Unique Front of house Landscape Help/Advice!
6 years ago
Hello - looking for some much needed help! I'm in 6b (new jersey) The FRONT of my house (facing the street) is essentially how most homes SIDES look. I've removed the large shrubs on the left and right of this facade, but I don't know what to do next. I'm going to plant some boxwoods in the bed (the bed is only 3.5 feet deep, no real way to make it deeper bc of walkway). Someone told me to to do alberta spruce on the left and right of this, which I think will look decent (they are a little but small IMO) but I can't help but think I need something right in the middle. Would that look strange and break any landscape best practices? My only options given the bed would be a narrow shrub, column shrub or pear tree maybe? Need some fresh eyes on this, any advice is appreciated!
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6 years ago- 6 years ago
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Need Help Front House Landscaping Ideas (Photogallery Included)
Comments (9)Hi Homebound, replied to your post over in windows and followed your link over here. A lot of wonderful ideas here! Your original idea of what to do in the front sounds real good. I would keep the trees too, it is so rare to have two large trees nowadays. I cannot see where they are relative to the edge of your yard and sidewalk but if they are far enough to the middle of the yard, I would build a nice wood covered patio designed around the trees. In other words, when it is done, it will look like you trucked in the trees to complement the structure. A nice low picket fence or rod-iron or ranch style along the front marks a nice boundary and also provides security. If you need the grass for children, I would then plant low brush along fence line to prevent people from being able to just hop over. An alternative will be to convert some of the lawn into flower beds and install secluded seating areas. It is nice to have a place like this where you can just do as you please from scratch! Have fun!...See MoreHelp/Advice Needed for Front Landscape
Comments (5)The picture doesn't let us know how much depth, front to back, there is in the bed, but it looks like you could plant a crape myrtle at least 4' from the wall. If you could do five or six, even better. But you don't want it so close to the pavement that it looks awkward. If need be, can the pavement be cut and altered? A crape myrtle could work well, if pollarded, because its ultimate size is easily controlled relative to the house. As well, it makes the tree that's thick and full with huge flower trusses, and gives it the semi-weeping quality. Too much continuous roof can add monotony to the scene. I like that a small tree breaks it up. Any portion of the tree that comes back to touch the roof can be cut off a foot or two away. Being as it is on the back side, no one will notice. I didn't address the right end of the house, but it looks like you could use a small tree, and enlarging the bed below it, over there, too. The picture may be misleading at the left side, but it looks like there, an existing tree is already close enough to that area to preclude adding another....See MoreSide-of-House Front Door - Curb Appeal Advice (+ Landscaping/ Walkway)
Comments (15)I think that solving the main problems is going to boil down to two things: the walk; and the making the entrance visible. The walk should definitely be wider - 5' could be a goal, maybe wider near the stoop - and then it should make a better connection with the drive. I don't think this means to necessarily cut across the lawn with it. Given that the yard is small, you could widen the drive a bit with whatever the walk material is, continue on by widening the city sidewalk with the same material, and then turn the corner with the walk, heading to the entrance ... in effect bordering the yard with a "U"-shape "invitation" that extends from the drive to the entrance. (The portions adjacent drive and city walk would not be the same width as the main walk to the entrance. They would be like decorative borders.) When it comes to the portion of walk that heads toward the entrance, I think it would be beneficial to pull it away from the neighbor's drive and incorporate and "S"-curve into it. That way, room for a SMALL tree could be created between the walk and neighbor's drive. It would also have the benefit of making it look like it belongs to your property without any question. Note how entrances are typically clearly marked by some type of enlarged, often raised, paved area, and a roofed covering that offers shelter from the elements. I think you need to create such a structure over the walk, in the front yard, near to the house. It would be the obvious first "entrance" that people reach when approaching the house. But after they've reached it there would be no question about where they would continue to in order to reach the actual house entrance. The structure could be a very nice arbor, or it could be more architectural in nature (such as with brick columns and an actual roof.) BTW, I don't think there's the first thing wrong with your yellow brick. Maybe you're bored of it and that is the driving force behind staining it. But I think it would be a mistake, or highly inefficient at the least, to attempt to change it to another color. If the brick was flat out ugly I'd be all for it. But it's not. You might end up creating, after spending a lot of money and effort, something that is not near as nice. If you could replace the top panel of the garage door with one that has windows all the way across, that would resolve the boring quality of the existing door. There seem to be two main approaches to planting: smother the house with hedges; and smother the house with a variety of all kinds of plants strewn in a randomish fashion. You might consider "matching" shrubs to windows (like steps would be "matched" to a door) as the main shrubs of the landscape scheme. Perennials and annuals can be fit around them in some artistic scheme, keeping it simple preferably. I would plan on keeping shrubs below the window sill height. I would hunt for a spot for another small tree at the right side of the house. (We can't see that area.)...See MoreNeed Advice - Landscape Design - Front of House
Comments (18)I don't want to take all the fun of selecting shrubs away from you! Check locally and see what plants are easy to maintain at the sizes shown and have the personalities (leaf size/color/flowers/evergreen, etc.) that appeal to you. There would be a few options. The flanking space is that to each side of house front. We can't see how the house fits into its surrounding....See MoreRelated Professionals
Allentown Landscape Contractors · Bainbridge Island Landscape Contractors · Chelmsford Landscape Contractors · Flagstaff Landscape Contractors · Kaneohe Landscape Contractors · Dearborn Decks, Patios & Outdoor Enclosures · Estero Decks, Patios & Outdoor Enclosures · Owings Mills Decks, Patios & Outdoor Enclosures · Dickinson Swimming Pool Builders · Harrisburg Landscape Contractors · Melrose Park Landscape Contractors · Palm Beach Gardens Landscape Contractors · Minneapolis Fence Contractors · Ashburn General Contractors · Norfolk General Contractors- 6 years ago
6 years agoI think planning for the mature height to not impede the windows is the key here. Basically filling in the space. Plant a nice vase-shaped shrub on the right side centered in the open space under the upper window. Then fill in the bed with colorful perennials that have different bloom times. Is this full sun? Always plant in odd numbers and form triangle groupings when possible. On the left side, I would plant another tall, vase-shaped shrub or small tree (peegee hydrangea for example) on a 45 degree angle, half the distance of the mature diameter, from the corner of the house. The idea is that it balances the plantings and softens the edge of the house without crowding the window. Then more perennials. I personally try to vary my colors and textures for some interest, but do what speaks to you and works with your zone.
Marco A thanked mnmamax3- 6 years ago
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- 6 years agolast modified: 6 years ago
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