help!
Comments (17)
emmarene9
8 years agoEdie Strom
8 years agoRelated Discussions
Please Help Landscape for Curb Appeal
Comments (16)Thanks again everyone... I have done a scale drawing of the front yard and mapped the existing plantings. I'm definitely a planner. I actually did a scale drawing of the front yard, driveway and house (bird's eye view) and then did a larger scale drawing of the existing front bed. It doesn't look like much and is a little hard to see in this scanned image, but I put a good bit of time into it. I spent a lot of time with my tape measure, pencil and eraser! 1 square = 5 ft I have read (cover to cover)the Southern Living Landscape Book, Southeast Home Landscaping from the Creative Homeowner Series and The Complete Idiots Guide to Landscaping (did I just admit that?). I have the Better Homes and Gardens Landscape and Deck Designer software, but it is not user friendly enough for me and I have all but given up on that. Pencil and paper seem to be quicker and easier for me to work with. I also played around with the standard Windows paint program and the photo of the house from the curb. I wanted to get an idea of how the symmetrical beds would sort of look. Here is what I came up with I know I need different heights, etc. in the beds. I think the symmetrically placed beds make a big difference. Thanks again for pointing that out. I know it seems obvious, but when you've been living with something for a while it can be tough to see the obvious. I will try your "3x3 block here, low and spreading here" approach. Maybe that is my hang-up. I keep trying to figure out what plants should go where and I need to think first in terms of size, height, etc. The hostas and sedum we put in were ones that I bought last year in a moment of weakness and needed to get out of their pots. I think they'll look nice where they are for now and I told my husband that they are temporary in that location. We are definitely getting estimates on having the walk re-done. I think broad deep steps that curve farther out toward the driveway would be nice and I had already thought that incorporating bricks would tie in nicely with the house. We need to have a new driveway installed, so that would probably be done at the same time. My husband and I already had the "hardscape comes first" discussion. I agree that it will make a significant difference. Not to mention the fact that I would prefer to plant once and not move things if I can avoid it. Have I mentioned the roots in our front yard? The 40 foot pine tree we removed had such a massive root system. I have talked to a designer in our area to get an idea of how she works and we also have a landscaper in the neighborhood that we will get estimates from on the walk and possibly the front yard layout. I wanted to try to do it myself first. If I don't feel confident enough with whatever I come up with, we will hire the designer to draft a plan that we can implement over time. Gottagarden, I linked that retaining retaining in my favorites the other day after seeing it on another post. I saw several walls on that site that I like. My husband and I have been talking about doing exactly what you say. The expense of that would be the only drawback for us. The drawing I did in Paint doesn't show it well, but that is what I had in mind when I did that drawing. Thanks again everyone. I really value your input....See MoreAdding curb appeal. Ideas for front yard landscape please!
Comments (6)You have a nice wide path to the door. My first reaction was to think of what not to do. I have often seen in gardens like this a barricade of plants hiding access to the stairs. Like below. I have a personal dislike for this type of landscaping. Do you like gardening and how much time do you want to spend maintaining it? I see shade from what I presume is a tree. Could you post a photo that shows the tree? What is the tree off the left corner? As to the house, it is very nice and does not need to change. If you want to try something different you could paint the door a color and paint the garage doors a khaki or beige to make them less prominent....See MoreHelp! Requesting Front Yard Landscaping & Curb Appeal Suggestions
Comments (5)Seems to me you do have 3 large projects here & they should be tackled in certain order to prevent wasted money & time. 1st project = large evergreen. Get an arborist to look at it & give you options. Determine what your liability is if it does fall & take out power lines. Answer to that might determine fate of tree but whatever you do to it will dramatically affect any landscape plan. Maybe it needs only to be limbed up & thinned out. NO topping to make shorter! It looks like a tree or shrub is in front of it too. 2nd project = widen driveway & figure out what kind or if a retaining wall will be needed or achieve the look you want. 3rd project & the fun one = create an appealing front yard! In this project my advice it to move those Rose of Sharon tree standards away from the house. In their natural state they are fairly large shrubs but easily pruned. They just look too close to house In that narrow bed. I’d also advise making a much larger planting bed in front of the house - you’ve got lots of room for a big curved bed to fill with all of the kinds of plants you mentioned you like. Those Rose of Sharon trees can be part of that bed. But, you need to know what the fate of big evergreen tree will be before you can plan the bed & also the retaining wall - where is it etc. So, that’s my advice - 3 steps in most useful order. 🌸...See MoreLandscape curb appeal and privacy help for semi attached house
Comments (6)Are you the ones with the kids? Can you talk with your neighbors about front landscaping? I think a tree such as a double flowered cherry, redbud, or bay magnolia would look nice if it could be centered in the whole front area, but that means your neighbor would have to agree. Also, are there similar homes nearby, with landscape ideas to borrow....See More
csch
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoHave you determined what function you want? Is it meant to be for show or do you want a seating area/patio or place for kids to play, do you want productive things like fruits and veggies or flowers and foliage, or more hardscaping; do you want to keep up with maintenance yourself? Zone 8-9 is wonderful for all sorts of plants. (I know you're across from Portland rather than Seattle, but it's still similar)
Something like these plantings could work
[https://www.houzz.com/magazine/patio-of-the-week-a-cozy-backyard-escape-warms-seattle-gardeners-stsetivw-vs~13406309[(https://www.houzz.com/magazine/patio-of-the-week-a-cozy-backyard-escape-warms-seattle-gardeners-stsetivw-vs~13406309)
more Japanese maples would be lovely, and they'll do fine, I'm in the Bay Area (zone8-9) and they're ok here, or the native maple
[https://www.houzz.com/magazine/great-design-plant-vine-maple-stsetivw-vs~6492315[(https://www.houzz.com/magazine/great-design-plant-vine-maple-stsetivw-vs~6492315)
Or for ideas
[https://www.houzz.com/magazine/from-concrete-lot-to-gracious-organic-garden-in-seattle-stsetivw-vs~27735358[(https://www.houzz.com/magazine/from-concrete-lot-to-gracious-organic-garden-in-seattle-stsetivw-vs~27735358)
Youre also a great area for roses of course, and going with native plants is always a good idea and would benefit the birds and other wildlife.
[https://www.houzz.com/magazine/top-10-native-plants-for-the-pacific-northwest-stsetivw-vs~48301301[(https://www.houzz.com/magazine/top-10-native-plants-for-the-pacific-northwest-stsetivw-vs~48301301)
Irene Morresey
8 years agoJust some ideas for front yard, some higher shrubs and lower plantings, you could put in some maples, the other path going to your door could be improved
Edie Strom
8 years ago
PROkelso-art.
8 years ago
mramsey
8 years agoEdie Strom
8 years ago
Ann
8 years agoebc3
8 years agoI love your low-slung mid-century house.
My first thought, when I looked at the photograph, was that the road seemed close to the house and that it needed some barrier or separation. Because the wood fence was so attractive, I repeated the horizontal wooden boards in a low fence near the road. This emphasizes the horizontal elements in the house that are so nice. The posts are medium dark concrete wall bricks. Poured in place gray concrete posts, or gray steel posts would work equally well. This would be an expense but would give the house a nice modern feel. An alternative would be to maintain a low trimmed hedge there
I would clean the current concrete path to the mailbox and possibly stain the new path a slightly darker color so it blended in a little better.
Remove the gray stone and plant in those beds. Keep it simple.
I'm in zone 7 and not familiar with all the plants that you can grow so these are suggestions.
The 3 tallest trees/shrubs are Chameacyparis. Probably Nana Gracilis but your good local nursery might have another variety that would stay at about the eaves in height. The wide and tall tree near the front door is a weeping Japanese maple. There are many good varieties. Again check with your nursery for one that will get to the right size. The branches will make a terrific winter silhouette against that stone wall. The 2 shrubs flanking the Chamaecyparis near the yellow wall are Mahonia aquifolium. The row of medium small shrubs are Berberis julianna but there might be something perfect for your climate. The spiky red plant near the front door is phormium. You need one that works in your climate and stays small 30". The ground cover is Pachysandra. I love this but it depends on how much sun that area gets. You could use Ophiopogon, Liriope, Cotoneaster , Juniper, Sedum, etc. but Pachysandra is my first choice.
I hope this gives you some ideas for your "fits the house" solution.
Edie Strom
8 years agoEdie Strom
8 years ago
Shelly Strom
8 years agoShelly Strom
8 years ago
PROModernBackyard
8 years ago
PROCalifornia Fence Company
8 years ago
Edie StromOriginal Author