Landscape Ideas

Rindy Bergbower
by Rindy Bergbower
these older homes are tough for me to design, I would hide the brick under the screened in porch with something. any Ideas the front faces east. HELP
  6 answers
  • Kimberly Barney Kimberly Barney on May 14, 2013
    The house could use some color and something more than a straight line of plantings. I would play off of the arch over the screened in porch and place a similiar arch underneath the screens. I would paint the archs a contrasting color along with the address numbers. I would also stain the walkway or paint it to look like stones. I would also give this home an irregular shaped garden bed starting with a row of evergreen bushes for year round with graduating heights of plantings. I cannot suggest what plants as I do not know what zone or if it is a sun or shade area. I have always liked the use of gazing balls, landscape lighting, and touches of nature (i.e. wood and stones). You could possibly work in a sitting stone.
  • Dee W Dee W on May 14, 2013
    Hi Rindy, what a beautiful home and I love the unique features that are created by your porch. I would put a narrow growing evergreen on each side of the porch to border the windows and like Kimberly said make a bed in front that curves outward slightly in the center. I like the idea of a bench or a birdbath tucked in with your plantings. Could you tell us what zone you are in, and how much sun the area gets?
  • Rindy Bergbower Rindy Bergbower on May 14, 2013
    It is in zone 6a and there is a crimson king red maple on the northeast corner of the yard. So the northest side of the house will be filtered sun but the side where the drive is will get mostly morning sun. There is a portaco that is attached to the house that you drive thru as well
  • Margaret Barclay Margaret Barclay on May 17, 2013
    Color, color, color! The house has such straight lines that you definitely need the curves that a front garden would give you. For ease of maintenance, I would put in azaleas for the spring and hydrangeas for the summer. Maybe a forsythia. Really, any bush that has an interesting color and shape would be fine. Next, I would put in a tree toward the end of the house not near the drive. I am thinking of a lilac - something to draw the eye upwards. Whatever you do, don't be tempted to do dot-dash-dot-dash planting - that is one small, one large, one small etc. You get the idea. Look around your area - anything you see growing in more than 2 yards will probably do well at your house as well. Be sure and put a grass barrier at the edge of the garden for ease of maintenance. But whatever it is you eventually do - have fun.
  • PAVERS DEPOT PAVERS DEPOT on May 17, 2013
    1" PAVERS IN AN ASSORTMENT OF COLOR OR TRAVERTINE. EASY. INSTALL OVER SAND BASE OF 1" TO 1/2". HIDES FLAWS AND MODERNIZES THE AREA.
  • Lindcurt Lindcurt on Mar 04, 2015
    That white paint on the screens is very distracting. Would it not be better to paint it the gray house color so it disappears? I think you would like the red brick better with that color change and some landscaping. Vines at the corner posts and some taller shrubs or ornamental grasses would help to break up all the red brick. Your local nurseries should carry plants that do well in your area. You can get plants like Iris, day lily and other perennials from neighbors. Find other homes in your area and copy some of their designs. A big house needs larger plants and planting beds. It could get expensive but can be done over several years adding a little more each year.