house some curb appeal at my entry
Sara S
4 years ago
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jck910
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agolizziesma
4 years agoRelated Discussions
Give our (soon to be) house some curb appeal! (Pic)
Comments (14)Congratulations on your new house! This is really exciting. We purchased this house last year and, like you, before closing we were already planning away on what we'd do to the front. This is a picture of our relandscaping I think the day it was completed; as it's nighttime now I cannot take a more lush photo (the plants have filled out amazingly in just one year!), but I'm including it because what I really want you to see is the curving front walk. (ours has steps but you can still do a curving flat or slightly sloped walk) Ours is brick pavers and Colorado rose flagstone, but I've seen beautiful stamped concrete and other foot-friendly materials. If you're in an area where you have to shovel snow, keep that in mind when choosing your material -- you don't want your shovel to get caught! In this (planned) community, the houses only have paths to the front door from the tops of their driveways, which I find really unwelcoming! There are only a handful of us who've put in walkways but I'll tell you, driving around I always find I smile at the houses with dedicated walkways to the sidewalk (inc. ours!) because I just get a friendly feel from them. I love and second teacats suggestions for undulating beds -- they are so attractive and lush! There are so many low-maintenance but showy plants out there -- but so much of the selection depends on your (micro) climate. I'd like to suggest you visit the Gardening forum for your area -- really knowledgeable, helpful people are there, and they can help you pick out the right plants for your garden, or at the least, give you a great list for when you go to your nursery! I also love kswl's color suggestions, but that may be because we had ours painted with those v. colors last summer .... Congratulations on your new home!...See MoreHelp me give this house some curb appeal! (Photos)
Comments (11)Notice that both designers removed the shrubs and grass and filled the entire bed with ornamental plants. Good choice. Regardless of what you plant, start the planting outside of the rainshadow caused by the roof overhang. That will be better for the plants and give you space to do maintenance such as washing windows. If you stand across the street opposite the front door and take a photo of the whole yard side to side, you may get good suggestions for tree placement. (If it's too wide stand in the same spot but take three photos: 1 straight on, one pivoting right and one pivoting left) I usually prefer trees not in line with the front door since as one grows it may make the entrance more difficult to see. I also discourage the use of rock mulch in areas like Chicago that have to deal with heavy rain and snow removal since they will get moved around and will need to be moved off the drive and walk and out of the grass. Your lawnmower can fling stone hard enough to do damage. For the downspout, if you want to plant a climbing rose, add a hard prune clematis with it to best hide/distract from it; many roses have rather sparse foliage. Provide an ornamental trellis and clip the rose to it so the rose doesn't grow around the downspout. (One of my more vigorous climbing roses sent canes between the downspout and the house which needed to be cut out.) You could also do the same between the windows and at the far end. Think about having something that won't be just bare in the winter, whether it is evergreens, shrubs with colored bark, a tree with a great winter silhouette out in the yard, or ornamental trellis that will look nice in winter once the clematis is cut off it. Winter can be long in zone 5! Whatever plants you decide to put in, research their size potential on reputable sites such as the Missouri Botanical Garden's plant finder. Nursery tags tend to give size at 5 years, but many can get quite a bit larger....See MoreZero Curb appeal from street - Side door entry to house
Comments (8)An overall cleanup is in order first. I’d remove all plants/weeds/shrubs next to the house shown in these 2 pictures. And all the stuff on and around the steps by the yellow inset door. Then assess. I don’t understand what you said about the front door - the yellow inset door is not the front door? (By the way, that yellow-painted inset looks really odd, at least in these pictures. I’d paint it the same color as the rest of the house.)...See MoreImprove Curb Appeal of My Existing Home
Comments (12)Brick: I think your brick is very attractive; I would not paint it. I do think the railing would look better if painted black or dark green. Landscape: Your pictures are very dark--is that a Japanese maple in the front of the house in the flower bed? Those shrubs might look better if they were shaped. Flowering shrubs and annuals would be an improvement, too. Not the time of year, I know. Paging Dig Doug's Designs! He has terrific ideas. I am not sure how much room you have on the right side, but I think an arbor would look really nice over there or in the front of your house with some climbing roses or other vines like clematis. Windows: I am not a professional, but I think your mini blinds do not go with the style of your home. Sheers or lace curtains would seem to look better. If you can't open your windows because they are nailed shut, it's time to think about new windows. I know you hate your brick and think your house is unattractive, but I don't think it looks that bad. This is the time of year when flowers fade and leaves fall. In my area, it seems cloudy and/or rainy/snowy all the time. Can't wait to see what you do with the place. Good luck!...See MoreSara S
4 years agoSara S
4 years agoRappArchitecture
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4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoKatie B.
4 years agoSara S
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4 years agoKatie B.
4 years agochloebud
4 years agoacm
4 years agoSara S
4 years agoYardvaark
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoemmarene9
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