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Landscape Design Design Dilemma

Landscaping Ideas for this MCM house? Front yard needs some control

Interiors by G.

2 years ago

Needing some landscaping help on this one
How can I take control of this massive sloping front yard and give it a modern vibe that connects with the house?

Featured Answer

D M PNW

2 years ago

Having long rectangular beds that echo the lines of the house would fit. Terraces would be spectacular with beds of airy grasses, ground covers, or not too tall shrubs in an arrangement inspired by Mondrian. It could be done without building terraces to cut the cost. The grass could be a ramp switch backing down the hill.

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Comments (10)

housegal200
2 years ago
I have an MCM Ideabook that features a lot of front gardens. Here's one, but it totally depends on your location and the native plants that grow there. MCM gardens tend to have angled features to echo house lines.
Mid-Century Front Walk - Wauwatosa · More Info

DM PNW said better than what I was about to say!
Street View · More Info

Modern Eichler · More Info

Ratio House · More Info
Interiors by G. thanked housegal200
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A couple of notes: - You don’t actually want to plant as densely or as close to the walk as in Doug’s sketch or in three years you will need to do a lot of pruning and in 5 or 8 you will be ripping out plants and starting all over again with many of them. Add large pots or a birdbath or art or annuals while you wait for some of your woody plants to put on size. - Whatever you plant needs to be sized appropriately for it ultimate growth. Plant tags often give plant sizes at an unrealistic 5 years, so be sure to look up on a reputable website such as the Missouri Botanic Garden’s Plantfinder to find the actual expected size. - You have a big overhang that creates a rain shadow that will always be dry without irrigation. Be sure to plan on irrigation for anything within that rain shadow. Regardless, don’t plant anything so close that it will grow to within a foot or so of the house. - Wider steps are great to make a welcoming entry. - Notice in both sketches that the plants in front of the windows are lower with taller plants framing it or placed further down the slope to not block the windows. - Plan to have some of your plants evergreen for a winter presence and some with either colored foliage or flowers for interest. - Sod or hydro seed the lawn at the appropriate time of year for your area which may be now.
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It's a fact ... you'll not be able to get rid of the mess until you create a permanent, hard walk where there is now mulch. The magnolia roots are going to make it harder, but it must be done if there is to be a cure. I agree with others that something like concrete (simplest and cheapest) or pavers/brick are suitable. A walk laid out to acknowledge the tree will look and work better than one that doesn't. The bench only makes sense if there is a way to get to it ... i.e., use it. But because of Magnolia roots, it would add a lot of difficulty extending the walk to the bench. Therefore, I'd recommend using the bench elsewhere and having only plantings at the front of the house. Consider using a groundcover like Asiatic Jasmine to cover the magnolia roots.
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Mama Cita
2 years ago
WOW your house is spectacular! What’s the column above the door? Was it black originally? I love it!
PRO
Interiors by G.
Original Author
2 years ago
@Mama Cita Thank you! No this house was a vanilla color ( the whole house was in really rough shape when I got it... i'm about 5months into literally renovating the entire thing.
PRO
Interiors by G.
Original Author
2 years ago
@housegal200 I totally agree... I love the rectangular beds but wondered if there is a way to achieve that look without installing actual terrace walls since the yard is so sloped.
PRO
Interiors by G.
Original Author
2 years ago
@D M PNW Totally agree on the grasses - almost like a midwestern prairie look or something?

Been trying to find some ideas of this on sloping yards. Seems like most MCM houses always have flat yards lol
Mama Cita
2 years ago
Not a landscaper, but to me it invites creating a broad, linear terrace downslope from the current block wall, by adding a block retaining wall that starts at a point aligned with the house overhang on the left and ends where the garage begins. It could be filled with airy grasses as suggested upthread, and maybe a spectacular Japanese Maple on the left.
rureadyinla
2 years ago
Oh wow… what a house. I would hire a landscape architect with experience with MCMs, even if you do the labor yourself. We have a sloping small backyard (in LA), but had someone draw up some plans based on our rough ideas. He also let us know what we could and could not afford on our budget. I thought we could afford a deck using certain material (i looked at material pricing plus estimated labor), and he said that is NOT in your budget, hahaha. He was also very helpful in designing it for us to add stuff later easily, whether underground or above ground.
houssaon
2 years ago
Look into native hardwoods. I would plant four or five close to the street. Over time they will provide some privacy, but you still will have a vista.

I would pick two evergreen shrubs to mass plant in front of the walls. One plant along one wall and the other along the other wall.

Add three ornamental trees. Maybe two Eastern Redbuds and one Japanese Maple. Crabapples are also another good tree.
Sigrid
2 years ago
You need to start with trees. Redbuds are a good choice. I like clumps of birch, too.

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