Landscaping ideas for LA home
rureadyinla
3 years ago
We are nearly done updating the interior of our home (several years in the making). Now we are going to focus on the exterior.
We have a wide but shallow backyard by Los Angeles standards. It has a downward slope, which is a challenge for us to figure out. We removed some trees and shrubs, demolished a large concrete patio that was tiled with many cracks plus a covering as it leaked and it was causing the family room to be dark. So now basically left with dirt. (Pictures show grass/weeds, but we dug all of that up.)
Any creative thoughts on dealing with the slope? I am use to flat backyards, so it is hard for me to imagine what I can do with the backyard than what was there previously. We have a large side yard (not in pictures below as that might be part of phase II update).
If it helps, we are about 8 miles from ocean in a hilly area and we tend to get fog in the early am (and sometimes evenings) and are typically 10 degrees cooler the downtown Los Angeles.
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loobab
3 years agoRelated Discussions
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 MoreNeed ideas/help for landscaping at front of house NW Illinois Zone 5
Comments (34)First of all KUDOS to you!! I have rock mulch all around my house and it has taken me years to get rid of it in some spots. Of course I'm not as dedicated as you obviously were. Really amazing that you were willing to take the time to do that. Give yourself a big pat on the back!! In IL, I wouldn't plant stuff up close to the house, It holds moisture against the house, in many forms, including snow. Haven for all kinds of bugs that get into the house. I'd leave at least three feet between the house and anything I planted. You might want to start out with the less expensive smaller plants, but make sure to check how big they get at maturity. Below is a link to the MO Botantical Gardens "PlantFinder" search engine. You can look up most of the plants that would grow well in your zone and find out the real deal about them. Give your baby plantings room to grow. Easier to fill in between shrubs with annual flowers than rip out overgrown stuff. Ask me how I know . . . https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/plantfinder/plantfindersearch.aspx Maybe walk around your neighborhood and take pictures of houses you like the landscaping of, and copy some ideas from that. That's what I did when I moved into my first house, for ideas on landscaping. I took nightly walks and got a lot of ideas from peering into neighbors yards . . . Check out some books from the library, there are lots of books on how to basically landscape a basic home. My favorite, probably out of print, is Cass Turnbull's handbook. She goes into not just how to design your plantings, but how to maintain them too. https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/the-complete-guide-to-landscape-design-renovation-and-maintenance-a-practical-handbook-for-the-home-landscape-gardener_cass-turnbull/389930/item/391485/?gclid=CjwKCAjwrPCGBhALEiwAUl9X0_79Z7hoPI67oemQK8eqUFYDEz_xHv3F_eRviJaKq4gNPhsTl3Z0GRoCO00QAvD_BwE#idiq=391485&edition=2871674 Another older book I used was "Better Homes and Gardens Complete Guide to Home Landscaping." In general, think big swaths, not tiny little edges against the house. Most people don't look at the whole landscape, the lay of the land when landscaping, they just throw plants right up against the house. Look at your yard as a whole. It's even hard to recommend things just from the sectional photos you posted. Obviously you're going to do something about that weird "C" shaped bed in front of the house. It's unnecessarily difficult to mow around. As for "something with some height" I would recommend looking into some type of viburnum shrubs. The question is, are you going to a nice professional nursery or a big box store. If you go to a big real nursery, there might be someone there who could help you find the kinds of plants you are looking for. I know last time I visited such a place, a lovely woman helped me find the perfect tree for my yard . . . You might consider a rose trained against a trellis between your front windows. Just a thought. And here I'm breaking my rule about not having plants up against the house . . . ! Here are some lovely shrubs that I've dealt with that keep themselves tidy--weigela "Wine and roses" "Margic Carpet" spirea, "Miss Kim" lilac, Gold mound arborvitae, dwarf mugo pine, dwarf fothergilla. I also love the landscape roses, but that's me . . . One kind of hosta alone is sad, a whole selection of different colors and leaf shapes is cool. No go if you have deer browsing . . . I agree though, the purpose of landscaping up against the house is for your pleasure. Curb appeal is just al little welcoming thing at the entrance. Can be a simple planter with red geraniums. The rest is what you want to see and enjoy. From the street, you want big structural elements, well away from the house, but places so they don't impede the view in or out. Unless you want a lot of privacy in the front . . . There's really no reason to obstruct the view of the front of your house with a lot of heavy maintenance shrubs, etc....See MoreWhat color to paint house & landscaping ideas
Comments (12)Powerwash the concrete. It would cost a lot to change it. You could put some planters out there to add color and soften the area. I would plant low growing ground cover or shrubs, nothing tall since the house is low. Get a larger light fixture and a wall hung mailbox....See MoreWould like some landscape ideas for the front of our house
Comments (6)Pretty house! I’d go ahead and remove the shrubs so you can get a clear picture of the space. I think slighty curving the bed down a bit to meet the curve in the sidewalk would look nice, and more cohesive with the other bed. Once you’ve got it cleared, edging set up, etc, you’ll get a much better idea of what you’re working with. You could use dwarf shrubs, such as dwarf Yaupon Holly, smaller grasses, perennials. Maybe add a pretty bird bath to see out the window. :) You could also take a good picture of the bed to a reputable local nursery for ideas in your area, as well as check around the neighborhood....See Morerureadyinla
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