skip to main content

Landscape Design Design Dilemma

Landscape help! Dull and uninviting front yard

5 years ago

This is a second post for our home. I started looking for help on the house color changes and I received multiple wonderful ideas! I was advised that our landscaping (or lack of) needed our attention. Our house is on a small hill with a semi wooded lot. The house front faces directly North, so shade is a problem. This spring we trimmed the two pear trees in the front yard and removed 9 dead spruce trees and that left the East side of the house bare. I would like year round interest with easy care, but I am designed challenged and find I end up doing nothing ;/ Any assistance is appreciated

.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

K Laurence
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
I would hire a landscape designer to draw up plans . The work can be accomplished in stages if necessary. You’ll end up with a more cohesive & attractive landscape, well worth the $ spent. It often even saves you money in the long run. I once did landscape design, I wouldn’t even begin to make suggestions without an on-site visit, usually several visits to the site before embarking on a plan. Too many variables to consider ...
Kim Violanti thanked K Laurence
suezbell
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Really nice house and yard -- your yard probably looks a lot greener and more inviting in summer. Feed, aerate and even add seed for a healthier looking grass

Trimming the shrubs to below window sill height could make for a neater, more uniform look. Unless you like gardening/yard work, beware creating planting spaces that require regular maintenance beyond mowing around them and occasional weeding what comes up through the mulch. Flower beds created with the best of intentions can have the feel of clutter in the yard if you don't actually enjoy maintaining them.

Creating circles around the base of trees with brick or pavers and adding appropriate mulch is common -- you can use the brick or pavers as a guide for your mower tire so you don't hit roots.

Is that the metal/wire frame of a chair? Consider adding a patio where you're most likely to use it at least spring thru fall.

You might consider outlining the yard , at least across the front, with shrubs. Shrubs planted parallel with road can offer a degree of privacy and discourage having your front yard being used as a sidewalk. Choose something that is suitable for your planting zone and keeps its leaves all year. You could add a row of brick or pavers to outline the planting area to help define it and mulch within the borders of it around the base of the shrubs.
Kim Violanti thanked suezbell
Related Discussions
Front yard landscape help - edited as my first post wasn't clear
Q
Comments (7)
I wasn't clear in my original post - I may need to start again. We have a variety of fruit trees and bushes, berries and a large vegetable garden in the back. I'm not anti garden maintenance - I just tend to neglect the front yard because it never seems to look good no matter what I do (and I tend to prioritize puttering in the back with all the food producing stuff. We have run out of back yard space for fruit trees and at the same time I would like to add some taller trees/bushes at the front of our yard to create a bit of privacy as we are replacing some mirrored windows at the front and everyone walking by will have a full view into our front room. I was thinking if we had a nice looking garden along the road that we could then squeeze in a few more fruit trees in the front yard - but I would also like the yard to look nice. I am horrible with design and I'm hoping to get some ideas for a garden area with some height along the front of the yard, as well as some opinions on if I can get away with adding fruit trees along the driveway, walkway and front of the house (right side), or if this would just look strange. I'm not married to the look of the photo I posted above, I just want something that would look nice and create a bit of privacy.
...See More
Need help with front porch/yard landscaping ideas
Q
Comments (14)
I'm sorry but a 22" width is not sufficient room to grow much of anything other than annuals or some smaller perennials. About the only evergreen shrub it could accommodate is dwarf English boxwood and even that would need to be routinely sheared to keep it in bounds. Spreading yews could work as well but they would also need routine shearing - they grow faster and larger than the box. From a design and aesthetic viewpoint, your charming home (and it is indeed very charming) is being unpleasantly upstaged by the massive expanse of gravel. Unless this is a B&B or you have a fleet of cars you need permanent parking for, pull it back and allow at least some semblance of a front garden. Get rid of the brick borders and pull those beds out even with the stone landing at the very least. Personally, I'd likley get rid of 75% or more of the gravel. Other than convenience, it is adding nothing to the curb appeal. The choice is a parking lot or a garden.
...See More
Front yard landscape help needed
Q
Comments (4)
You do NOT want trees right next to your house. First, the roots can cause damage to the foundation. Second, detritus from leaves and twigs will accumulate on your roof. Third, branches can rub on fascia and roofing, and storm damage could bring limbs down on your roof. Finally, you already have a tree in front of this area. There are tall shrubs you could use on the corners, but many are also wide. I can't tell how wide your current bed is, but you may need to widen it. If a shrub is expected to mature at 5' wide, you need a 5' wide bed with the shrub planted 2 & 1/2' from the house. Regardless, a wider bed also allows you room for low edging shrubs or perennials. Remember that all new plants will be small when first planted. Fill in behind and around them with annuals until they get established. Evergreen azaleas have more sun tolerant varieties, but they are only reliably hardy to zone 6, whereas deciduous azalea varieties are hardy to zone 4. Below is how I would redo this bed. It leaves the corner rockwork visible. Try to repeat at least one plant across the front of your home for design continuity; such as the green bush bordered by the edging plant.
...See More
Front yard needs landscaping help
Q
Comments (5)
You have a lovely house and a nice piece of land to work with. So much of landscaping is dependent on where you live -- the weather, soil, local pests, etc. IMO it's important to hire local people who understand local conditions, materials, etc. I suggest you figure out your budget, make a list of priorities (don't forget irrigation) then hire a local landscape designer to come up with a plan. It all adds up fast so get ready for a reality check. You can find design firms in your area, or check with near-by full-service nurseries -- many of them offer affordable landscape design services. Take your time, go on garden tours, do your homework and talk to several design firms. And have fun! It's going to be beautiful!
...See More
Kim Violanti
Original Author
5 years ago
Thank you for all your ideas! We live in NW Ohio and it does help now that the trees have filled in :)
PRO
Yardvaark
5 years ago
The pictures are not good for giving you feedback. You'd need to line the camera up with the front door, far enough from it that the top of the roof shows and about two car lengths of yard/lawn. Then pan the camera from lot line to lot line taking slightly overlapping pictures. That way we can see the complete, most important view for starters.

Also, back farther, still in line with the front door, and show a single picture that includes all the trees in your front yard.
Kim Violanti thanked Yardvaark
Kim Violanti
Original Author
5 years ago
Okay, I will. Thank you

Related Stories

CURB APPEAL 7 Questions to Help You Pick the Right Front-Yard Fence

By Matthew Ankeny

Get over the hurdle of choosing a fence design by considering your needs, your home’s architecture and more

LANDSCAPE DESIGN Yard of the Week: Elegant Poolside Retreat and Front Yard Lounge

By Wendy Helfenbaum

A landscape design-build firm gives a family in New Jersey an outdoor oasis for swimming, eating and relaxing

GARDENING AND LANDSCAPING Take Back Your Front Yard: 8 Ways to Make It Social

By J. Peterson Garden Design

If only trees and squirrels gather in your front yard, you're missing out on valuable socializing space. Here's how to remedy that

CURB APPEAL 7 Finishing Touches for a Thoughtful Front Yard

By J. Peterson Garden Design

Make a great first impression with artful house numbers, water features, garden art and more

CURB APPEAL 7 Ways to Create a Neighborly Front Yard

By June Scott Design

Foster community spirit by setting up your front porch, paths and yard for social interaction

FRONT YARD IDEAS 10 Ideas for a Front-Yard Edible Garden Your Neighbors Will Love

By Laura Gaskill

Choosing attractive, well-mannered plants and sharing the bounty will go a long way toward keeping the peace

EXTERIORS Where Front Yards Collide: Property Lines in Pictures

By Mitchell Parker

Some could be twins; others channel the Odd Couple. You may never look at property boundaries the same way again

GREAT HOME PROJECTS Upgrade Your Front Yard for Curb Appeal and More

By June Scott Design

New project for a new year: Revamp lackluster landscaping for resale value, water savings and everyday enjoyment

COMMUNITY Book It: Bring a Mini Library to Your Front Yard

By Mitchell Parker

Take a book, leave a book. An ingenious lending-library idea is sweeping the nation — see if it's right for your neighborhood

MOST POPULAR Creative Ideas for Small Front Yards

By Laura Gaskill

A little imagination goes a long way in a petite landscape

Sponsored

More Discussions

House numbers for curb appeal - ideas, please!

30

Outdoor Plant Suggestions

1

Is this Rose Rosetta Disease? And Recommendations for Replacements

11

Landscaping help

5

Will my lemon tree recover

0