Analysis paralysis - help me make final decisions on my front garden!!
I’ve been living here eight years now, and am just now getting around to exterior updates to my little old house. I’ve gotten helpful feedback here already, but need to solidify my plans and get roots in the ground Spring 2021!
Pictures: Taken from across the street, the sidewalk right out front, and as far as I could get on the side. Please let me know if more are needed!
Note that the garden bed will be extended on the corner for a tree and the landing of the walkway will be wider, as shown below. New posts will be added to the stoop and downspouts connected to the underground drains “sometime soon”.
Goals: Not aiming for wow-factor, just a little something to make the house look well-kept & welcoming; distract from exposed foundation, electrical, and vent; neat & simple; low-maintenance (think some supplemental summer waterings and one or two trims a year); good value (planning to move in <5 years)
Bonus goals: Shade home office (front right) from afternoon sun; attract birds, bees, and butterflies
Site: Zone 5b; sandy soil; house faces west; no deer or rabbits; beds are 12.5x7’ and 10x7’ at front, 18x7’ at side, and SW corner will be curved out to a 6-7’ radius
Ideas: Plants selected so far are winterberry holly, cardinal flower, butterfly milkweed, and serviceberry, all native to the Canadian maritimes; my dear hydrangea will be rehomed since it doesn’t fit with the red/orange colour scheme
Questions: 1) Should I go with full-sized winter berries and keep them pruned (windows are ~5’ off the ground) or dwarf cultivars that only get to be 3-4’ round? 3) Would Canadian bunchberry work as ground-cover under the tree? 4) I’ve made a mock-up of the shrub placements and would put the cardinals & milkweed either side of the stoop, but what should I have on the left-most side? 5) Any other critiques/suggestions?
Sorry for the novel and thanks in advance!
Comments (18)
Gargamel
3 years agocomelyhomely
3 years agoRelated Discussions
Time to make my final layout decisions, please help?
Comments (16)What are the dimensions on the pantry wall? You are smart to recognize how you really live, and plan for backpack space. I think the tidiest look would be a low built-in, open at the top. Eventually you could put a hinged lid and window seat, but for now, keep it open. Top access keeps things from spilling into the walkway, and dividers inside separates each person's stuff. In my upcoming remodel, I'm building what I call a "pantry wall", but it will function as command center, desk, and pantry. It will be 5' wide, floor to ceiling, 12" deep on one side and 20" deep on the other. On the 12" side, I plan to keep cookbooks, canned goods, small appliances. No pullouts. I'm adding 2 outlets inside one of the cabinets, for chargers. I would not use glass fronts, as you have shown, if it will be storage space. You said "I don't know how much I would store there". I suggest you go through your existing cabinets, and make a list of what you have. Then go through the new layout, one cabinet/drawer at a time, and figure out what is going to go in each space. Measure stuff. Decide what will work in your space next to the fridge; where the dishes will go; where to put things that need to be handy for cooking. That will help you determine what's left to go in the pantry shelves. One thing I asked my cabinet maker to do is add extra shelves to many of the upper cabinets. If the shelf will house cans of soup or coffee mugs, it doesn't need to be 12" high. I'll have more shelves, spaced closer together. Boxes of cereal need more space. I can see this being useful in your pantry cabinet....See MorePlease help... major case of analysis paralysis
Comments (18)Thanks so much for all the input I've received.... i really appreciate all of it!! Les917: Yay! another vote for the panels.. when we measured that is just what we did- a little over the edges of the window. Ahh yes, the piano - the piano was on the wall where the curio is and vice versa for about 10 years so when we ordered the new furniture, we thought we'd change it up a bit, but hmmm maybe we should put it back the other way??? the piano bench should have been tucked under the piano a little more- its not as tight as it looks when DD puts it back where it belongs..lol yes the mirror does have to go.. there was a table under it before the new end tables came... the mirror will go back above the table where it is now on the upstrs landing..I'm hoping Santa will bring me an oval mirror (from ballard designs) that I've been eyeing for over the piano, what do you think about that? Not sure what i'd put on the wall where that mirror is now if i dont move piano back around???? So many questions... that's why I feel paralyzed by any new decisions.. thank you for taking the time to answer my post.. i've been lurking here for a while and you are, as graywings suggest, a master at furniture arrangement and more!! Does the oval coffee table need an oval centerpiece or can any shape.. rectangular or round go on that piece of furniture??? Not sure what to put on that table?? Graywings: Yes the mirror is going... thanks.. doggy says,"thanks"! Chris8796: The fabric I really liked was solid with a tiny pindot and a shade or 2 darker than the walls.. I am seeing the seamstress on Wed. to look at the fabric again an i will ask her to sketch out both a long rod and 2 shorter ones.. Thanks so much. Bigdoglover: Yes the drapes will be full length.. thanks for your kind compliments.. I value all your opinions and wish you all a peaceful and healthy holiday season... I will post more pics in January when the drapes are finally up! Thanks again.....See MoreMoving away—-analysis paralysis-—help!
Comments (46)Maire_cate, I am so sorry for your loss. Let me be clear that I am in no way saying Joanie does any of these things. But for those who hear secondhand stories from friends about how their DIL treats them so badly, well, I'd suggest taking it with a grain of salt. For example, someone above asked who would always go to one side of the family for Christmas. We did. For years. My in laws lived near by and made no effort to see us. We always had to drive an hour plus to see them and half the time they had some project they wanted my dh to be unpaid labor on so I spent the visit chasing our toddler by myself while they did work (they had more than enough money to pay for the work to be done, they just didn't want to). Also his family never made any big deal out of holidays--they once ate Christmas dinner at McDonald's because they went skiing. So when dh could actually get leave because it was the holidays, we went to my family. And Dh one hundred percent agreed, I did not make that decision on my own. Another example, my ds had a milk allergy. I did not make it up; an allergist diagnosed it. But my mil ignored it. I would bring food with us that was safe for ds and she would still offer him snacks he could not have. She once offered him a pudding cup and ds actually told her he could not have it and she tried to insist to him that he could. Dh had to intervene. Well, she never got to babysit him again. And we pretty much stopped going to see them because we were never sure what food she would try to slip past us. Since they made little effort to come to see us, we saw them maybe every two or three months at that point. So, when people tell you secondhand how awful it is that they don't get the holidays or they never get to see their grandkids, I suggest not assuming it is all because of a terrible DIL. Again this is in no way a commentary on Joanie. I'm not doubting her point of view at all. And I am very sorry for her circumstances....See MoreSuffering from Analysis Paralysis. Advice Truly Appreciated!
Comments (1)3 Months, 10,000 photos, 100s of Hours, Still NO firm decision! In Nov, we removed a nasty behemoth of a brick fireplace that we lived with far too long. I've been stuck since then trying to decide what to replace it with. We have a style in my mind though it's been difficult to visualize. In a former life, I was a tech writer, so I've drawn many rough drafts. The biggest obstacle is that I know I change my mind more often than I'd like about my favorite styles. This makes me even more hesitant to make a decision. "What if I don't like it a few years from now!" I've never solicited an online resource for opinions, though I've used Houzz for inspiration and motivation for over 10 years. At this point, however, I need an intervention! My spouse is very helpful (in telling me what he doesn't like) but ultimately, within reason, the decision is mine. We are not looking to spend a small fortune; this is an update, not a remodel. In my Ideabook 'Fireplace/Fam Rm Remodel', I've listed (way too many) ideas, pics of the old fireplace, inspiration photos, and other uploads if any of you would care to wade through them with me! Fireplace/Fam Rm Update Oh... and lastly, we are avid, passionate DIYers with a full woodworking shop in the basement. THANK YOU - more than you can imagine! Design Must-haves: Neutral tones Budget <10k Stone and wood mix (MSI *Sierra Blue or Alaska Gray) (Mid-tone white oak, teak is too spendy for this project.) Floating or flush/floor hearth Plenty of display shelving Oak Flooring, mid-tone to match existing. Design Dilemmas: - TV above or adjacent to the gas fireplace? Hubby says adjacent, I say above; neither is a deal-breaker. We rarely light a fire, so high temps/TV is not an issue. Height is also not relevant as we could purchase a MantelMount. - Stacked stone. A full wall, 3/4 wall or only @ fireplace? - Thin, wood trim installed vertically to separate stone and painted wall? - Lighting, which will be a simpler choice down the road....See More
PROBeth H. :
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agothinking you may want to do another path to walk over to the side?
maybe change the shape of the little portico and bring it over to one side?
have you thought about doing a small front porch?
flagstone, slate, pavers match your exterior color
houssaon
3 years agoFirst of all, when planting allow at least a foot from the side of the house when the plant reaches maturity. Don't block the lower level windows. Layer rows and alternate heights.
I don't know if the plants do well in your area, but they are come of my favorites. Sedum, Hosta, fern, Japanese Anemone, cranesbill Geranium, day lily, aster, and Joe Pye weed (butter flies love this plant). Holly, Oak leaf Hydrangea, Mountain Laural, and Pee Gee Hydrangea are in my garden.
A Eastern Redbud would look good in the right hand corner. Plant another ornamental tree out in the middle of left yard.
Sedum 'Autumn Joy' · More Info
Eupatorium purpureum Joe Pye Weed · More InfoBurgundy leaf Eastern Redbud.
Plants I Really Like · More InfoThis is a multi trunk example, mine isn't half as wide.
Eastern Redbud · More Infocomelyhomely
3 years ago
emmarene9
3 years agoI would widen the path all the way.
Be careful what tree you plant near the house. I see you have overhead wires.
I would not add posts. I think a cantilever type portico is better. The top stoop level seems shallow. Adding posts might make it feel confined.
I do not see an exterior light which to me is a safety issue. I hope you can add one.Plants with burgundy foliage would be nice with the color of your house.
I'm not an artist so here is my crude image.
You would add more plants, of course.comelyhomely
3 years ago
littlebug zone 5 Missouri
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agocomelyhomely
3 years agoThank you @littlebug zone 5 Missouri! I do plan to replace the railings on the stoop. I was thinking simple square wooden posts & rails painted white, like this
But now I also like the black metal ones suggested by @emmarene9 and am seeing a few examples on pinterest I like with a similar look. More decisions!
The plan for the walkway is dark grey patio stones, 18x24". 6' wide at the base of the stairs for a landing and 4' the rest of the way to the sidewalk. I have a path to the rear door (the one I and friends/family use) from the driveway already, so this front one is just for folks coming off the street.
The concrete steps are in good condition and have just been re-levelled. Gave them a pressure-wash a few weeks ago and will do another in the spring but no other surface work is planned for them.
I've read so many comments here about planting beds being too narrow, so I wanted to ensure at least 6' of depth for mine! I've gotten a few comments irl saying they look freakishly BIG but I know it'll all come together once they're filled in with plants. This is a rough layout from placing new sod; I will be tweaking the shape slightly in spring to get more rounded corners. :)Little Bug
3 years ago
PROamuzyczka
3 years agocomelyhomely
3 years agoemmarene9
3 years ago
decoenthusiaste