Small Front Yard and Big Ideas!!

by Bryan's Workshop

3 Materials

I live in Japan and this is my whole front yard! What you're looking at was almost all concrete and brick once! I didn't let that stop me though.

My house was actually a company building once with the exterior remodeled to look like a house. I fell completely in love with this house the second I stepped in it. The unconventional floor plan is amazing! The front of the house was a parking lot though! I busted out most of the concrete on this side and put down sod. I extended the planter under the bay window out with bricks and mortar and moved that Camellia tree up away from the house. I wanted more though!

I've always wanted a picket fence!

These are winter creepers.

I put in a second brick planter and added these lovely bushes.

I decided to make a flowerpot sidewalk. I said bye-bye to the grass for now and planted some creeping thyme. Creeping thyme blooms a beautiful purple color and I'm going for total ground cover.

I have 25 large flowerpots growing different kinds of flowers right now. With the right amount of attention they will grow like crazy. I am constantly deadheading, trimming and feeding my flowers. It's time consuming, but I enjoy it.

The other side of the front of my house is a potted tree garden. I successfully grow blueberries, mulberries, cassis berries, olives, oranges, plums and "Ume" Japanese plums.

I also have coffee plants that haven't flowered yet and a peach tree that isn't mature enough to give fruit.

I use a bonsai method on all of my potted trees. I do an awful lot of root trimming and I stick to a schedule. The goal is growing leaves and fruit, not roots. This method is a little intense and time consuming, but works so well.

All of my trees are on their own fertilizing and inspection schedule. I also have two pine trees and a couple cypresses, a couple bushes, a blue hydrangea, a young black Camellia, and an unbelievable amount of succulents.

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1 question

Judy Mealy on Jun 07, 2016
I want to know more about the coffee plant,does it have the smell of coffee,how big does it get,many coffee beans,where can I buy one,thanks!

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DebraY on Oct 28, 2020

I love your design, very creative and your potted trees are gorgeous! I am doing something similar in my Virginia townhouse front yard (no grass). I would rather have native plants, herbs and flowers. I'm 65 now and physically limited, so this works better for me.

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Lisa Mcwhorter on Feb 26, 2022

I love everything you do on here Bryan. Although I really enjoy your yard work, all those gorgeous plants as I love flowers, and plants, but I'm 50 and have been disabled since I was 37and progressively am worsening with my limitations. Sucks royally , but I love seeing what you're doing, thanks so much for sharing. You are so creative love it!

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